Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop – Grow & Monetize Your Audience Fast!

So, you have actually been toying with the idea of transforming your email listing into an income stream, yet you’re overwhelmed by all the alternatives available. Audio acquainted? You’re not the only one. If you have actually been using a standard e-mail service and damaging your head concerning sponsorships, ads, and paid registrations, it might be time to take a look at beehiiv. In this guide, I’ll walk you via every little thing you need to know about making use of beehiiv to transform your e-newsletter into cash money– all from my very own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop

Why You May be Stuck with Your Present Email System

You’ve possibly tried the normal suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (currently Kit), Substack, or something comparable. And if you resemble most small content makers, below’s what likely took place:

• Limited Monetization Alternatives

You have a handful of faithful subscribers– maybe 500 to 1,000 individuals– however absolutely no easy means to make money. Sponsorships feel like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands on a monthly basis.

• DIY Automation Headaches

You wish to leak campaign brand-new clients, send a welcome series, and segment folks for targeted emails … yet setting up those automations feels like you require a computer science degree.

• Platform Fees Draw

Whenever you consider paid registrations, the system takes a massive chunk, and the settlement setup is much more challenging than it deserves.

• Development Delays

Growth hacks seem to benefit every person else– but not for you. You want there was an easy method to discover new customers without manually chasing them down.

I remained in your shoes at the beginning of 2024. I ‘d been making use of Kit (formerly ConvertKit), but it felt like a stumbling block for monetization. Do not get me wrong– Kit is great for building funnels and establishing fundamental automations. However when it involved making a few hundred bucks a month from a little list, there had not been an obvious “on” button.

Enter beehiiv.

My Switch to beehiiv: A Truth Inspect

In January 2024, I ultimately pulled the trigger and relocated my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I didn’t have time to hound enrollers, work out rates, or develop difficult paid funnels. I run a SEO creating service full-time, so my e-newsletter was always going to be a side project. I needed something that virtually ran itself.

The “Sell Me” Minute

What marketed me on beehiiv was straightforward:

• Integrated Money making: Right from the start, beehiiv yells, “Hey, you can make money below!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
• Low-Effort Sponsorships: As opposed to me combing LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings offers straight to my control panel. All I need to do is click “accept,” drop in the advertisement duplicate, and struck send.
• Passive Earnings Boosts: By advertising various other e-newsletters in my weekly e-mail, I earn $1–$ 3 per referred client. No hefty lifting, no complicated analytics– just steady, incremental income.

Looter alert: It repaid. In my first complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from ad sponsorships and boosts alone– on a listing that never covered 1,000 subscribers. I didn’t produce a paid program. I really did not introduce a product and I just let beehiiv do its thing.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that wasn’t enough, I also signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– basically an affiliate program. By discussing beehiiv on my blog site and sharing my experience with friends, I took $5,108 in referral commissions through the end of 2024. Yep, you check out that right: over five grand, just by discussing the platform.

So if you’re wondering whether beehiiv deserves it for small developers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. However, obviously, it isn’t flawless. Let’s break down the good, the poor, and the awesome stuff you need to understand.

The Upside of Using beehiiv

1. Monetization Made Unbelievably Simple

What I love finest concerning beehiiv is exactly how simple it is to make money on autopilot. You don’t need a big audience. Here’s exactly how it works:

• Ad Network Sponsorships: As soon as you strike simply 1,000 active customers, brand names start aligning. You get 3– 6 ad demands monthly generally. You select the ones you like, place the copy, and you’re done. They ppc or watch– no complicated invoicing. And due to the fact that beehiiv matches you with appropriate brands, your customers are more probable to click.
• Boosts Referral Income: Do not have sponsors yet? No problem. Promote various other developer e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per subscriber. It resembles Amazon’s affiliate program, but also for e-mail lists. I made several hundred dollars by doing this without breaking a sweat.
• Paid Subscriptions (When You prepare): Down the line, if you choose to bill for exceptional web content, beehiiv takes a marginal fee (2.9% + $0.30 per deal by means of Stripe). You can set up numerous pricing tiers, run cost-free trials, and even let clients “call their price.”.
• Partner Program Payments: Not in it for the brief haul? Enroll in the affiliate program. Earn 60% compensation on beehiiv’s month-to-month or yearly plans when someone signs up with your code. It’s actually added money for sharing something you currently love.

In other words, beehiiv turns money making right into a built-in feature, instead of a task you fear.

2. Analytics That Don’t Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever before looked at a dashboard reasoning, “What does any of this actually imply?”, you’ll appreciate beehiiv’s strategy:.

