So, you have actually been dabbling the idea of turning your e-mail checklist into a profits stream, but you’re bewildered by all the options around. Audio acquainted? You’re not the only one. If you’ve been making use of a basic email solution and damaging your head concerning sponsorships, ads, and paid subscriptions, it may be time to take a look at beehiiv. In this guide, I’ll stroll you with everything you need to know about using beehiiv to transform your e-newsletter right into money– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Beehiiv Starter
Why You Might Be Stuck with Your Existing Email System
You’ve probably attempted the typical suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you resemble the majority of small content creators, below’s what likely happened:
- Restricted Monetization Choices
You have a handful of dedicated clients– perhaps 500 to 1,000 people– however absolutely no easy way to generate income. Sponsorships feel like an international language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands every month.
- DIY Automation Headaches
You wish to drip campaign brand-new subscribers, send a welcome collection, and segment folks for targeted e-mails … but setting up those automations seems like you need a computer technology level.
- Platform Charges Draw
Whenever you think about paid registrations, the platform takes a massive chunk, and the settlement configuration is a lot more challenging than it deserves.
- Development Stalls
Development hacks seem to work for everybody else– however except you. You desire there was a simple method to find brand-new customers without by hand chasing them down.
I was in your footwear at the beginning of 2024. I would certainly been making use of Kit (formerly ConvertKit), but it felt like a stumbling block for money making. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is great for constructing funnels and establishing basic automations. But when it pertained to making even a couple of hundred dollars a month from a little listing, there wasn’t a noticeable “on” switch.
Enter beehiiv.
My Change to beehiiv: A Truth Examine
In January 2024, I finally pulled the trigger and relocated my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I didn’t have time to hunt down sponsors, discuss prices, or build difficult paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization creating business permanent, so my e-newsletter was constantly mosting likely to be a side project. I required something that practically ran itself.
The “Market Me” Moment
What sold me on beehiiv was straightforward:
- Integrated Monetization: Right from the start, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can earn money here!” It wasn’t an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
- Low-Effort Sponsorships: Instead of me combing LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings deals directly to my control panel. All I have to do is click “accept,” drop in the ad copy, and hit send.
- Easy Income Boosts: By promoting various other newsletters in my once a week e-mail, I earn $1–$ 3 per referred customer. No hefty lifting, no difficult analytics– just constant, incremental revenue.
Looter alert: It settled. In my first complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from ad sponsorships and boosts alone– on a list that never ever topped 1,000 customers. I really did not create a paid training course. I really did not introduce a product and I just let beehiiv do its point.
My Partner Program Windfall
As if that had not been sufficient, I likewise signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– primarily an affiliate program. By writing about beehiiv on my blog site and sharing my experience with chums, I swiped $5,108 in referral payments via completion of 2024. Yep, you check out that right: over 5 grand, just by speaking about the system.
So if you’re questioning whether beehiiv is worth it for small developers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. But, obviously, it isn’t flawless. Let’s break down the good, the bad, and the awesome things you need to recognize.
The Advantage of Using beehiiv
1. Money Making Made Ridiculously Straightforward
What I like ideal about beehiiv is exactly how simple it is to generate income on auto-pilot. You do not require a big target market. Below’s exactly how it functions:
- Ad Network Sponsorships: As soon as you strike just 1,000 active subscribers, brand names start aligning. You get 3– 6 advertisement requests each month usually. You select the ones you like, put the duplicate, and you’re done. They ppc or see– no difficult invoicing. And due to the fact that beehiiv matches you with relevant brands, your clients are more probable to click.
- Boosts Referral Revenue: Do not have sponsors yet? No problem. Advertise various other creator e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per client. It’s like Amazon’s affiliate program, but also for e-mail lists. I gained a number of hundred dollars this way without breaking a sweat.
- Paid Subscriptions (When You prepare): Down the line, if you choose to charge for exceptional material, beehiiv takes a marginal charge (2.9% + $0.30 per purchase using Stripe). You can establish multiple pricing rates, run free trials, and even let subscribers “call their rate.”.
- Partner Program Commissions: Not in it for the brief haul? Sign up for the affiliate program. Gain 60% commission on beehiiv’s regular monthly or yearly plans when a person register with your code. It’s essentially extra cash for sharing something you already like.
