When it came time to pick a brand-new e-mail system, I really did not desire “sufficient.” I required something better– something built for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience overall. After almost a years aiding others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I had not been looking for just a tool– I was hunting for a proper companion Beehiiv Wiki.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack choice?” I thought that too initially. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a lot to claim– both the victories and the unusual traits. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the best platform for you, settle in. You’re about to 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 device that can really help 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 options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was taking a look at this via the lens of a person who takes email seriously– and who wanted complete control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Great Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s brightened. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s prominent.
But dig a little much deeper, and fractures start revealing. The biggest one? You don’t in fact own your fans.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re basically renting a target market you can never ever completely reach.
It resembles doing on a stage where the lights only activate if the venue chooses to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t really feel excellent.
And afterwards there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a bar, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It As well Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
At first, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing growth devices, and absolutely no system charges (besides the typical Stripe cut). But promises are very easy. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a new system typically feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing types? No crises. Attaching my customized domain? A few minor missteps, but nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One thing I actually appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain name to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Also, their assistance content– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like somebody sat down and said, “Let’s not frustrate the heck out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Wiki
Now right here’s where things obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, yet do not expect it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can only be connected to a solitary automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome sequences based upon exactly how someone registered.
I ended up going full detective mode– dabbling with sections, using different landing pages, checking out obscure Reddit threads– simply to develop a few tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Definitely. But if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may feel like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Excellent, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, go down, style, preview– it feels like it was developed by somebody who’s actually created an e-newsletter or more.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That means your beautifully crafted message might obtain chopped in half if you’re not cautious. I discovered this by hand– then decreased a rabbit hole of screening devices to maximize HTML size and avoid that feared clipping.
My go-to method?
- Downloading and install test e-mails from Gmail and inspecting size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email customer
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a manual process, but it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv concerning adding far better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Really Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction considering that changing to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new clients to a quite particular niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing before– 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 organic reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal simpler.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash because for many designers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (actually).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects creators with brands in a manner that doesn’t really feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in earnings capacity, ordinary and easy Beehiiv Wiki.
And when I’m ready to release a premium subscription? I understand specifically what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Devices
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained adjustable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your viewers right into supporters without hanging uncomfortable swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to prosper. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Support can be slow when you struck an unusual pest or need deep aid.
Some automations still really feel as well basic.
Email dimension monitoring requires far better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re offering physical items or desire deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Verdict
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a checklist, or simply tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full ownership of your target market
You’re seeking to grow quickly without paying system tax
You desire something that really feels developed by designers, for developers
Will it address every trouble? No. But in 3 months, it’s aided me grow faster, gain much more, and stress much less about the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit settling and really scale your e-newsletter with actual devices that appreciate your work and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.