• Clear Client Growth Charts: See precisely the number of new people signed up with, the number of dropped off, and why your checklist diminished (much more on that particular in a sec).
• Open and Click Prices: Beehiiv breaks down efficiency over the last thirty day, so you can detect trends immediately. For example, I kept an eye on my open rate (floating around 64%– tolerable) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either metric dips, I tweak my subject lines or calls-to-action.
• Monetization Dashboards: Sponsorship revenue, boosts revenue, companion referral earnings– you get the picture. Income streams are neatly divided so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

It’s like having a partner who tells you, “Hey, your January email killed it– right here’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open rates are tanking– let’s repair this.”.

3. Expanding Your List Without Offering Your Spirit

Many newsletter systems will bill you for every added customer after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for as much as 2,500 subscribers, it’s cost-free. You obtain:.

• Limitless e-mail sends.
• Accessibility to the boosts network (grow your target market by promoting your e-newsletter on other beehiiv e-newsletters).
• Standard analytics and kinds.

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

4. Integrated Web Site & Personalized Pages

Imagine abandoning WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace altogether since your e-newsletter system doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv in short:.

• E-newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails survive on a blog-like web page that’s immediately SEO-optimized.
• Customized Landing Pages: Required a lead magnet page? A thank-you page? A web page to market an item? You can develop it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
• Mobile-Friendly Templates: Everything looks great on phones– essential because a lots of individuals check out emails on mobile.

Sure, you will not obtain every fancy drag-and-drop that a committed website builder uses, however, for a lot of designers, it’s ample.

5. Referral Program to Turbo Charge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is outstanding if you wish to take advantage of a community of similar developers. When your customer clicks on “Recommend This Newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring maker get credit. It’s a smart means to expand your checklist without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Look out for

No product is best– and beehiiv has its missteps. Before you dive in, right here’s what may journey you up:.

Feature Overload initially

When you visit, there are a lot of alternatives– Forms, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel overwhelming. If you’ve only utilized an easy solution that sends out one-off emails, you could need a couple of days to obtain comfy.

Irrelevant Advertisement Requests

Sometimes the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your particular niche. A video gaming newsletter might obtain offered a code-review device for programmers. See to it to decrease anything that does not jive with your audience, or you’ll tank your click-throughs.

No Time Area– Based Sends

If your checklist is global, you can’t immediately set up emails based on each subscriber’s time zone. All sends head out at once, so you may get up to reduced open rates if half your listing is asleep.

Customized Web Page Builder Isn’t Very Intuitive

Producing a landing page is possible, however the UI could be smoother. I spent a couple of hours (and a practical chat with support) obtaining a freebie opt-in web page just right. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you might find it clunky.

Limited Integrations

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

All that said, beehiiv’s team is frequently rolling out updates– and those cons are gradually but surely being resolved.

Who Should Consider beehiiv?

Not everyone needs a fully featured newsletter system. But if any one of the adhering to explains you, beehiiv could be a suit made in paradise:.

1. Outright Beginners: You have actually never sent an e-mail blast, you don’t intend to invest money ahead of time, and you need a cost-free, very easy method to experiment. Beehiiv lets you start totally free, send out unlimited e-mails to approximately 2,500 customers, and expand naturally with the boosts network.
2. Small-List Creators: If you already have a couple of hundred or a pair thousand customers however no hint exactly how to turn that right into revenue, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are tailor-made for you. In my very first ten months, I was making concerning $92/month with a ~ 1k checklist. Okay for coffee money, right?
3. Developers Who Hate “Salesy” Things: You do not want to pitch products continuously or sling digital courses. You ‘d rather share value, build trust fund, and let the money come in on autopilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you earn without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
4. Switchers Who Don’t Wish To Reconstruct Whatever: Possibly you get on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a tangled mess. Beehiiv guarantees a smooth migration from those platforms. Plus, if you have a large checklist (claim 10k+), you can obtain assist from beehiiv’s assistance group to move everything over without losing your automations.

Starting: A Detailed Walkthrough

Sign Up and Check Out the Control panel

Once you develop an account, beehiiv drops you right into a dashboard where you see your subscriber matter, open prices, click-through prices, and any type of pending ad offers. Think about it as your mission control– every little thing you require is just a click away.

Build Your First Subscribe Kind

Navigate to Audience �’ Subscribe Types �’ Produce New Kind. You’ll require:

• A heading that hooks site visitors
• A brief blurb discussing what your newsletter has to do with
• A call-to-action switch (e.g., “Join My Newsletter”)
• Your logo or a pertinent image
• A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Thanks for joining! Inspect your inbox in a sec.”)

You can select from various kind styles: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the e-mail area), or progressed (with monitoring codes). The personalization options are fundamental– shades for switches and background photos– however it’s surprisingly efficient for capturing emails.

Set Up Your Web Site and Personalized Pages

If you want greater than simply a kind, jump right into Design �’ Website Builder �’ Custom-made Pages �’ Internal Page. Use this to:

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

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

Develop a thank-you web page that goes online after someone subscribes.

