Dakota Robertson Beehiiv – Everything Explained!

So, you’ve been dabbling the idea of transforming your email checklist right into a profits stream, however you’re overwhelmed by all the alternatives out there. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. If you have actually been using a standard email solution and scraping your head regarding sponsorships, advertisements, and paid registrations, it may be time to look into beehiiv. In this overview, I’ll stroll you through whatever you require to learn about utilizing beehiiv to turn your newsletter right into cash– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Dakota Robertson Beehiiv

Why You Might Be Stuck with Your Current Email Platform

You’ve possibly attempted the common suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you’re like most small-scale web content makers, here’s what likely happened:

• Limited Money Making Options

You have a handful of devoted subscribers– possibly 500 to 1,000 people– but zero very easy way to earn money. Sponsorships feel like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands each month.

• Do It Yourself Automation Headaches

You want to trickle campaign brand-new subscribers, send a welcome series, and sector individuals for targeted emails … however setting up those automations feels like you require a computer science degree.

• System Fees Draw

Whenever you consider paid subscriptions, the platform takes a significant piece, and the settlement arrangement is much more challenging than it’s worth.

• Growth Delays

Development hacks seem to work for every person else– yet except you. You desire there was a simple means to discover brand-new subscribers without manually chasing them down.

I was in your shoes at the beginning of 2024. I ‘d been using Kit (previously ConvertKit), yet it felt like a stumbling block for monetization. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is excellent for constructing funnels and establishing standard automations. Yet when it involved making a few hundred dollars a month from a little list, there had not been an obvious “on” switch.

Enter beehiiv.

My Switch over to beehiiv: A Fact Examine

In January 2024, I ultimately pulled the trigger and relocated my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I really did not have time to pursue sponsors, discuss rates, or build complex paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization writing business full-time, so my e-newsletter was always mosting likely to be a side project. I required something that practically ran itself.

The “Offer Me” Moment

What sold me on beehiiv was easy:

• Built-In Monetization: Right from the start, beehiiv yells, “Hey, you can generate income below!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
• Low-Effort Sponsorships: Rather than me searching LinkedIn for enrollers, beehiiv brings deals directly to my dashboard. All I have to do is click “accept,” drop in the ad copy, and hit send out.
• Passive Revenue Boosts: By advertising various other newsletters in my regular email, I earn $1–$ 3 per referred client. No hefty lifting, no complex analytics– simply steady, step-by-step earnings.

Spoiler alert: It settled. In my initial complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I pulled in $940 from advertisement sponsorships and boosts alone– on a listing that never covered 1,000 customers. I really did not develop a paid program. I didn’t launch an item and I just let beehiiv do its thing.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that wasn’t sufficient, I also signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– primarily an affiliate program. By covering beehiiv on my blog site and sharing my experience with pals, I took $5,108 in referral compensations through completion of 2024. Yep, you review that right: over 5 grand, simply by discussing the platform.

So if you’re questioning whether beehiiv deserves it for tiny developers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. But, obviously, it isn’t perfect. Let’s break down the good, the poor, and the trendy stuff you need to recognize.

The Advantage of Using beehiiv

1. Monetization Made Extremely Simple

What I like best about beehiiv is how very easy it is to generate income on auto-pilot. You do not need a massive target market. Here’s how it works:

• Ad Network Sponsorships: When you hit simply 1,000 active customers, brand names begin aligning. You get 3– 6 advertisement demands monthly usually. You pick the ones you like, put the duplicate, and you’re done. They pay per click or check out– no difficult invoicing. And since beehiiv matches you with pertinent brand names, your subscribers are more probable to click.
• Boosts Referral Revenue: Don’t have enrollers yet? No problem. Advertise various other developer e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per client. It resembles Amazon’s affiliate program, but for email listings. I made numerous hundred dollars this way without breaking a sweat.
• Paid Subscriptions (When You’re Ready): Down the line, if you determine to charge for superior content, beehiiv takes a very little cost (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction through Stripe). You can set up several pricing rates, run complimentary trials, or even let subscribers “name their price.”.
• Partner Program Payments: Not in it for the short haul? Sign up for the affiliate program. Gain 60% payment on beehiiv’s regular monthly or yearly plans when somebody join your code. It’s essentially additional money for sharing something you already like.

