When it came time to select a new e-mail platform, I didn’t want “sufficient.” I required something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience generally. After nearly a years helping others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a device– I was hunting for an appropriate companion Beehiiv Sitemap.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack choice?” I believed that as well at first. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a lot to claim– both the wins and the unusual traits. If you’re trying to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the right platform for you, settle in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email provider (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a tool that could really assist expand my checklist and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began comparing alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its benefits, yet I was checking out this with the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired complete control over my target market and content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Excellent Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little much deeper, and fractures begin showing. The most significant one? You do not really possess your followers.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re primarily renting a target market you can never ever fully reach.
It’s like performing on a phase where the lights only switch on if the venue chooses to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel excellent.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a club, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Too Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
In the beginning, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist growth tools, and absolutely no platform fees (in addition to the usual Stripe cut). Yet assurances are very easy. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the testimonials were motivating. The Reddit threads didn’t sound like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a brand-new platform generally seems like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing forms? No meltdowns. Attaching my customized domain name? A couple of small hiccups, but nothing that required swearing at the screen.
One point I actually appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Additionally, their assistance web content– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like someone sat down and stated, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Sitemap
Currently here’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, but don’t expect it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each kind can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it difficult to personalize welcome series based on exactly how someone subscribed.
I wound up going full investigative setting– tinkering with segments, using separate landing pages, reading unknown Reddit strings– just to develop a couple of customized workflows.
Is it practical? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Wonderful, However Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, preview– it seems like it was designed by a person who’s actually composed a newsletter or more.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That indicates your beautifully crafted message may obtain chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this by hand– after that decreased a rabbit opening of testing tools to maximize HTML dimension and avoid that dreaded clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading test e-mails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email customer
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hands-on process, however it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv concerning including better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction since switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new customers to a pretty particular niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (assume newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your approach a whole lot much easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash since for a lot of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects designers with brand names in such a way that does not feel disgusting or compelled. It’s built-in earnings capacity, ordinary and basic Beehiiv Sitemap.
And when I’m ready to introduce a costs subscription? I know specifically what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your visitors into advocates without dangling uncomfortable boodle or single tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a system that desires you to be successful. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you struck a strange bug or require deep help.
Some automations still really feel also fundamental.
Email dimension monitoring requires better in-app notifies (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically missing.
So if you’re offering physical items or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Final Thought
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a listing, or simply tired of obsolete platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your audience
You’re looking to expand quick without paying system tax obligation
You want something that feels developed by creators, for developers
Will it resolve every trouble? No. However in 3 months, it’s aided me grow faster, gain a lot more, and anxiety much less about the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop settling and really scale your newsletter with genuine tools that value your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.