When it came time to select a new email system, I really did not desire “adequate.” I required something better– something constructed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience overall. After nearly a decade helping others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t seeking simply a tool– I was hunting for a proper partner Beehiiv Reach More Customers.
And that’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I know what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply another Substack option?” I thought that as well initially. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a great deal to state– both the success and the odd peculiarities. If you’re attempting to determine whether Beehiiv is the best platform for you, resolve in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be honest– most email company (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that might really help grow my list and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been cutting it anymore.
So I began comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its perks, however I was considering this through the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired complete control over my audience and material.
The Substack Problem: Looks Good Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first stop. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet 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 mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re primarily renting out an audience you can never ever fully get to.
It’s like executing on a phase where the lights only activate if the place determines to let the crowd see you. Does not feel great.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
At first, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist development devices, and zero system costs (other than the usual Stripe cut). However guarantees are easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the testimonials were encouraging. The Reddit threads really did not sound like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a brand-new platform generally feels like drawing teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Connecting my custom domain name? A couple of minor hiccups, yet nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
One thing I actually appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox providers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Also, their assistance web content– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like a person sat down and claimed, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our users today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Reach More Customers
Currently here’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, but do not anticipate it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each type can just be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it difficult to personalize welcome sequences based upon how somebody registered.
I ended up going full investigator setting– dabbling with segments, making use of separate landing pages, checking out rare Reddit threads– simply to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Absolutely. However if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could feel like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Fantastic, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, preview– it feels like it was designed by a person who’s in fact written a newsletter or two.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That means your wonderfully crafted message might get sliced in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this the hard way– then went down a rabbit opening of screening tools to enhance HTML dimension and stay clear of that dreadful clipping.
My best strategy?
- Downloading and install examination emails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email viewer
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a hand-operated procedure, yet it works. I even connected to Beehiiv concerning adding better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference given that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new customers to a pretty specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t also running paid ads.
Most of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal simpler.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash since for many developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (literally).
But there’s even more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network links designers with brand names in a manner that doesn’t really feel icky or required. It’s built-in revenue possibility, ordinary and easy Beehiiv Reach More Customers.
And when I prepare to introduce a premium subscription? I recognize specifically what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Tools
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors into supporters without dangling uncomfortable swag or single tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that wants you to do well. Not one that simply wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Support can be slow when you hit an odd pest or need deep aid.
Some automations still really feel as well standard.
Email dimension monitoring requires far better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically nonexistent.
So if you’re selling physical products or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Verdict
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full ownership of your target market
You’re wanting to expand quick without paying platform tax
You desire something that feels developed by creators, for creators
Will it fix every problem? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me expand much faster, gain much more, and anxiety much less about the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop resolving and actually scale your e-newsletter with actual devices that appreciate your work and audience– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.