Simply put, beehiiv turns money making right into an integrated feature, rather than a job you fear.
2. Analytics That Don’t Make Your Head Explode
If you’ve ever before stared at a control panel thinking, “What does any one of this in fact indicate?”, you’ll appreciate beehiiv’s technique:.
- Clear Subscriber Growth Graphs: See specifically the amount of new individuals joined, the amount of dropped off, and why your listing shrank (much more on that particular in a sec).
- Open Up and Click Rates: Beehiiv breaks down efficiency over the last thirty day, so you can identify patterns today. For instance, I kept an eye on my open price (hovering around 64%– tolerable) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either metric dips, I modify my subject lines or calls-to-action.
- Money making Dashboards: Sponsorship income, boosts earnings, partner referral revenues– you get the picture. Profits streams are neatly separated so nothing obtains shed in the shuffle.
It’s like having a partner who informs you, “Hey, your January e-mail eliminated it– right here’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open prices are tanking– let’s fix this.”.
3. Growing Your List Without Selling Your Spirit
Most newsletter platforms will charge you for each extra subscriber after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for approximately 2,500 customers, it’s free. You get:.
- Unrestricted e-mail sends out.
- Accessibility to the boosts network (expand your target market by promoting your e-newsletter on various other beehiiv e-newsletters).
- Basic analytics and types.
If you’re a novice or have a small target market, this is significant. You can trying out subject lines, send regularity, and different lead magnets without bothering with hitting a paywall.
4. Integrated Web Site & Personalized Pages
Picture abandoning WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace altogether since your newsletter platform doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv basically:.
- Newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails reside on a blog-like page that’s automatically SEO-optimized.
- Custom-made Landing Pages: Required a lead magnet page? A thank-you page? A page to market an item? You can construct it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
- Mobile-Friendly Templates: Everything looks terrific on phones– vital because a ton of folks read emails on mobile.
Certain, you will not get every expensive drag-and-drop that a devoted website builder supplies, but for the majority of designers, it’s more than enough.
5. Referral Program to Supercharge Growth
Beehiiv’s referral program is amazing if you wish to take advantage of a community of similar makers. When your client clicks on “Recommend This Newsletter” and joins, both you and the referring designer obtain credit scores. It’s a smart method to expand your listing without spamming.
The Downsides: What to Watch Out For
No product is perfect– and beehiiv has its missteps. Before you dive in, here’s what may journey you up:.
Feature Overload initially
When you visit, there are many choices– Forms, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel overwhelming. If you have actually just utilized a basic solution that sends one-off emails, you could need a number of days to obtain comfortable.
Unimportant Ad Requests
Often the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your particular niche. A pc gaming newsletter could obtain used a code-review tool for programmers. Make certain to decrease anything that does not jive with your target market, or you’ll storage tank your click-throughs.
No Time At All Zone– Based Sends
If your checklist is worldwide, you can not automatically schedule emails based on each subscriber’s time zone. All sends go out at once, so you could wake up to low open prices if half your listing is asleep.
Personalized Web Page Builder Isn’t Very Intuitive
Creating a landing page is feasible, yet the UI could be smoother. I spent a couple of hours (and a valuable chat with support) getting a freebie opt-in web page ideal. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you may find it clunky.
Minimal Integrations
If you utilize Gumroad to offer products, you’re out of luck– no straight integration yet. You’ll have to use embed codes or a Zapier workaround.
All that stated, beehiiv’s group is continuously presenting updates– and those cons are slowly yet surely being addressed.
Who Should Think about beehiiv?
Not every person needs a completely included e-newsletter platform. Yet if any of the following describes you, beehiiv could be a match made in heaven:.
- Absolute Beginners: You’ve never sent an email blast, you do not wish to invest cash upfront, and you require a totally free, very easy means to experiment. Beehiiv allows you begin completely free, send out unlimited emails to up to 2,500 customers, and expand naturally with the boosts network.
- Small-List Creators: If you currently have a couple of hundred or a couple thousand subscribers yet no idea how to turn that right into income, beehiiv’s ad and boost programs are custom-made for you. In my very first 10 months, I was making concerning $92/month with a ~ 1k list. Not bad for coffee cash, right?