I invested a few hours tweaking my first landing page, but once I got the hang of it, I realized just how powerful it is to have whatever under one roof. Rather than juggling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your First E-newsletter

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

• Create your e-mail duplicate Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop
• Place photos, headers, and custom-made HTML blocks
• Preview just how it’ll search in inboxes and on your website
• Schedule or send right away

One catch: Customization is restricted. Every subscriber sees “Hi there” rather than “Hey [Given name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you might miss that. But for many people, a pleasant, conversational introductory suffices.

Switch on Monetization

As soon as you hit 1,000 active subscribers, beehiiv will welcome you to:.

• Sign Up With the Ad Network: Immediately receive sponsorship requests that match your particular niche. Choose which ones to approve, place the advertisement duplicate right into your e-newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
• Establish Boosts: Put on advertise other newsletters. If somebody joins using your web link, you make $1–$ 3 per client.

For paid e-newsletters, navigate to Monetization �’ Paid Subscriptions. You’ll link your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t bill additional fees beyond Stripe’s processing), establish your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Call Your Rate”), and decide what web content goes behind the paywall.

Monitor and Maximize

Check your analytics weekly. If open prices go down listed below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship obtains zero clicks, it might be unimportant to your target market– decline comparable future advertisements. When a boost converts well, submit more boost requests or fine-tune your offer.

It might seem like a great deal at first, however I guarantee you’ll master it within a few days. And the rewards– both monetary and in terms of your target market’s development– are worth the first curve.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options

If you’re serious about turning your e-newsletter right into a money-making device, let’s break down each earnings stream thoroughly.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Earnings)

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

• How It Functions: You sign up for the Partner Program, grab your special referral link, and share it on your blog site, Twitter, LinkedIn, any place. When a person clicks, register for a paid plan (Scale or Max), you earn a payment.
• Payment Rates: As Much As 60% of their first-year payment. If they pay $100, you could see $60. Cha-ching.
• Payout: Beehiiv pays regular monthly via PayPal. No minimum threshold, no hoops to leap with.

In my situation, I released a Medium blog post strolling people through my beehiiv experience (spoiler: this overview right here is part of that initiative). With a mix of blog site web traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in affiliate payments by December 2024. All I did was share my real experience.

2. Boosts: Make by Assisting Others Expand

Boosts are primarily sponsored promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” model. Below’s the scoop:.

• Become a Boost Sponsor: If you assume your e-newsletter can aid others grow, use in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll clarify why your audience is a good fit and established a rate you ‘d pay for a new client.
• Apply to Boost Others: If you want fast clients, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on other designers’ listings. But what many small designers enjoy is the opposite: you put on be a boost companion for other newsletters. When somebody signs up with your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
• Limitations:
  • You can send up to 25 boost supplies monthly, yet beehiiv only surface areas three offers at a time to possible partners.
  • If a boost is carrying out well, various other developers will certainly choose it up promptly.

Right here’s a quick instance: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow SEO developer’s e-newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over two weeks, I generated 200 brand-new clients for them– and made concerning $350 in the process. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Advertisements)

This is where the big bucks can come in, even if your checklist is “small.” Here’s how it goes:

• Qualification: You need a minimum of 1,000 active clients and a regular send timetable (at least one e-mail monthly, though regular is suitable).
• Automation: When authorized, you’ll begin receiving 3– 5 sponsorship demands monthly. Beehiiv matches you with brands based upon your audience’s rate of interests– so a marketing SaaS firm might come close to an SEO-focused newsletter, as an example.
• Repayment Model:
  • Price Per Click (CPC): You generate income every single time somebody clicks the ad in your e-mail.
  • Price Per Mille (CPM): You make based on a thousand impacts.
• Relieve of Use: You can accept or decrease each offer right from your dashboard. Beehiiv deals with all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the ad right into your newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 funded ads, consisting of a few top-level brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from advertisements alone, with my top campaign generating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Keep in mind: importance is king. Irrelevant ads container click-through rates, so be careful.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Premium Content”)

If you produce absolutely special content– deep dive reports, exclusive tutorials, or insider analyses– you could take into consideration a paid rate. Right here’s the 101:

• Setup: Most Likely To Monetization �’ Paid Registrations, link Stripe, and pick your pricing:
  • Monthly
  • Yearly (generally marked down)
  • Single payment (for a solitary overview or training course)
  • Call Your Rate (your clients select what they can manage)
• Earnings Split: Beehiiv does not charge you a system fee; they just pass Stripe’s processing charge (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
• Instances: If you have 100 customers paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe charges). Not bad, ideal? Obviously, getting to 100 paid customers suggests you need a devoted, engaged base.

Currently, be realistic: Paid subscriptions are a grind. You need constant, high-value content that makes individuals comfortable taking out their purses. If you’re simply beginning, the ad network and boosts may be quicker wins.