In other words, beehiiv transforms money making into an integrated feature, instead of a job you dread.

2. Analytics That Do Not Make Your Head Explode

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

• Clear Subscriber Development Charts: See precisely the amount of new individuals signed up with, the number of handed over, and why your checklist diminished (more on that particular in a sec).
• Open Up and Click Prices: Beehiiv breaks down efficiency over the last thirty day, so you can detect patterns right now. For example, I watched on my open price (hovering around 64%– okay) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either statistics dips, I fine-tune my subject lines or calls-to-action.
• Monetization Dashboards: Sponsorship earnings, boosts income, partner referral incomes– you get the picture. Income streams are neatly separated so nothing obtains lost in the shuffle.

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

3. Growing Your Checklist Without Offering Your Spirit

The majority of e-newsletter platforms will charge you for each additional subscriber after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for approximately 2,500 customers, it’s complimentary. You get:.

• Endless e-mail sends out.
• Accessibility to the boosts network (expand your audience by advertising your e-newsletter on various other beehiiv newsletters).
• Basic analytics and forms.

If you’re a newbie or have a small target market, this is big. You can experiment with subject lines, send frequency, and various lead magnets without fretting about striking a paywall.

4. Built-In Website & Custom-made Pages

Think of dropping WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace entirely since your newsletter platform doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv in a nutshell:.

• Newsletter Archive Pages: All your past emails live on a blog-like page that’s automatically SEO-optimized.
• Personalized Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet web page? A thank-you page? A page to offer an item? You can develop it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
• Mobile-Friendly Templates: Whatever looks fantastic on phones– vital since a ton of individuals read e-mails on mobile.

Certain, you won’t get every fancy drag-and-drop that a dedicated website builder supplies, but for most creators, it’s more than enough.

5. Referral Program to Turbo Charge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is amazing if you wish to tap into a community of similar developers. When your customer clicks “Recommend This E-newsletter” and joins, both you and the referring creator obtain credit report. It’s a wise way to expand your list without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Watch Out For

No item is excellent– and beehiiv has its hiccups. Before you dive in, right here’s what may journey you up:.

Feature Overload initially

When you visit, there are a lot of options– Kinds, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel frustrating. If you have actually just used a straightforward service that sends out one-off e-mails, you might require a number of days to get comfortable.

Unimportant Advertisement Requests

Occasionally the enrollers beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your particular niche. A video gaming newsletter could obtain offered a code-review device for developers. See to it to decrease anything that does not jive with your target market, or you’ll container your click-throughs.

No Time At All Zone– Based Sends Out

If your listing is global, you can not instantly arrange e-mails based upon each subscriber’s time zone. All sends out go out at once, so you might awaken to reduced open prices if half your listing is asleep.

Custom-made Web Page Builder Isn’t Super User-friendly

Developing a landing page is feasible, however the UI could be smoother. I spent a few hours (and a valuable conversation with assistance) obtaining a freebie opt-in page perfect. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you could discover it confusing.

Limited Integrations

If you utilize Gumroad to sell products, you run out luck– no direct integration yet. You’ll have to utilize embed codes or a Zapier workaround.

All that said, beehiiv’s team is continuously rolling out updates– and those cons are gradually however undoubtedly being dealt with.

Who Should Consider beehiiv?

Not everyone needs a fully featured e-newsletter platform. But if any of the adhering to defines you, beehiiv might be a match made in heaven:.

