When it came time to choose a new email platform, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I required something much better– something constructed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience generally. After almost a years aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been looking for simply a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate companion Most Popular Beehiiv Newsletters.
Which’s just how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack alternative?” I assumed that too initially. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a whole lot to claim– both the victories and the unusual peculiarities. If you’re attempting to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, resolve in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that might really assist expand my list and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I started contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its rewards, however I was looking at this through the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first stop. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s preferred.
However dig a little deeper, and splits start revealing. The most significant one? You do not really own your followers.
That “adhere to” button 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 not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re generally renting a target market you can never ever fully reach.
It resembles executing on a phase where the lights just switch on if the venue determines to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel wonderful.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a club, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Too Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development devices, and no system charges (besides the normal Stripe cut). However pledges are simple. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like crawlers or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new system usually seems like drawing teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing types? No meltdowns. Attaching my customized domain name? A few minor hiccups, however nothing that required swearing at the display.
One thing I truly appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain name to inbox companies, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Also, their assistance material– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– really really felt human. Like someone sat down and said, “Let’s not discourage the heck out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Most Popular Beehiiv Newsletters
Currently right here’s where points obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome series based on exactly how a person registered.
I ended up going full investigator setting– dabbling with segments, making use of different landing pages, reviewing odd Reddit strings– just to build a couple of customized workflows.
Is it workable? Definitely. Yet if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this could seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Fantastic, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, go down, format, preview– it seems like it was created by someone who’s in fact written an e-newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your beautifully crafted message may get cut in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– then dropped a rabbit opening of screening devices to optimize HTML size and avoid that dreaded clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and examining size
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email customer
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little bit of a hand-operated procedure, however it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv about including much better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference considering that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In simply three months, I included over 160 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 also running paid advertisements.
Most of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal much easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash due to the fact that for a lot of designers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (essentially).
However there’s even more: their ad network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects designers with brand names in a way that does not feel nasty or forced. It’s integrated revenue capacity, simple and basic Most Popular Beehiiv Newsletters.
And when I prepare to launch a costs membership? I recognize specifically what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your viewers into supporters without dangling uncomfortable boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be slow when you struck an unusual insect or require deep assistance.
Some automations still feel also fundamental.
Email dimension monitoring requires far better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your target market
You’re wanting to grow fast without paying platform tax
You want something that really feels constructed by creators, for makers
Will it resolve every trouble? No. But in three months, it’s aided me grow quicker, make much more, and stress and anxiety less about the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop working out and actually scale your newsletter with genuine tools that respect your work and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.