When it came time to pick a brand-new email system, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I needed something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After virtually a years assisting others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I wasn’t searching for just a tool– I was hunting for a correct partner Beehiiv Wefunder.
And that’s just how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack choice?” I believed that as well in the beginning. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a lot to say– both the success and the unusual quirks. If you’re trying to make a decision 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 service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that could actually aid grow my checklist and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing any longer.
So I began comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its advantages, but I was checking out this via the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial stop. It’s brightened. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and splits start showing. The biggest one? You don’t actually possess your followers.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re primarily renting out an audience you can never completely reach.
It’s like carrying out on a stage where the lights only turn on if the place determines to allow the group see you. Doesn’t feel great.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a bar, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Good to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
In the beginning, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list growth devices, and no platform costs (apart from the usual Stripe cut). But promises are simple. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit threads didn’t sound like robots 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 brand-new system generally seems like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing types? No disasters. Attaching my customized domain? A couple of minor hiccups, yet nothing that called for swearing at the display.
Something I actually valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending domain. Translation? Less spam folder nightmares.
Additionally, their support material– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like someone took a seat and said, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our individuals today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Wefunder
Now below’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, yet don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each form can only be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it challenging to personalize welcome series based upon just how a person signed up.
I wound up going full investigative setting– tinkering with segments, using separate landing pages, reviewing unknown Reddit threads– simply to build a few customized workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. But if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might feel like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Wonderful, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, go down, style, preview– it feels like it was made by a person who’s actually written a newsletter or more.
However default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That indicates your perfectly crafted message might obtain sliced in half if you’re not cautious. I discovered this by hand– then decreased a bunny opening of testing devices to maximize HTML dimension and prevent that dreaded clipping.
My go-to technique?
- Downloading examination e-mails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a manual procedure, however it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding far better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Actually Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible difference given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In just 3 months, I included over 160 new customers to a pretty niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t also running paid ads.
A lot of that development originated from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s working and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your approach a whole lot much easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash since for a lot of makers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (actually).
But there’s even more: their advertisement network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches developers with brands in a way that doesn’t feel sickening or compelled. It’s integrated earnings capacity, plain and straightforward Beehiiv Wefunder.
And when I’m ready to introduce a premium membership? I understand exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your visitors into advocates without hanging unpleasant boodle or one-time tricks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to do well. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is perfect, and Beehiiv’s obtained its peculiarities.
Support can be slow when you struck a strange insect or need deep assistance.
Some automations still feel too standard.
Email size tracking needs far better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially missing.
So if you’re marketing physical items or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a creator who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a listing, or just tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your target market
You’re wanting to expand quick without paying platform tax
You want something that feels developed by makers, for makers
Will it solve every issue? No. But in 3 months, it’s assisted me expand much faster, earn extra, and stress and anxiety less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop clearing up and in fact scale your e-newsletter with actual devices that respect your job and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.