- Creators Who Despise “Salesy” Stuff: You do not intend to pitch products continuously or sling digital training courses. You prefer to share worth, build trust fund, and let the money been available in on auto-pilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you make without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
- Switchers Who Do Not Wish To Rebuild Everything: Perhaps you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a twisted mess. Beehiiv guarantees a smooth movement from those systems. Plus, if you have a huge checklist (state 10k+), you can obtain assist from beehiiv’s support group to move whatever over without shedding your automations.
Getting Started: A Detailed Walkthrough
Sign Up and Discover the Control panel
As soon as you create an account, beehiiv drops you into a control panel where you see your client matter, open prices, click-through rates, and any pending advertisement offers. Consider it as your mission control– everything you require is simply a click away.
Construct Your First Subscribe Kind
Navigate to Target Market ’ Subscribe Types ’ Develop New Form. You’ll require:
- A headline that hooks site visitors
- A short blurb clarifying what your newsletter is about
- A call-to-action button (e.g., “Join My E-newsletter”)
- Your logo design or an appropriate image
- A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Many thanks for signing up with! Inspect your inbox in a sec.”)
You can select from different form designs: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (simply the email field), or advanced (with tracking codes). The customization choices are fundamental– colors for switches and background images– but it’s surprisingly effective for catching e-mails.
Establish Your Site and Customized Pages
If you desire more than simply a form, hop into Design ’ Website Builder ’ Custom Pages ’ Internal Page. Utilize this to:
Host your e-newsletter archive (all previous issues, searchable and SEO-friendly).
Create a landing page for a free offer (e.g., “Download my SEO rip off sheet”).
Construct a thank-you web page that goes real-time after a person subscribes.
I invested a couple of hours tweaking my initial landing page, once I mastered it, I recognized just how effective it is to have whatever under one roofing. Instead of juggling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.
Draft Your First E-newsletter
Click the big “Begin Composing” button in the top-right edge. You’ll see a clean, distraction-free editor where you can:
- Write your email duplicate Beehiiv Starter
- Insert pictures, headers, and custom HTML blocks
- Preview how it’ll search in inboxes and on your site
- Set up or send out promptly
One catch: Personalization is restricted. Every client sees “Hey there” instead of “Hello there [Given name]” If you require hyper-personalization, you might miss out on that. But for a lot of individuals, a friendly, conversational intro suffices.
Turn On Money making
As soon as you hit 1,000 active customers, beehiiv will certainly welcome you to:.
- Sign Up With the Advertisement Network: Automatically get sponsorship demands that match your specific niche. Choose which ones to approve, insert the ad copy right into your e-newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
- Set Up Boosts: Put on advertise various other newsletters. If a person signs up with through your link, you earn $1–$ 3 per customer.
For paid newsletters, browse to Money making ’ Paid Memberships. You’ll connect your Stripe account (beehiiv does not charge added costs past Stripe’s handling), set your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Call Your Price”), and choose what material goes behind the paywall.
Monitor and Maximize
Inspect your analytics weekly. If open rates go down below 40%, reassess your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets no clicks, it could be pointless to your target market– decline comparable future ads. When a boost transforms well, send more boost requests or modify your deal.
It could feel like a lot at first, but I assure you’ll get the hang of it within a couple of days. And the rewards– both financial and in terms of your target market’s growth– are worth the preliminary curve.
Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options
If you’re serious about transforming your e-newsletter into an economic maker, let’s break down each profits stream thoroughly.
1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Incomes)
Think of this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Here’s the lowdown:.
- How It Functions: You register for the Partner Program, get your unique referral web link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, wherever. When someone clicks, signs up for a paid plan (Scale or Max), you gain a compensation.
- Compensation Fees: As Much As 60% of their first-year settlement. If they pay $100, you may see $60. Cha-ching.
- Payout: Beehiiv pays month-to-month through PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to jump through.
In my situation, I published a Medium post walking people via my beehiiv experience (looter: this overview right here is part of that effort). Through a combination of blog web traffic and word-of-mouth, I made over $5,000 in affiliate compensations by December 2024. All I did was share my authentic experience.
2. Boosts: Earn by Helping Others Grow
Boosts are basically funded promos– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” model. Here’s the scoop:.
