When it came time to pick a brand-new email system, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I needed something much better– something built for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience in general. After nearly a decade helping others with email marketing (and 2 years running my very own newsletter), I had not been searching for just a device– I was hunting for a proper partner How User-Friendly Is Beehiiv For Beginners.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Currently, I recognize what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack choice?” I believed that as well in the beginning. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a whole lot to claim– both the wins and the unusual quirks. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the appropriate platform for you, work out in. You’re about to obtain 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 embeded 2013. I required a tool that might actually help grow my checklist and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I started comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its perks, yet I was looking at this via the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired full control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Good Till You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s popular.
But dig a little deeper, and splits start revealing. The greatest one? You don’t actually own your fans.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can not export them. You’re generally renting an audience you can never fully reach.
It’s like carrying out on a stage where the lights just turn on if the venue makes a decision to let the group see you. Does not really feel wonderful.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 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 Too Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
Initially, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter list development tools, and zero platform fees (aside from the common Stripe cut). However promises are easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit strings really did not seem like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a new system typically seems like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing forms? No disasters. Attaching my customized domain name? A few minor hiccups, however absolutely nothing that required swearing at the screen.
One point I actually valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively introduces your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder nightmares.
Also, their assistance web content– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like someone took a seat and said, “Let’s not irritate the heck out of our customers today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: How User-Friendly Is Beehiiv For Beginners
Currently here’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however don’t anticipate it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each type can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it challenging to personalize welcome sequences based on just how somebody registered.
I ended up going full detective setting– dabbling with segments, utilizing different landing pages, reading obscure Reddit strings– simply to build a few customized workflows.
Is it manageable? Definitely. However if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may feel like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Great, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, go down, style, preview– it seems like it was created by someone who’s actually created a newsletter or more.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That means your wonderfully crafted message might obtain sliced in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– then decreased a rabbit hole of testing devices to optimize HTML dimension and prevent that feared clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email viewer
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Bit of a hand-operated process, however it functions. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Really Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference considering that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply three months, I added over 160 new subscribers to a pretty particular niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a lot easier.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money because for most creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (essentially).
However there’s even more: their ad network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects developers with brands in such a way that doesn’t really feel icky or required. It’s built-in revenue possibility, plain and basic How User-Friendly Is Beehiiv For Beginners.
And when I prepare to introduce a costs subscription? I recognize exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your readers right into advocates without dangling uncomfortable boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to prosper. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Support can be slow-moving when you struck a strange bug or need deep assistance.
Some automations still feel also basic.
Email size surveillance requires much better in-app informs (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or want abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best choice.
Final Thought
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a listing, or simply tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your audience
You’re aiming to expand quick without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that really feels developed by developers, for makers
Will it address every problem? No. However in three months, it’s helped me grow quicker, make a lot more, and stress less concerning the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop settling and in fact scale your newsletter with real tools that value your job and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.