Beehiiv Vs Medium – Top-Rated Newsletter!

So, you’ve been dabbling the concept of turning your e-mail list right into a revenue stream, however you’re overwhelmed by all the alternatives around. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. If you have actually been making use of a basic email service and scratching your head about sponsorships, advertisements, and paid memberships, it may be time to look into beehiiv. In this overview, I’ll walk you through everything you require to know about making use of beehiiv to turn your e-newsletter right into cash money– all from my very own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Beehiiv Vs Medium

Why You May be Stuck with Your Existing Email Platform

You have actually possibly attempted the typical suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you resemble the majority of small-scale content designers, here’s what likely happened:

• Restricted Monetization Choices

You have a handful of loyal customers– maybe 500 to 1,000 people– but no simple means to generate income. Sponsorships seem like an international language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brand names monthly.

• Do It Yourself Automation Headaches

You intend to trickle campaign brand-new clients, send out a welcome series, and sector folks for targeted e-mails … however setting up those automations seems like you need a computer technology degree.

• Platform Charges Suck

Every single time you think of paid registrations, the system takes a substantial portion, and the payment setup is a lot more complicated than it deserves.

• Development Delays

Development hacks appear to work for everyone else– but except you. You wish there was a very easy means to locate new subscribers without by hand chasing them down.

I remained in your footwear at the beginning of 2024. I would certainly been utilizing Kit (formerly ConvertKit), yet it felt like a dead end for monetization. Do not get me wrong– Kit is wonderful for constructing funnels and establishing basic automations. However when it concerned making a couple of hundred dollars a month from a small listing, there wasn’t a noticeable “on” switch.

Enter beehiiv.

My Change to beehiiv: A Truth Inspect

In January 2024, I lastly pulled the trigger and moved my e-newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I really did not have time to pursue sponsors, negotiate rates, or build difficult paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization writing company full time, so my e-newsletter was constantly mosting likely to be a side project. I needed something that almost ran itself.

The “Market Me” Minute

What sold me on beehiiv was simple:

• Built-In Monetization: Right from the start, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can earn money below!” It wasn’t an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
• Low-Effort Sponsorships: As opposed to me scouring LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings deals straight to my dashboard. All I need to do is click “accept,” decrease in the advertisement copy, and hit send.
• Passive Earnings Boosts: By advertising various other e-newsletters in my once a week e-mail, I make $1–$ 3 per referred subscriber. No hefty lifting, no complex analytics– simply steady, step-by-step earnings.

Spoiler alert: It paid off. In my very first complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from ad sponsorships and boosts alone– on a listing that never ever topped 1,000 subscribers. I didn’t create a paid program. I really did not launch an item and I just let beehiiv do its thing.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that had not been enough, I additionally joined the beehiiv Partner Program– primarily an affiliate program. By discussing beehiiv on my blog and sharing my experience with buddies, I swiped $5,108 in referral commissions through the end of 2024. Yep, you read that right: over five grand, just by talking about the platform.

So if you’re wondering whether beehiiv is worth it for small developers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. However, of course, it isn’t flawless. Let’s break down the good, the negative, and the amazing stuff you require to understand.

The Upside of Using beehiiv

1. Money Making Made Unbelievably Straightforward

What I enjoy finest regarding beehiiv is exactly how simple it is to make money on auto-pilot. You do not require a substantial audience. Below’s how it works:

• Ad Network Sponsorships: As soon as you strike simply 1,000 energetic subscribers, brand names start aligning. You obtain 3– 6 ad requests monthly usually. You pick the ones you like, place the copy, and you’re done. They pay per click or watch– no challenging invoicing. And because beehiiv matches you with relevant brands, your customers are more likely to click.
• Boosts Referral Revenue: Don’t have sponsors yet? No worry. Advertise other developer e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per subscriber. It resembles Amazon’s affiliate program, however, for email lists. I made several hundred dollars in this manner without breaking a sweat.
• Paid Subscriptions (When You’re Ready): Down the line, if you choose to charge for exceptional material, beehiiv takes a minimal fee (2.9% + $0.30 per purchase via Stripe). You can establish multiple pricing tiers, run free trials, and even let clients “call their price.”.
• Partner Program Payments: Not in it for the brief haul? Register for the affiliate program. Make 60% compensation on beehiiv’s regular monthly or yearly plans when someone register with your code. It’s literally additional cash money for sharing something you currently like.