- Come To Be a Boost Sponsor: If you assume your newsletter can assist others grow, apply in the Boosts control panel. You’ll discuss why your target market is an excellent fit and set a cost you ‘d spend for a new customer.
- Put on Boost Others: If you desire quick clients, you can pay to boost your newsletter on other designers’ listings. But what most small creators like is the opposite: you put on be a boost companion for other e-newsletters. When somebody subscribe via your boost, you get $1–$ 3
- Limits:
- You can send up to 25 boost offers per month, however beehiiv just surface areas 3 offers at once to possible companions.
- If a boost is doing well, various other makers will certainly choose it up promptly.
Here’s a fast instance: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow search engine optimization developer’s newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over 2 weeks, I produced 200 brand-new customers for them– and gained about $350 at the same time. Win-win.
3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Advertisements)
This is where the big dollars can come in, even if your list is “small.” Here’s just how it goes:
- Qualification: You need at the very least 1,000 active subscribers and a constant send out timetable (a minimum of one e-mail each month, though weekly is excellent).
- Automation: As soon as approved, you’ll begin receiving 3– 5 sponsorship demands each month. Beehiiv matches you with brand names based upon your audience’s rate of interests– so a marketing SaaS business may approach an SEO-focused newsletter, for example.
- Repayment Design:
- Expense Per Click (CPC): You generate income every single time someone clicks the ad in your email.
- Cost Per Mille (CPM): You gain based on a thousand perceptions.
- Relieve of Use: You can accept or decline each deal right from your dashboard. Beehiiv manages all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the ad into your e-newsletter.
In 2024, I ran 37 sponsored advertisements, consisting of a few top-level brands like HubSpot. I made $632 from advertisements alone, with my leading campaign producing $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Remember: significance is king. Unnecessary advertisements container click-through rates, so be discerning.
4. Paid Subscriptions (” Costs Content”)
If you develop absolutely one-of-a-kind content– deep dive records, unique tutorials, or expert evaluations– you might think about a paid tier. Right here’s the 101:
- Setup: Most Likely To Monetization ’ Paid Registrations, attach Stripe, and pick your pricing:
- Month-to-month
- Yearly (generally discounted)
- Single payment (for a solitary overview or training course)
- Call Your Cost (your customers choose what they can manage)
- Revenue Split: Beehiiv does not charge you a system fee; they just pass Stripe’s processing charge (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
- Examples: If you have 100 subscribers paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe fees). Okay, right? Obviously, getting to 100 paid clients means you require a devoted, engaged base.
Now, be reasonable: Paid subscriptions are a work. You need regular, high-value material that makes people comfy pulling out their pocketbooks. If you’re just starting, the advertisement network and boosts might be quicker victories.
Pricing Plans: What You’ll Pay (and Get)
I recognize pricing is a big question mark when you’re thinking about switching over systems. Below’s the breakdown as of mid-2025:.
- Free Plan (as much as 2,500 clients): Great for pet projects or if you’re examining the waters. You still obtain boosts for listing growth, standard analytics, and unlimited sends out– just no advertisement network or paid memberships yet.
- Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about monetizing. You obtain advertisement network access, boosts, paid subscriptions, and the AI Writing Assistant to quicken your e-newsletter production.
- Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI tools (photo generation, grammar repairing, translation) issue to you, and you want priority support, this is the sweet area. And also, you can introduce a mobile app for your customers.
- Enterprise (100k+ clients): For brand names and mega-creators who require custom movements, service-level arrangements, and progressed safety. Few small makers require this.
My suggestion? Start on the Free plan. Get a feel for the dashboard, grow your checklist to 1,000, after that upgrade to Scale once you know you classified ad revenue and boosts.
Unique Features Beehiiv Starter
You could be thinking, “Okay, advertisements and boosts are awesome. However what else can beehiiv do that others can not?” Let me highlight a couple of standout features:.
1. Sound Newsletters
Ever before thought about turning your e-mail right into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s built-in audio newsletter feature automatically converts your e-mails into spoken-word audio. No added modifying software application, no outsourcing to Fiverr– simply toggle it on, and your clients can pay attention on the go. For active audiences who drive or exercise, this is a useful way to stay connected.
