When it came time to pick a new email platform, I really did not desire “good enough.” I needed something much better– something built for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After almost a years assisting others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been seeking just a tool– I was hunting for a correct partner ChatGPT Cheat Sheet Beehiiv.
Which’s just how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I assumed that as well at first. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a great deal to say– both the victories and the weird traits. If you’re attempting to choose whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, work out in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email provider (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a device that could really aid expand my listing and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP simply wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was checking out this through the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Till You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s popular.
But dig a little much deeper, and cracks begin revealing. The biggest one? You do not really possess your followers.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re generally renting a target market you can never ever fully reach.
It’s like executing on a stage where the lights only switch on if the venue decides to let the group see you. Does not feel excellent.
And afterwards there’s the money 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 nightclub, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
At first, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list development tools, and absolutely no system costs (aside from the normal Stripe cut). Yet assurances are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the testimonials were encouraging. The Reddit threads really did not seem like robots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a new platform usually feels like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing types? No meltdowns. Connecting my custom-made domain name? A few small missteps, but nothing that called for swearing at the display.
Something I truly appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain name to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Also, their support web content– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like somebody sat down and claimed, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our individuals today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: ChatGPT Cheat Sheet Beehiiv
Now below’s where things obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however do not expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each form can just be attached to a single automation. That makes it difficult to personalize welcome series based upon exactly how somebody joined.
I wound up going complete detective setting– dabbling with segments, using different landing pages, checking out unknown Reddit threads– simply to develop a few tailored workflows.
Is it achievable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Fantastic, However 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, layout, sneak peek– it seems like it was made by a person who’s really written a newsletter or two.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That suggests your perfectly crafted message may get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I learned this by hand– after that decreased a bunny hole of screening devices to optimize HTML dimension and avoid that feared clipping.
My best approach?
- Downloading and install test e-mails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s e-mail audience
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hand-operated procedure, but it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv regarding including far better size warnings. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction given that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new customers to a rather niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
Most of that growth came from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s working and where customers are coming from. Makes tweaking your method a whole lot simpler.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash since for the majority of creators, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
But there’s even more: their advertisement network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects designers with brands in a manner that does not really feel icky or forced. It’s built-in revenue capacity, ordinary and simple ChatGPT Cheat Sheet Beehiiv.
And when I’m ready to release a premium membership? I recognize exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors right into advocates without dangling awkward swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a system that desires you to do well. Not one that simply desires a piece of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s obtained its peculiarities.
Support can be slow-moving when you struck an odd bug or need deep help.
Some automations still feel also standard.
Email dimension tracking needs better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical items or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full ownership of your audience
You’re aiming to grow quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that feels constructed by makers, for developers
Will it solve every issue? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me grow faster, make more, and tension less about the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop settling and really scale your newsletter with genuine devices that appreciate your job and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You just might fall in love like I did.