When it came time to choose a brand-new email system, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I required something better– something built for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience generally. After almost a years aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I wasn’t searching for simply a tool– I was searching for a proper companion Beehiiv Mobile App.
And that’s how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack choice?” I believed that also at first. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a lot to state– both the wins and the weird traits. If you’re attempting to choose whether Beehiiv is the appropriate system for you, clear up in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that might actually help expand my checklist and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing anymore.
So I began comparing options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was checking out this via the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired complete control over my audience and content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet dig a little deeper, and splits begin revealing. The greatest one? You do not really have your followers.
That “adhere to” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re primarily leasing a target market you can never ever totally get to.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights only turn on if the venue determines to let the group see you. Doesn’t really feel fantastic.
And then there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You ‘d think they were running a nightclub, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
At first, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist development devices, and no system costs (besides the common Stripe cut). However pledges are easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit threads really did not sound like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a brand-new platform generally feels like drawing teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Attaching my custom domain? A couple of minor hiccups, however nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
Something I actually valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly introduces your domain name to inbox companies, piggybacking off their own sending domain. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance material– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like someone sat down and stated, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Mobile App
Currently below’s where points obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is respectable, yet don’t expect it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can only be attached to a single automation. That makes it tricky to individualize welcome sequences based on exactly how someone joined.
I ended up going full detective setting– dabbling with segments, making use of separate landing pages, reviewing odd Reddit threads– simply to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may feel like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Excellent, But Not Perfect
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, layout, preview– it seems like it was created by somebody who’s in fact composed a newsletter or 2.
However default templates took a few tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That means your magnificently crafted message may obtain cut in half if you’re not careful. I learned this the hard way– after that dropped a bunny hole of testing tools to maximize HTML size and prevent that feared clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail audience
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little a hand-operated procedure, yet it works. I also connected to Beehiiv concerning adding far better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Really Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible difference because switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In just three months, I included over 160 brand-new subscribers to a pretty particular niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I had not been even running paid advertisements.
A lot of that development came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your technique a whole lot much easier.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money due to the fact that for the majority of designers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (literally).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network links creators with brands in a manner that does not feel disgusting or compelled. It’s built-in revenue capacity, simple and straightforward Beehiiv Mobile App.
And when I’m ready to release a costs membership? I understand precisely what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your viewers into advocates without dangling awkward swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to do well. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Support can be slow when you hit a weird insect or require deep help.
Some automations still feel as well standard.
Email dimension surveillance requires far better in-app signals (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re offering physical items or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a list, or simply tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your target market
You’re seeking to expand quick without paying platform tax
You desire something that feels constructed by designers, for designers
Will it address every trouble? No. Yet in three months, it’s assisted me grow quicker, gain a lot more, and anxiety less concerning the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop working out and actually scale your newsletter with genuine tools that appreciate your job and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You just may fall in love like I did.