When it came time to choose a brand-new e-mail platform, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I required something much better– something developed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience generally. After virtually a decade helping others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own newsletter), I wasn’t searching for just a device– I was hunting for a correct companion Beehiiv Survey Forms.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack choice?” I believed that as well in the beginning. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a great deal to state– both the success and the unusual traits. If you’re trying to decide whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, clear up in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email service providers (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that might in fact assist expand my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP simply had not been cutting it any longer.
So I began contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was considering this via the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and material.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial stop. It’s polished. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little deeper, and cracks begin showing. The largest one? You do not actually have your followers.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re primarily renting out an audience you can never totally reach.
It resembles performing on a stage where the lights only switch on if the location determines to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t really feel terrific.
And then there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
At first, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list development tools, and zero system charges (other than the usual Stripe cut). However promises are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit strings really did not seem like crawlers or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new platform typically feels like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up types? No disasters. Linking my personalized domain name? A couple of small hiccups, but absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One thing I actually valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually introduces your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Likewise, their assistance material– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like a person sat down and said, “Let’s not frustrate the heck out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Survey Forms
Now below’s where things got a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, but don’t expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each form can just be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it complicated to personalize welcome sequences based on how a person joined.
I ended up going complete investigator mode– playing with sections, using different landing pages, checking out obscure Reddit threads– simply to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it practical? Absolutely. Yet if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might feel like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Wonderful, But Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, go down, format, sneak peek– it feels like it was made by somebody who’s really created a newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message might obtain sliced in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this the hard way– after that dropped a rabbit opening of testing tools to optimize HTML size and stay clear of that feared clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading and install test e-mails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email audience
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little bit of a manual process, however it works. I also connected to Beehiiv about including far better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just three months, I included over 160 new customers to a pretty particular niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a whole lot simpler.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money due to the fact that for a lot of 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% better than Substack (actually).
Yet there’s even more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches makers with brands in a way that does not feel icky or compelled. It’s built-in earnings possibility, ordinary and basic Beehiiv Survey Forms.
And when I prepare to release a premium subscription? I understand exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained adjustable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your viewers right into supporters without hanging uncomfortable boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a system that wants you to be successful. Not one that just wants a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its peculiarities.
Assistance can be slow when you hit an unusual insect or require deep help.
Some automations still feel too fundamental.
Email dimension monitoring needs far better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re selling physical products or want deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Verdict
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or simply tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your target market
You’re looking to expand quick without paying system tax
You desire something that feels constructed by creators, for developers
Will it fix every problem? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s assisted me expand faster, earn much more, and tension much less concerning the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit resolving and in fact scale your newsletter with actual tools that appreciate your work and target market– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.