When it came time to select a new email platform, I really did not desire “good enough.” I required something much better– something constructed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience overall. After nearly a decade assisting others with email marketing (and two years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find just a tool– I was hunting for a proper partner Does Beehiiv Have Newsletter Templates.
Which’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I believed that too at first. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a lot to claim– both the victories and the weird traits. If you’re trying to decide whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, resolve in. You’re about to get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email service providers (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that can really aid expand my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing any longer.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its perks, however I was checking out this via the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Great Till You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s brightened. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s preferred.
But dig a little much deeper, and cracks begin revealing. The most significant one? You don’t really own your fans.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can not export them. You’re primarily renting an audience you can never ever totally get to.
It resembles performing on a stage where the lights just switch on if the location makes a decision to let the group see you. Does not feel wonderful.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly think they were running a bar, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Also Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development tools, and zero system charges (aside from the typical Stripe cut). But guarantees are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the testimonials were encouraging. The Reddit threads really did not sound like robots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new platform usually seems like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No crises. Attaching my custom domain name? A few minor hiccups, however nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One point I actually appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder nightmares.
Additionally, their assistance material– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– really felt human. Like somebody sat down and said, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our individuals today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Does Beehiiv Have Newsletter Templates
Now below’s where things obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, yet do not anticipate it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can just be linked to a single automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome series based upon just how somebody subscribed.
I wound up going complete investigator setting– tinkering with sectors, using separate landing pages, checking out unknown Reddit strings– just to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it doable? Definitely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might feel like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Great, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, format, sneak peek– it seems like it was made by someone who’s actually written a newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That indicates your wonderfully crafted message might obtain chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this by hand– then went down a rabbit hole of screening devices to enhance HTML size and avoid that feared clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little bit of a manual process, yet it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv about adding far better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a substantial distinction considering that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new clients to a rather niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been even running paid advertisements.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal less complicated.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money because for the majority of designers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (actually).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding rate of interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network links developers with brands in a way that doesn’t really feel disgusting or required. It’s built-in earnings possibility, ordinary and straightforward Does Beehiiv Have Newsletter Templates.
And when I’m ready to introduce a premium registration? I recognize precisely what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Devices
What really sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your viewers right into advocates without dangling unpleasant swag or single tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to do well. Not one that simply wants a piece of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its peculiarities.
Support can be slow-moving when you hit a weird pest or need deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email dimension surveillance requires far better in-app signals (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily nonexistent.
So if you’re selling physical items or want abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Verdict
If you’re a maker who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a listing, or just tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your target market
You’re wanting to expand fast without paying platform tax
You want something that feels built by developers, for designers
Will it fix every problem? No. Yet in three months, it’s helped me expand faster, earn much more, and anxiety much less regarding the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit settling and in fact scale your e-newsletter with actual tools that value your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You just might fall in love like I did.