When it came time to select a brand-new email system, I didn’t want “sufficient.” I needed something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience overall. After virtually a decade helping others with email marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find simply a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate companion Popular Beehiiv Newsletters.
And that’s just how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I believed that as well in the beginning. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a whole lot to say– both the victories and the strange traits. If you’re trying 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 Device Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email provider (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that might really aid grow my list and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing anymore.
So I started contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its advantages, however I was looking at this with the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Great Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s brightened. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little much deeper, and fractures start showing. The most significant one? You don’t in fact possess your fans.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re essentially renting an audience you can never completely get to.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights just turn on if the venue chooses to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel wonderful.
And afterwards there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly think they were running a club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist development devices, and no system fees (in addition to the normal Stripe cut). But assurances are very easy. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the testimonials were motivating. The Reddit strings really did not sound like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a brand-new system generally feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing forms? No meltdowns. Connecting my custom domain? A couple of small missteps, however absolutely nothing that required swearing at the screen.
One thing I truly appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain name to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Also, their assistance content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like a person sat down and stated, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Popular Beehiiv Newsletters
Currently here’s where things got a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, however don’t expect it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can only be attached to a single automation. That makes it complicated to individualize welcome sequences based on how a person signed up.
I wound up going full detective setting– tinkering with sections, making use of separate landing pages, reading obscure Reddit threads– just to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it achievable? Definitely. But if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may feel like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, But Not Perfect
I’ve got a little a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, preview– it feels like it was created by a person who’s actually written a newsletter or two.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That means your wonderfully crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not cautious. I discovered this the hard way– after that dropped a rabbit hole of screening tools to enhance HTML size and prevent that feared clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading examination emails from Gmail and inspecting size
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email customer
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a manual process, however it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv about including far better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction since changing to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just 3 months, I included over 160 new subscribers to a rather particular niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been even running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth came from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal easier.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash since for a lot of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
However there’s even more: their ad network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches creators with brands in a manner that does not feel icky or required. It’s integrated earnings potential, plain and simple Popular Beehiiv Newsletters.
And when I prepare to introduce a premium registration? I understand exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Devices
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got adjustable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your visitors right into advocates without hanging uncomfortable swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a system that desires you to succeed. Not one that just desires a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you hit a weird bug or require deep help.
Some automations still really feel too standard.
Email dimension monitoring requires far better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Verdict
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your target market
You’re seeking to expand fast without paying system tax obligation
You desire something that really feels developed by designers, for designers
Will it fix every problem? No. However in three months, it’s aided me grow faster, gain much more, and anxiety much less about the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop clearing up and actually scale your e-newsletter with real devices that appreciate your work and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You just might fall in love like I did.