When it came time to pick a brand-new email platform, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I needed something better– something built for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience generally. After almost a decade assisting others with email marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I had not been seeking simply a device– I was searching for a proper partner Beehiiv Posts.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack choice?” I assumed that too at first. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a great deal to say– both the victories and the odd quirks. If you’re attempting to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the appropriate platform for you, resolve in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email company (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a tool that can really help expand my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its advantages, however I was taking a look at this through the lens of a person who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s polished. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little much deeper, and cracks start revealing. The greatest one? You do not really own your fans.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re primarily renting out an audience you can never totally reach.
It resembles doing on a stage where the lights just turn on if the venue makes a decision to allow the group see you. Doesn’t really feel wonderful.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly think they were running a club, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
At first, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist growth tools, and zero system fees (aside from the normal Stripe cut). Yet assurances are easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit strings really did not seem like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– migrating to a brand-new system typically seems like drawing teeth. But Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No crises. Linking my customized domain? A couple of minor hiccups, yet absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the display.
One point I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually introduces your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder nightmares.
Likewise, their assistance content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like someone took a seat and said, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Posts
Currently here’s where things obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet do not anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can only be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it complicated to customize welcome sequences based upon just how somebody joined.
I wound up going full detective setting– tinkering with sectors, making use of different landing pages, checking out rare Reddit strings– simply to build a few customized workflows.
Is it practical? Absolutely. Yet if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Terrific, But Not Perfect
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, format, preview– it feels like it was developed by somebody who’s actually created an e-newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I learned this the hard way– after that decreased a rabbit opening of testing devices to enhance HTML dimension and avoid that feared clipping.
My best strategy?
- Downloading examination emails from Gmail and examining size
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail audience
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a manual process, yet it works. I also connected to Beehiiv about adding better size cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference because switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In just three months, I included over 160 brand-new clients to a quite specific niche newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
Most of that development came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your approach a great deal easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash due to the fact that for many makers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (actually).
Yet there’s more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network links makers with brand names in such a way that does not really feel nasty or required. It’s built-in income capacity, ordinary and basic Beehiiv Posts.
And when I prepare to release a premium membership? I recognize exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your visitors right into advocates without hanging unpleasant swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that simply wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Assistance can be sluggish when you struck an unusual bug or require deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel as well basic.
Email size surveillance requires much better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally missing.
So if you’re offering physical items or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best choice.
Final Thought
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or just tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid choice.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete ownership of your audience
You’re aiming to expand quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that really feels developed by makers, for makers
Will it fix every trouble? No. However in 3 months, it’s aided me expand much faster, make much more, and anxiety much less about the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop clearing up and really scale your e-newsletter with actual devices that appreciate your job and audience– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You just may fall in love like I did.