In other words, beehiiv turns monetization right into a built-in feature, rather than a job you dread.

2. Analytics That Do Not Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever stared at a dashboard reasoning, “What does any one of this really suggest?”, you’ll appreciate beehiiv’s technique:.

• Clear Subscriber Development Graphs: See precisely how many new individuals joined, the amount of handed over, and why your list diminished (extra on that particular in a sec).
• Open and Click Rates: Beehiiv breaks down performance over the last 30 days, so you can identify patterns as soon as possible. For example, I watched on my open rate (floating around 64%– not bad) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either metric dips, I fine-tune my subject lines or calls-to-action.
• Money making Dashboards: Sponsorship profits, boosts revenue, partner referral revenues– you understand. Income streams are neatly divided so nothing obtains lost in the shuffle.

It’s like having a partner who tells you, “Hey, your January e-mail killed it– below’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open rates are tanking– let’s fix this.”.

3. Expanding Your Checklist Without Selling Your Soul

A lot of newsletter platforms will charge you for each added client after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for approximately 2,500 clients, it’s complimentary. You obtain:.

• Unlimited email sends out.
• Accessibility to the boosts network (expand your audience by promoting your newsletter on other beehiiv e-newsletters).
• Basic analytics and types.

If you’re a novice or have a small audience, this is substantial. You can try out subject lines, send regularity, and different lead magnets without fretting about striking a paywall.

4. Built-In Internet Site & Personalized Pages

Visualize dropping WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace altogether due to the fact that your e-newsletter platform doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv in a nutshell:.

• Newsletter Archive Pages: All your past emails survive a blog-like web page that’s automatically SEO-optimized.
• Custom Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet page? A thank-you page? A web page to offer a product? You can construct it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
• Mobile-Friendly Templates: Everything looks terrific on phones– crucial considering that a ton of folks read e-mails on mobile.

Sure, you won’t obtain every fancy drag-and-drop that a devoted website builder offers, but for many designers, it’s more than enough.

5. Referral Program to Supercharge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is remarkable if you want to use a community of similar designers. When your subscriber clicks “Recommend This E-newsletter” and joins, both you and the referring creator obtain credit history. It’s a clever way to expand your checklist without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Keep an eye out for

No product is ideal– and beehiiv has its hiccups. Before you dive in, right here’s what could trip you up:.

Feature Overload at First

When you log in, there are numerous choices– Kinds, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel overwhelming. If you have actually only utilized a straightforward solution that sends out one-off emails, you might require a number of days to obtain comfy.

Unimportant Advertisement Requests

Occasionally the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your niche. A pc gaming newsletter could obtain used a code-review tool for designers. Make sure to decrease anything that doesn’t jive with your audience, or you’ll tank your click-throughs.

No Time At All Area– Based Sends

If your checklist is worldwide, you can’t instantly arrange e-mails based on each subscriber’s time zone. All sends go out at the same time, so you might awaken to low open rates if half your list is asleep.

Customized Web Page Builder Isn’t Incredibly User-friendly

Producing a landing page is feasible, however the UI could be smoother. I invested a few hours (and a useful chat with support) obtaining a giveaway opt-in web page just right. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you might find it cumbersome.

Limited Integrations

If you make use of Gumroad to offer items, you’re out of good luck– no direct integration yet. You’ll need to make use of embed codes or a Zapier workaround.

All that said, beehiiv’s group is continuously turning out updates– and those disadvantages are gradually yet surely being addressed.

Who Should Consider beehiiv?

Not every person requires a totally included newsletter platform. Yet if any one of the complying with explains you, beehiiv may be a match made in heaven:.