1. Outright Beginners: You’ve never sent out an email blast, you do not intend to spend money in advance, and you need a totally free, simple means to experiment. Beehiiv allows you begin absolutely free, send out unlimited e-mails to approximately 2,500 clients, and grow naturally with the boosts network.
2. Small-List Creators: If you currently have a few hundred or a couple thousand clients yet no hint just how to transform that into revenue, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are custom-made for you. In my very first 10 months, I was making regarding $92/month with a ~ 1k list. Okay for coffee money, right?
3. Makers Who Hate “Salesy” Things: You don’t intend to pitch products nonstop or sling digital training courses. You prefer to share worth, construct count on, 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 Do Not Wish To Rebuild Everything: Possibly you get on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a tangled mess. Beehiiv guarantees a smooth movement from those systems. Plus, if you have a huge listing (say 10k+), you can obtain aid from beehiiv’s support team to relocate whatever over without losing your automations.

Beginning: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Subscribe and Discover the Dashboard

Once you develop an account, beehiiv drops you right into a dashboard where you see your subscriber matter, open prices, click-through rates, and any kind of pending advertisement deals. Consider it as your mission control– whatever you need is just a click away.

Build Your First Subscribe Type

Browse to Target Market �’ Subscribe Kinds �’ Develop Brand-new Form. You’ll require:

• A heading that hooks site visitors
• A short blurb explaining what your newsletter has to do with
• A call-to-action switch (e.g., “Join My E-newsletter”)
• Your logo or a pertinent photo
• A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Many thanks for joining! Check your inbox in a sec.”)

You can select from different type designs: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the e-mail field), or progressed (with tracking codes). The customization choices are standard– shades for switches and history images– however it’s remarkably efficient for catching e-mails.

Set Up Your Website and Personalized Pages

If you desire more than just a kind, jump into Design �’ Website Builder �’ Customized Pages �’ Internal Web Page. Use this to:

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

Develop a landing page for a freebie (e.g., “Download my SEO rip off sheet”).

Build a thank-you web page that goes real-time after a person subscribes.

I invested a couple of hours tweaking my very first landing page, once I mastered it, I realized exactly how effective it is to have everything under one roofing. Rather than handling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your Very First E-newsletter

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

• Create your e-mail duplicate Dakota Robertson Beehiiv
• Insert images, headers, and custom HTML blocks
• Preview just how it’ll look in inboxes and on your site
• Set up or send out quickly

One catch: Personalization is limited. Every customer sees “Hello there” as opposed to “Hello [Given name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you might miss out on that. But for the majority of people, a friendly, conversational introductory suffices.

Activate Monetization

When you strike 1,000 active customers, beehiiv will certainly welcome you to:.

• Join the Advertisement Network: Immediately obtain sponsorship requests that match your specific niche. Choose which ones to accept, insert the ad duplicate into your newsletter, and make money per click/view.
• Set Up Boosts: Apply to promote other e-newsletters. If someone signs up with through your link, you earn $1–$ 3 per client.

For paid newsletters, navigate to Money making �’ Paid Memberships. You’ll attach your Stripe account (beehiiv does not bill extra charges past Stripe’s processing), set your pricing plans (monthly, annual, or “Name Your Rate”), and determine what web content goes behind the paywall.

Display and Enhance

Check your analytics weekly. If open prices go down listed below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets zero clicks, it may be irrelevant to your audience– decline similar future ads. When a boost transforms well, send even more boost requests or fine-tune your deal.

It may feel like a whole lot at first, yet I promise you’ll get the hang of it within a couple of days. And the incentives– both monetary and in regards to your audience’s development– are worth the initial contour.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options

If you’re serious about turning your newsletter right into a lucrative equipment, let’s break down each earnings stream carefully.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Earnings)

Consider this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Here’s the lowdown:.

• How It Functions: You enroll in the Partner Program, get your one-of-a-kind referral link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, anywhere. When somebody clicks, enroll in a paid plan (Range or Max), you make a compensation.
• Commission Fees: Approximately 60% of their first-year settlement. If they pay $100, you might see $60. Cha-ching.
• Payout: Beehiiv pays monthly through PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to jump with.

In my situation, I published a Medium message strolling people through my beehiiv experience (looter: this overview right here belongs to that effort). Through a mix of blog site website traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in affiliate commissions by December 2024. All I did was share my genuine experience.