2. Custom Mobile Application for Visitors
Many platforms give you a “mobile-optimized site.” Beehiiv goes one step even more: you can introduce a custom mobile app for your clients. Once they include it to their home screen, your newsletter ends up being a one-tap experience– no inbox mess. Picture waking up and seeing application notices when you go down a brand-new issue. Discuss involvement.
3. “Name Your Price” Memberships
As opposed to requiring everyone right into $5 or $7 tiers, let your most dedicated followers decide what to pay. It’s a trust-building action and can result in higher lifetime worth. I haven’t checked this feature directly yet, however, for designers who feel a little bit anxious about price points, it’s a wonderful alternative to experiment with.
4. beehiiv AI Collection
For those on Scale and Max plans, beehiiv’s AI devices are a blessing:
- AI Writing Assistant: Produce newsletter drafts based on bullet factors or subjects. For days when you’re looking at a blank web page, this starts your imagination.
- AI Text Tool: Grammar, spelling, tone checks– no demand for Grammarly. You get a clean, polished draft that really feels human Beehiiv Starter.
- AI Picture Tool: Produce personalized header images or images without purchasing supply images. Simply type a prompt, and voila.
- AI Translator: Wish to send your newsletter in several languages? Equate your content into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese immediately.
These features can cut hours off web content development and help you trying out new layouts.
Pro Tips For Doing well on beehiiv
Since you understand what beehiiv can do, below are some expert hacks to maximize it:
Clean Your Checklist for Better Performance
In August 2024, I cut my client matter in half (from about 2,400 down to 1,200) by removing inactive emails– people who hadn’t opened anything in six months. My open rates leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which meant advertisers paid even more per click. It injured to shed customers, yet a lean, involved list is worth greater than a puffed up, passive one.
Trying Out Subject Lines Like a Pro
Subject lines make or break open prices. Do A/B tests on little sectors prior to sending out to your entire list. Brief, punchy, question-based topics (” Ready to double your traffic?”) commonly outperform generic ones (” April Newsletter”).
Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers
If an advertisement doesn’t resonate with your particular niche, say no. Unnecessary advertisements frustrate readers and tank click metrics. With time, beehiiv’s formula will discover what fits your target market– decrease sufficient off-topic offers, and they’ll stop sending them.
Usage Boosts to Test New Audiences
Obtained a new category you want to explore? Attempt enhancing your newsletter in a related specific niche. The price per client standards $1.63– yet if those subscribers linger, it deserves it. I when boosted a search engine optimization e-newsletter in a digital marketing audience and got an unusual uptick in retention.
Leverage AI for Faster Manufacturing
On evenings when I’m burnt out, I ask the AI Writing Aide to draft a rough outline: introduction, three main points, conclusion. Then I flesh it out with my very own stories and design tweaks. It’s not excellent, yet it’s a solid foundation that conserves me 30– 45 minutes per e-mail.
Take Advantage of the Mobile App
Encourage customers to mount your e-newsletter’s mobile app. In your next email, compose a quick “How to Add Our E-newsletter to Your Home Display” tutorial. Even more application installs mean even more presence, and push notifications beat inbox sound.
Deal Periodic Paid-Only Content
As opposed to making every problem cost-free, tease a “benefit record” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Promote it heavily to your checklist. Even if you only market 20 copies, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your regular monthly beehiiv expense.
Wrapping Up: Is beehiiv Right for You?
If you’ve stuck with me this much, you most likely come under one of these camps:
- You have actually never sent a newsletter, but you’re itching to start– beehiiv’s free plan and user-friendly devices are excellent for learning the ropes.
- You have a little checklist (< 2,500) and want to monetize without migraines-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing nearly nothing extra.
- You’re a mid-sized maker (1k+ subscribers) wanting to scale– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program aid you expand faster and gain more.
- You hate complex e-mail systems– beehiiv strikes a balance between effective features and easy to use layout.
Sure, the feature set can feel daunting in the beginning, and you could obtain a few unimportant advertisement demands. However consider this: in under a year, I made almost $1,000 on a little checklist and over $5,000 in associate commissions just by sharing my experience. I have actually seen adequate to know that if you spend a little time learning the system, the returns can be significant.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for beehiiv, discover the dashboard, and let the money making engines transform. Your future self will thanks when the checks roll in.