1. Outright Beginners: You have actually never ever sent an email blast, you don’t intend to spend cash ahead of time, and you need a complimentary, very easy method to experiment. Beehiiv allows you begin totally free, send out unrestricted e-mails to approximately 2,500 subscribers, and expand organically with the boosts network.
2. Small-List Creators: If you currently have a few hundred or a pair thousand customers but no clue exactly how to transform that right into income, beehiiv’s ad and boost programs are tailor-made for you. In my first ten months, I was making regarding $92/month with a ~ 1k checklist. Tolerable for coffee cash, right?
3. Makers Who Despise “Salesy” Stuff: You don’t wish to pitch products nonstop or sling digital courses. You ‘d rather share worth, build trust, and let the cash been available in on auto-pilot. Beehiiv’s advertisement network and boosts let you gain without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
4. Switchers Who Don’t Intend To Rebuild Every Little Thing: Perhaps you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a twisted mess. Beehiiv promises a smooth migration from those systems. And also, if you have a large checklist (say 10k+), you can get aid from beehiiv’s support group to relocate everything over without shedding your automations.

Getting Started: A Detailed Walkthrough

Register and Discover the Control panel

As soon as you produce an account, beehiiv drops you right into a control panel where you see your subscriber matter, open rates, click-through rates, and any pending ad deals. Think about it as your mission control– whatever you need is simply a click away.

Construct Your Very First Subscribe Type

Navigate to Audience �’ Subscribe Types �’ Develop Brand-new Form. You’ll need:

• A headline that hooks site visitors
• A short blurb explaining what your e-newsletter is about
• A call-to-action switch (e.g., “Join My Newsletter”)
• Your logo or a relevant photo
• A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Many thanks for joining! Examine your inbox in a sec.”)

You can select from different kind designs: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the e-mail field), or advanced (with monitoring codes). The modification alternatives are standard– colors for switches and history photos– yet it’s surprisingly effective for capturing e-mails.

Set Up Your Website and Custom Pages

If you desire more than just a form, hop right into Design �’ Website Builder �’ Personalized Pages �’ Internal Web Page. Utilize this to:

Host your newsletter archive (all past issues, searchable and SEO-friendly).

Produce a landing page for a free offer (e.g., “Download my search engine optimization rip off sheet”).

Build a thank-you web page that goes live after somebody subscribes.

I invested a couple of hours tweaking my first landing page, but once I mastered it, I understood just how powerful it is to have every little thing under one roofing. Rather than handling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your Initial E-newsletter

Click the big “Begin Creating” button in the top-right edge. You’ll see a tidy, distraction-free editor where you can:

• Create your e-mail copy Beehiiv Vs Medium
• Put pictures, headers, and custom-made HTML blocks
• Preview how it’ll look in inboxes and on your site
• Arrange or send right away

One catch: Personalization is restricted. Every client sees “Hi there” instead of “Hey [Given name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you could miss that. However, for the majority of individuals, a friendly, conversational intro is enough.

Turn On Monetization

When you strike 1,000 energetic subscribers, beehiiv will welcome you to:.

• Sign Up With the Advertisement Network: Instantly obtain sponsorship demands that match your particular niche. Pick which ones to accept, place the advertisement copy into your e-newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
• Establish Boosts: Apply to promote other newsletters. If a person joins using your web link, you make $1–$ 3 per subscriber.

For paid e-newsletters, navigate to Monetization �’ Paid Registrations. You’ll attach your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t charge extra fees beyond Stripe’s processing), establish your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Call Your Cost”), and determine what material goes behind the paywall.

Display and Enhance

Inspect your analytics weekly. If open prices drop listed below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship obtains absolutely no clicks, it might be unnecessary to your target market– decline similar future ads. When a boost transforms well, send even more boost requests or fine-tune your offer.

It might feel like a lot in the beginning, yet I assure you’ll master it within a few days. And the incentives– both monetary and in terms of your target market’s growth– are worth the first contour.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options

If you’re serious about turning your newsletter right into a profitable maker, let’s break down each profits stream in detail.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Earnings)

Think of this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Below’s the lowdown:.

• How It Functions: You sign up for the Partner Program, grab your one-of-a-kind referral web link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, anywhere. When a person clicks, enroll in a paid plan (Scale or Max), you earn a commission.
• Compensation Rates: Approximately 60% of their first-year settlement. If they pay $100, you might see $60. Cha-ching.
• Payment: Beehiiv pays monthly through PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to jump via.

In my instance, I published a Medium blog post walking individuals via my beehiiv experience (spoiler: this overview right here is part of that initiative). Via a mix of blog website traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in associate payments by December 2024. All I did was share my genuine experience.