2. Boosts: Earn by Aiding Others Grow

Boosts are generally funded promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” version. Right here’s the scoop:.

• End Up Being a Boost Sponsor: If you assume your newsletter can aid others grow, use in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll clarify why your audience is an excellent fit and set a price you ‘d spend for a brand-new client.
• Put on Boost Others: If you desire quick customers, you can pay to boost your newsletter on various other creators’ lists. But what most small makers love is the opposite: you apply to be a boost partner for various other e-newsletters. When somebody join via your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
• Limits:
  • You can send up to 25 boost provides each month, yet beehiiv just surface areas three offers each time to prospective companions.
  • If a boost is doing well, other developers will certainly choose it up promptly.

Below’s a fast example: In October 2024, I advertised a fellow search engine optimization designer’s e-newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over 2 weeks, I generated 200 brand-new customers for them– and earned regarding $350 while doing so. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Ads)

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

• Eligibility: You need at least 1,000 active subscribers and a regular send out schedule (at the very least one email monthly, though weekly is optimal).
• Automation: When approved, you’ll begin getting 3– 5 sponsorship requests monthly. Beehiiv matches you with brands based on your target market’s interests– so a marketing SaaS firm might come close to an SEO-focused newsletter, as an example.
• Settlement Design:
  • Expense Per Click (CPC): You earn money every time somebody clicks the ad in your email.
  • Expense Per Mille (CPM): You earn based upon a thousand impacts.
• Ease of Use: You can approve or decline each offer right from your control panel. Beehiiv takes care of all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the ad into your e-newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 sponsored ads, including a couple of high-profile brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from ads alone, with my leading campaign producing $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Bear in mind: importance is king. Pointless advertisements tank click-through prices, so be discerning.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Premium Web Content”)

If you develop truly special web content– deep dive records, special tutorials, or insider evaluations– you could consider a paid tier. Here’s the 101:

• Arrangement: Most Likely To Monetization �’ Paid Memberships, link Stripe, and select your pricing:
  • Month-to-month
  • Yearly (usually marked down)
  • One-time payment (for a solitary overview or training course)
  • Call Your Price (your clients choose what they can pay for)
• Revenue Split: Beehiiv does not bill you a platform cost; they only pass Stripe’s processing charge (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
• Examples: If you have 100 clients paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe costs). Not bad, ideal? Naturally, reaching 100 paid subscribers implies you need a devoted, engaged base.

Now, be sensible: Paid memberships are a work. You require constant, high-value material that makes individuals comfortable taking out their purses. If you’re just beginning, the advertisement network and boosts may be quicker wins.

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

I recognize pricing is a big question mark when you’re thinking of changing platforms. Right here’s the failure as of mid-2025:.

• Free Plan (up to 2,500 clients): Great for pet projects or if you’re testing the waters. You still obtain boosts for list development, fundamental analytics, and unlimited sends– simply no ad network or paid memberships yet.
• Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about generating income from. You get advertisement network access, boosts, paid memberships, and the AI Writing Aide to speed up your newsletter creation.
• Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI devices (picture generation, grammar fixing, translation) issue to you, and you desire concern support, this is the pleasant place. Plus, you can launch a mobile application for your subscribers.
• Enterprise (100k+ customers): For brands and mega-creators who need customized migrations, service-level agreements, and advanced safety. Few tiny makers need this.

My suggestion? Begin on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the control panel, expand your checklist to 1,000, then update to Scale as soon as you understand you want ad income and boosts.

Distinct Features Dakota Robertson Beehiiv

You might be assuming, “Okay, advertisements and boosts are amazing. But what else can beehiiv do that others can not?” Let me highlight a couple of standout features:.

1. Audio Newsletters

Ever before considered turning your e-mail into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s built-in sound e-newsletter feature instantly converts your e-mails into spoken-word audio. No added modifying software, no outsourcing to Fiverr– just toggle it on, and your subscribers can listen on the move. For busy audiences who drive or work out, this is a convenient means to stay linked.

