When it came time to pick a new e-mail system, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I required something better– something constructed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience generally. After almost a years helping others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been seeking just a device– I was hunting for an appropriate companion Beehiiv Mailchimp.
Which’s how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I know what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack alternative?” I believed that as well at first. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a whole lot to claim– both the victories and the strange quirks. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the appropriate system for you, resolve in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be honest– most email provider (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that can really aid expand my checklist and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP simply wasn’t cutting it anymore.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its rewards, however I was taking a look at this through the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired full control over my target market and material.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little deeper, and fractures start revealing. The most significant one? You don’t in fact possess your followers.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re essentially renting out an audience you can never ever fully get to.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights only switch on if the place determines to let the group see you. Doesn’t really feel great.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a bar, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
At first, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list development tools, and absolutely no system costs (other than the common Stripe cut). Yet pledges are simple. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit strings really did not seem like robots or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a new system generally seems like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up types? No crises. Connecting my customized domain? A couple of small hiccups, however nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One point I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively introduces your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain. Translation? Less spam folder nightmares.
Additionally, their support content– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– actually really felt human. Like a person sat down and claimed, “Let’s not frustrate the heck out of our individuals today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Mailchimp
Now below’s where things obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, yet don’t expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can just be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it difficult to individualize welcome series based upon just how a person joined.
I ended up going full investigator setting– tinkering with segments, making use of different landing pages, reading odd Reddit threads– just to build a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it achievable? Definitely. Yet if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this could feel like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Excellent, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, format, preview– it feels like it was made by a person who’s actually composed a newsletter or more.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That means your wonderfully crafted message might obtain cut in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– then dropped a bunny hole of screening devices to maximize HTML dimension and prevent that feared clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading and install examination emails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email customer
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a manual process, but it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv about adding far better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference because switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 new customers to a pretty specific niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I had not been even running paid ads.
Most of that development originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal easier.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money due to the fact that for many designers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (essentially).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches makers with brand names in a manner that does not feel disgusting or compelled. It’s integrated revenue capacity, ordinary and straightforward Beehiiv Mailchimp.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium registration? I know specifically what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your viewers right into advocates without hanging unpleasant swag or one-time tricks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Support can be slow when you hit an unusual insect or need deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email size surveillance needs much better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical products or want deserted cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best choice.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a checklist, or just tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You want full possession of your audience
You’re aiming to expand quick without paying system tax obligation
You want something that feels constructed by designers, for designers
Will it address every issue? No. However in three months, it’s aided me grow quicker, earn much more, and stress less regarding the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit clearing up and actually scale your e-newsletter with real tools that appreciate your work and target market– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Provide it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.