2. Boosts: Earn by Aiding Others Grow

Boosts are primarily funded promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” design. Here’s the scoop:.

• Become a Boost Sponsor: If you believe your newsletter can aid others expand, use in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll describe why your target market is a great fit and set a price you would certainly pay for a brand-new client.
• Apply to Boost Others: If you want quick customers, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on various other makers’ checklists. However what most little makers enjoy is the opposite: you put on be a boost companion for various other e-newsletters. When a person subscribe through your boost, you get $1–$ 3
• Limits:
  • You can send up to 25 boost offers each month, however beehiiv only surfaces 3 offers at once to possible companions.
  • If a boost is doing well, other creators will select it up quickly.

Below’s a fast instance: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow search engine optimization designer’s newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over 2 weeks, I created 200 new subscribers for them– and earned about $350 in the process. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Ads)

This is where the large dollars can be available in, even if your checklist is “tiny.” Here’s just how it goes:

• Qualification: You require at the very least 1,000 energetic clients and a regular send timetable (at least one e-mail each month, though regular is optimal).
• Automation: As soon as accepted, you’ll begin receiving 3– 5 sponsorship demands each month. Beehiiv matches you with brand names based on your audience’s rate of interests– so a marketing SaaS firm may come close to an SEO-focused e-newsletter, as an example.
• Settlement Version:
  • Expense Per Click (CPC): You make money whenever a person clicks the advertisement in your email.
  • Price Per Mille (CPM): You earn based upon a thousand impressions.
• Alleviate of Use: You can accept or decline each offer right from your control panel. Beehiiv handles all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the advertisement into your newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 funded advertisements, consisting of a few high-profile brands like HubSpot. I made $632 from advertisements alone, with my leading campaign generating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Keep in mind: relevance is king. Unnecessary advertisements container click-through rates, so be careful.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Premium Web Content”)

If you create genuinely unique content– deep dive reports, unique tutorials, or insider evaluations– you might think about a paid rate. Here’s the 101:

• Arrangement: Most Likely To Monetization �’ Paid Registrations, connect Stripe, and choose your pricing:
  • Monthly
  • Yearly (generally discounted)
  • Single repayment (for a solitary overview or training course)
  • Name Your Price (your subscribers choose what they can pay for)
• Profits Split: Beehiiv does not charge you a platform charge; they only pass Stripe’s handling cost (2.9% + $0.30) on to you.
• Instances: If you have 100 clients paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe costs). Okay, right? Naturally, getting to 100 paid clients indicates you need a loyal, engaged base.

Currently, be practical: Paid subscriptions are a work. You require regular, high-value web content that makes people comfy taking out their budgets. If you’re just starting, the ad network and boosts might be quicker victories.

Pricing Plans: What You’ll Pay (and Obtain)

I know pricing is a large question mark when you’re thinking about switching platforms. Here’s the break down since mid-2025:.

• Free Plan (as much as 2,500 subscribers): Great for pet projects or if you’re testing the waters. You still get boosts for listing growth, fundamental analytics, and limitless sends– just no advertisement network or paid subscriptions yet.
• Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Suitable if you’re serious about generating income from. You get ad network gain access to, boosts, paid memberships, and the AI Creating Aide to accelerate your e-newsletter development.
• Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI tools (picture generation, grammar taking care of, translation) issue to you, and you desire concern assistance, this is the pleasant place. And also, you can launch a mobile app for your subscribers.
• Enterprise (100k+ clients): For brands and mega-creators who require personalized migrations, service-level contracts, and advanced protection. Few small creators need this.

My recommendation? Begin on the Free plan. Get a feel for the control panel, expand your listing to 1,000, then update to Scale when you understand you classified ad revenue and boosts.

Unique Features Beehiiv Vs Medium

You could be assuming, “Okay, ads and boosts are great. However what else can beehiiv do that can not?” Let me highlight a couple of standout features:.

1. Sound E-newsletters

Ever before thought of transforming your e-mail into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated sound newsletter feature instantly converts your emails into spoken-word sound. No extra editing and enhancing software, no outsourcing to Fiverr– simply toggle it on, and your customers can pay attention on the go. For active audiences who drive or exercise, this is a convenient way to remain linked.