2. Personalized Mobile Application for Viewers

The majority of platforms offer you a “mobile-optimized site.” Beehiiv goes one step further: you can launch a custom mobile app for your subscribers. Once they add it to their home screen, your newsletter ends up being a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Imagine awakening and seeing app alerts when you drop a brand-new problem. Talk about interaction.

3. “Call Your Price” Registrations

Instead of requiring everyone right into $5 or $7 rates, let your most dedicated fans determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building step and can lead to greater life time value. I have not evaluated this feature personally yet, but also for makers who really feel a bit anxious regarding cost factors, it’s a pleasant alternative to try out.

4. beehiiv AI Collection

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

• AI Creating Aide: Create newsletter drafts based on bullet factors or subjects. For days when you’re staring at a blank page, this jumpstarts your imagination.
• AI Text Tool: Grammar, spelling, tone checks– no need for Grammarly. You get a clean, sleek draft that feels human Dakota Robertson Beehiiv.
• AI Picture Tool: Create custom-made header images or pictures without acquiring stock photos. Simply type a timely, and voila.
• AI Translator: Want to send your e-newsletter in several languages? Translate your web content right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese instantaneously.

These features can shave hours off material production and assist you try out brand-new styles.

Pro Tips For Being successful on beehiiv

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

Tidy Your Listing for Better Efficiency

In August 2024, I reduced my subscriber matter in half (from regarding 2,400 to 1,200) by eliminating inactive e-mails– people who had not opened anything in six months. My open rates leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which meant advertisers paid more per click. It injured to shed clients, however a lean, engaged listing is worth more than a bloated, passive one.

Trying Out Subject Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or break open rates. Do A/B examinations on small sections prior to sending to your whole listing. Brief, punchy, question-based topics (” Ready to increase your web traffic?”) frequently outperform common ones (” April Newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers

If an advertisement does not resonate with your specific niche, say no. Irrelevant advertisements annoy visitors and tank click metrics. With time, beehiiv’s algorithm will certainly discover what fits your target market– decrease enough off-topic offers, and they’ll quit sending them.

Usage Boosts to Test New Audiences

Obtained a brand-new category you wish to explore? Try improving your newsletter in an associated particular niche. The cost per client standards $1.63– yet if those clients stick around, it’s worth it. I when improved a SEO newsletter in a digital marketing audience and got a surprising uptick in retention.

Utilize AI for Faster Production

On evenings when I’m stressed out, I ask the AI Writing Assistant to prepare a rough outline: introductory, three bottom lines, conclusion. Then I flesh it out with my own stories and design tweaks. It’s not perfect, yet it’s a strong foundation that conserves me 30– 45 mins per email.

Capitalize on the Mobile App

Encourage clients to mount your e-newsletter’s mobile app. In your next email, create a fast “Exactly how to Add Our E-newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. More app installs indicate more visibility, and push alerts beat inbox noise.

Offer Occasional Paid-Only Web Content

Rather than making every problem cost-free, tease a “reward report” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Advertise it greatly to your listing. Even if you just sell 20 copies, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your regular monthly beehiiv expense.

Concluding: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you’ve stuck to me this much, you most likely fall under one of these camps:

• You have actually never sent an e-newsletter, however you’re itching to begin– beehiiv’s free plan and instinctive tools are perfect for learning the ropes.
• You have a tiny list (< 2,500) and intend to generate income from without migraines-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing practically absolutely nothing added.
• You’re a mid-sized maker (1k+ clients) aiming to scale– beehiiv’s analytics, AI devices, and referral program assist you expand quicker and gain a lot more.
• You despise intricate email platforms– beehiiv strikes a balance in between effective features and straightforward design.

Certain, the feature set can really feel intimidating initially, and you could obtain a couple of irrelevant ad requests. Yet consider this: in under a year, I made practically $1,000 on a tiny listing and over $5,000 in associate compensations just by sharing my experience. I have actually seen enough to recognize that if you spend a bit of time learning the platform, the returns can be substantial.

So, what are you awaiting? Register for beehiiv, check out the control panel, and let the money making engines turn. Your future self will certainly thanks when the checks roll in.