When it came time to select a brand-new email platform, I didn’t want “adequate.” I needed something much better– something built for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience in general. After nearly a decade helping others with email marketing (and two years running my very own e-newsletter), I wasn’t seeking simply a device– I was hunting for a proper companion Oilman Jim Beehiiv.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I know what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack option?” I thought that as well in the beginning. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a whole lot to claim– both the success and the weird traits. If you’re attempting to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the ideal platform for you, clear up in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email service providers (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that might really help grow my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing any longer.
So I started comparing alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was looking at this through the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Good Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s brightened. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s popular.
But dig a little deeper, and splits begin revealing. The greatest one? You don’t actually possess your fans.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s mostly 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 not export them. You’re generally leasing a target market you can never ever fully get to.
It resembles doing on a stage where the lights only turn on if the place chooses to allow the crowd see you. Does not feel great.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a bar, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Too Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list growth devices, and no system costs (aside from the usual Stripe cut). However assurances are simple. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the testimonials were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not sound like bots 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 feels like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Linking my custom-made domain? A few small hiccups, but nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
Something I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Additionally, their assistance content– video clips, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like somebody took a seat and said, “Let’s not irritate the heck out of our individuals today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Oilman Jim Beehiiv
Currently below’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however do not expect it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each type can just be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it challenging to personalize welcome sequences based on how someone joined.
I wound up going complete investigative mode– dabbling with segments, making use of separate landing pages, reviewing unknown Reddit strings– just to develop a couple of customized workflows.
Is it doable? Definitely. Yet if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Great, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, sneak peek– it seems like it was developed by someone who’s in fact created an e-newsletter or two.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That implies your beautifully crafted message could obtain cut in half if you’re not cautious. I discovered this by hand– then dropped a rabbit hole of screening devices to maximize HTML dimension and prevent that feared clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading examination emails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Bit of a manual process, however it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv about including far better size warnings. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction given that changing to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new subscribers to a pretty niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been also running paid ads.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal less complicated.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash due to the fact that for a lot of designers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (essentially).
Yet there’s more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects creators with brands in a way that doesn’t really feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in revenue potential, ordinary and straightforward Oilman Jim Beehiiv.
And when I’m ready to release a costs subscription? I know specifically what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your visitors into supporters without hanging uncomfortable swag or single tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to prosper. Not one that simply wants a piece of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No system is best, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Support can be slow-moving when you struck a strange insect or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email dimension monitoring needs much better in-app signals (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially missing.
So if you’re selling physical products or want deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best choice.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or simply tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your target market
You’re wanting to grow quick without paying system tax
You want something that feels built by makers, for developers
Will it fix every issue? No. However in 3 months, it’s assisted me grow quicker, make a lot more, and anxiety less concerning the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop settling and really scale your newsletter with actual devices that respect your work and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.