2. Custom-made Mobile Application for Readers

Many systems provide you a “mobile-optimized website.” Beehiiv goes one action even more: you can introduce a custom mobile application for your clients. Once they add it to their home display, your e-newsletter ends up being a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Visualize awakening and seeing app alerts when you go down a new problem. Discuss interaction.

3. “Name Your Cost” Subscriptions

As opposed to compeling everybody right into $5 or $7 rates, let your most loyal fans determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building step and can bring about greater life time value. I haven’t checked this feature directly yet, but for designers who feel a little bit uneasy concerning price factors, it’s a wonderful option to trying out.

4. beehiiv AI Collection

For those on Scale and Max plans, beehiiv’s AI devices are a blessing:

• AI Composing Aide: Produce e-newsletter drafts based on bullet factors or topics. For days when you’re staring at an empty web page, this jumpstarts your creativity.
• AI Text Tool: Grammar, punctuation, tone checks– no need for Grammarly. You obtain a clean, refined draft that feels human Beehiiv Vs Medium.
• AI Image Tool: Produce custom header pictures or pictures without buying stock photos. Just type a prompt, and voila.
• AI Translator: Intend to send your e-newsletter in multiple languages? Translate your web content right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese instantaneously.

These features can shave hours off content production and help you trying out brand-new formats.

Pro Tips For Doing well on beehiiv

Now that you recognize what beehiiv can do, below are some expert hacks to maximize it:

Clean Your List for Better Efficiency

In August 2024, I reduced my customer matter in half (from about 2,400 to 1,200) by getting rid of inactive emails– individuals who had not opened up anything in six months. My open prices leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which meant marketers paid even more per click. It harmed to shed customers, but a lean, involved checklist deserves more than a bloated, easy one.

Experiment with Topic Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or burst rates. Do A/B examinations on small sectors before sending out to your entire list. Brief, punchy, question-based topics (” Ready to increase your traffic?”) typically outperform common ones (” April Newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers

If an advertisement doesn’t reverberate with your niche, say no. Unimportant advertisements irritate readers and tank click metrics. With time, beehiiv’s formula will certainly discover what fits your audience– decrease sufficient off-topic offers, and they’ll quit sending them.

Use Boosts to Evaluate New Audiences

Obtained a brand-new classification you intend to discover? Try enhancing your newsletter in an associated specific niche. The expense per customer standards $1.63– but if those customers remain, it deserves it. I as soon as enhanced a search engine optimization newsletter in a digital marketing audience and got an unusual uptick in retention.

Leverage AI for Faster Manufacturing

On nights when I’m stressed out, I ask the AI Writing Aide to compose a rough outline: introductory, 3 bottom lines, final thought. After that I flesh it out with my own anecdotes and design tweaks. It’s not ideal, yet it’s a solid structure that saves me 30– 45 mins per email.

Take Advantage of the Mobile Application

Encourage subscribers to mount your e-newsletter’s mobile app. In your next email, write a fast “How to Add Our E-newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. Even more app sets up mean even more presence, and press notifications beat inbox noise.

Offer Occasional Paid-Only Material

As opposed to making every problem free, tease a “bonus offer record” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Promote it greatly to your checklist. Even if you just sell 20 copies, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your regular monthly beehiiv expense.

Finishing up: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you have actually stuck to me this far, you possibly fall under one of these camps:

• You’ve never sent out an e-newsletter, however you’re itching to start– beehiiv’s free plan and instinctive tools are perfect for learning the ropes.
• You have a little checklist (< 2,500) and wish to monetize without migraines-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing nearly nothing additional.
• You’re a mid-sized maker (1k+ subscribers) looking to scale– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program assist you grow quicker and gain more.
• You despise complex email systems– beehiiv strikes a balance between powerful features and straightforward layout.

Certain, the feature collection can really feel intimidating initially, and you might get a few unimportant advertisement demands. However consider this: in under a year, I made practically $1,000 on a little listing and over $5,000 in affiliate compensations simply by sharing my experience. I’ve seen sufficient to understand that if you spend a little bit of time learning the system, the returns can be substantial.

So, what are you waiting for? Enroll in beehiiv, discover the dashboard, and let the monetization engines transform. Your future self will certainly thanks when the checks roll in.