When it came time to pick a brand-new email platform, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I required something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience in general. After almost a decade aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I wasn’t looking for just a device– I was searching for a proper partner Beehiiv Subscribe Forms.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I believed that too in the beginning. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a lot to say– both the wins and the weird peculiarities. If you’re trying to determine whether Beehiiv is the right platform for you, work out in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email service providers (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that could actually help grow my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP simply wasn’t cutting it any longer.
So I began contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its advantages, yet I was considering this through the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired complete control over my target market and content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Excellent Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and cracks start revealing. The biggest one? You don’t in fact own your fans.
That “adhere to” button you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can not export them. You’re essentially leasing a target market you can never ever totally reach.
It resembles carrying out on a stage where the lights just switch on if the location makes a decision to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t really feel excellent.
And afterwards 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 believe they were running a bar, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It As well Good to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
At first, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development devices, and zero system fees (aside from the normal Stripe cut). However promises are very easy. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit threads didn’t sound like crawlers or brand name 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 new system normally feels like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Establishing types? No meltdowns. Linking my personalized domain name? A couple of small missteps, however nothing that required swearing at the display.
One thing I really appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain name to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder headaches.
Likewise, their assistance web content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like somebody took a seat and stated, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Subscribe Forms
Currently below’s where points got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is respectable, but don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each type can only be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome series based upon how somebody registered.
I wound up going complete detective setting– tinkering with sections, using different landing pages, checking out odd Reddit threads– simply to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it doable? Definitely. But if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could feel like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Fantastic, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, sneak peek– it seems like it was created by a person who’s in fact created a newsletter or two.
But default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That suggests your magnificently crafted message might get cut in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this by hand– then went down a bunny hole of testing tools to enhance HTML size and stay clear of that dreadful clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and examining size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual procedure, but it functions. I even reached out to Beehiiv about including much better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That In Fact Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a substantial distinction considering that switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In simply three months, I included over 160 new customers to a pretty particular niche newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that development originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal less complicated.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash due to the fact that for most creators, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (literally).
However there’s more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches creators with brands in such a way that does not feel disgusting or required. It’s built-in income possibility, plain and straightforward Beehiiv Subscribe Forms.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium subscription? I recognize specifically what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your visitors into advocates without hanging uncomfortable swag or single tricks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No system is perfect, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be slow when you struck an odd bug or need deep aid.
Some automations still feel also basic.
Email size tracking needs much better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically missing.
So if you’re selling physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best option.
Verdict
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a list, or simply tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete ownership of your audience
You’re aiming to grow fast without paying platform tax
You desire something that feels built by developers, for developers
Will it fix every issue? No. But in three months, it’s aided me grow quicker, earn more, and stress less concerning the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop settling and actually scale your e-newsletter with real devices that respect your work and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Provide it a spin. You just might fall in love like I did.