When it came time to pick a brand-new email platform, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I needed something much better– something developed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a decade aiding others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my very own e-newsletter), I wasn’t looking for just a tool– I was searching for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Premium Only Subscription.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack choice?” I believed that as well at first. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a great deal to claim– both the victories and the weird quirks. If you’re trying to determine whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, resolve in. You’re about to get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email service providers (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that might in fact assist grow my listing and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began comparing options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its advantages, but I was checking out this via the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my target market and content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Good Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial quit. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and splits start showing. The biggest one? You don’t in fact have your followers.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re essentially renting out an audience you can never ever totally reach.
It resembles executing on a stage where the lights only activate if the place determines to allow the group see you. Does not feel great.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
Initially, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter list growth devices, and zero system fees (in addition to the normal Stripe cut). But promises are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a brand-new system generally seems like drawing teeth. However Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing forms? No crises. Attaching my custom domain? A couple of small hiccups, but nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
One point I truly valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly introduces your domain name to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder headaches.
Additionally, their support content– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like somebody sat down and said, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our users today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Premium Only Subscription
Currently below’s where points obtained a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, however don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each type can just be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it complicated to personalize welcome sequences based upon exactly how a person joined.
I wound up going complete detective mode– dabbling with segments, using separate landing pages, reviewing rare Reddit threads– just to build a few tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Definitely. But if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could seem like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Great, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, layout, preview– it seems like it was made by somebody who’s in fact composed an e-newsletter or more.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That suggests your magnificently crafted message may obtain cut in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this by hand– then decreased a bunny hole of testing tools to enhance HTML dimension and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My best approach?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email viewer
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little bit of a manual process, however it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv concerning including far better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In just 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new subscribers to a quite particular niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t also running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s working and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a lot less complicated.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat cash due to the fact that for many creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (literally).
However there’s even more: their advertisement network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network links designers with brands in a manner that doesn’t really feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in revenue capacity, simple and straightforward Beehiiv Premium Only Subscription.
And when I’m ready to introduce a premium membership? I understand exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your readers into supporters without hanging unpleasant boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to succeed. Not one that simply wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is perfect, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Assistance can be sluggish when you struck a weird insect or need deep help.
Some automations still really feel too basic.
Email dimension tracking needs much better in-app signals (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally missing.
So if you’re offering physical items or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best bet.
Verdict
If you’re a designer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or just tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your audience
You’re wanting to grow fast without paying platform tax
You want something that feels built by makers, for creators
Will it address every issue? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s helped me expand quicker, gain extra, and stress and anxiety much less concerning the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit resolving and really scale your e-newsletter with genuine tools that respect your job and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.