When it came time to pick a brand-new e-mail platform, I really did not want “good enough.” I needed something much better– something built for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience in general. After nearly a years helping others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been looking for simply a tool– I was searching for an appropriate partner Culture Critic Beehiiv.
And that’s just how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I recognize what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack alternative?” I believed that too initially. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a great deal to claim– both the wins and the strange peculiarities. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the right platform for you, clear up in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email company (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a tool that can in fact aid grow my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been cutting it anymore.
So I started comparing options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its rewards, however I was checking out this with the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired full control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Great Till You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and fractures start revealing. The largest one? You don’t in fact possess your fans.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re generally renting an audience you can never ever totally get to.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights only turn on if the location makes a decision to allow the crowd see you. Does not feel great.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You ‘d think they were running a club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
In the beginning, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing growth devices, and zero system costs (apart from the usual Stripe cut). However guarantees are very easy. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit threads really did not sound like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a brand-new platform typically feels like drawing teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Establishing types? No disasters. Linking my customized domain? A few minor hiccups, but absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
One thing I really valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder nightmares.
Also, their support material– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– actually really felt human. Like someone took a seat and claimed, “Let’s not discourage the heck out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Culture Critic Beehiiv
Now here’s where things obtained a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, but don’t expect it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each type can only be attached to a single automation. That makes it complicated to customize welcome sequences based on just how a person subscribed.
I ended up going complete investigative mode– dabbling with sectors, using different landing pages, reading odd Reddit strings– simply to build a few tailored workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Terrific, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve got a little a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, sneak peek– it seems like it was made by someone who’s in fact written an e-newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That means your perfectly crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this the hard way– then dropped a bunny hole of testing devices to optimize HTML dimension and stay clear of that feared clipping.
My go-to method?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hand-operated procedure, yet it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv about adding better size warnings. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Really Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In simply three months, I added over 160 brand-new clients to a pretty specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been also running paid ads.
The majority of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your approach a whole lot simpler.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat cash due to the fact that for most designers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (essentially).
But there’s even more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches designers with brand names in a manner that does not feel nasty or required. It’s integrated revenue possibility, simple and straightforward Culture Critic Beehiiv.
And when I prepare to launch a costs subscription? I know precisely what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Devices
What actually sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your readers right into supporters without hanging uncomfortable swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to do well. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be sluggish when you hit a weird bug or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email size tracking needs far better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically nonexistent.
So if you’re selling physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best option.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, 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 looking to grow fast without paying platform tax
You want something that feels developed by makers, for designers
Will it resolve every problem? No. However in 3 months, it’s helped me grow much faster, gain more, and stress less concerning the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop settling and really range your newsletter with real devices that appreciate your work and audience– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.