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

I recognize pricing is a large question mark when you’re thinking of switching systems. Right here’s the break down as of mid-2025:.

• Free Plan (approximately 2,500 clients): Great for pet projects or if you’re checking the waters. You still get boosts for checklist growth, fundamental analytics, and limitless sends– simply no advertisement network or paid subscriptions yet.
• Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about monetizing. You obtain ad network accessibility, boosts, paid subscriptions, and the AI Writing Aide to quicken your newsletter creation.
• Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI devices (image generation, grammar taking care of, translation) issue to you, and you desire top priority assistance, this is the pleasant place. And also, you can launch a mobile app for your customers.
• Enterprise (100k+ clients): For brand names and mega-creators who need custom movements, service-level arrangements, and progressed security. Not many tiny designers need this.

My referral? Begin on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the control panel, expand your checklist to 1,000, then upgrade to Scale as soon as you recognize you classified ad income and boosts.

Special Features Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop

You could be thinking, “Okay, advertisements and boosts are trendy. Yet what else can beehiiv do that others can’t?” Let me highlight a couple of standout features:.

1. Sound Newsletters

Ever before thought about transforming your e-mail right into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s built-in audio newsletter feature immediately converts your e-mails right into spoken-word audio. No extra editing software program, no outsourcing to Fiverr– just toggle it on, and your subscribers can pay attention on the go. For active audiences who drive or exercise, this is a useful method to stay connected.

2. Personalized Mobile Apps for Viewers

Many platforms provide you a “mobile-optimized website.” Beehiiv goes one step additionally: you can introduce a personalized mobile application for your subscribers. Once they include it to their home display, your newsletter comes to be a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Think of getting up and seeing application notifications when you drop a brand-new issue. Discuss involvement.

3. “Name Your Price” Memberships

Instead of compeling everybody into $5 or $7 tiers, let your most loyal fans determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building step and can bring about higher lifetime worth. I haven’t tested this feature directly yet, but for designers who really feel a little bit anxious about cost points, it’s a sweet choice to trying out.

4. beehiiv AI Suite

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

• AI Composing Assistant: Generate newsletter drafts based on bullet points or topics. For days when you’re staring at an empty web page, this jumpstarts your creative thinking.
• AI Text Tool: Grammar, spelling, tone checks– no need for Grammarly. You obtain a tidy, polished draft that feels human Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop.
• AI Picture Tool: Develop personalized header photos or illustrations without purchasing stock photos. Simply type a prompt, and voila.
• AI Translator: Wish to send your newsletter in numerous languages? Convert your content into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese promptly.

These features can shave hours off material creation and aid you explore new formats.

Pro Tips For Succeeding 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 count in half (from regarding 2,400 down to 1,200) by eliminating inactive e-mails– individuals who hadn’t opened anything in 6 months. My open prices jumped from ~ 45% to over 60%, which implied marketers paid more per click. It hurt to lose clients, however a lean, engaged listing deserves more than a bloated, passive one.

Trying Out Topic Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or break open prices. Do A/B examinations on small sectors prior to sending to your whole list. Short, punchy, question-based subjects (” Ready to increase your website traffic?”) frequently outperform generic ones (” April Newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers

If an ad doesn’t resonate with your specific niche, say no. Pointless advertisements frustrate visitors and storage tank click metrics. Over time, beehiiv’s formula will learn what fits your audience– decrease sufficient off-topic deals, and they’ll quit sending them.

Usage Boosts to Examine New Audiences

Got a brand-new group you want to explore? Attempt improving your e-newsletter in an associated niche. The cost per client standards $1.63– however if those clients linger, it deserves it. I once increased a search engine optimization e-newsletter in a digital marketing target market and obtained an unexpected uptick in retention.

Leverage AI for Faster Manufacturing

On evenings when I’m burnt out, I ask the AI Creating Aide to prepare a rough outline: introduction, three bottom lines, verdict. Then I flesh it out with my very own anecdotes and style tweaks. It’s not perfect, yet it’s a solid foundation that saves me 30– 45 minutes per email.

Take Advantage of the Mobile Application

Encourage clients to mount your newsletter’s mobile application. In your next email, create a quick “How to Include Our E-newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. Even more app mounts indicate even more visibility, and press notices beat inbox noise.

Deal Periodic Paid-Only Web Content

As opposed to making every issue free, tease a “incentive record” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Advertise it heavily to your checklist. Even if you just sell 20 duplicates, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your month-to-month beehiiv expense.

Finishing up: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you have actually stuck with me this much, you most likely fall under among these camps:

• You have actually never ever sent an e-newsletter, yet you’re itching to begin– beehiiv’s free plan and intuitive tools are ideal for learning the ropes.
• You have a tiny checklist (< 2,500) and want to generate income from without migraines-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing practically absolutely nothing extra.
• You’re a mid-sized designer (1k+ clients) wanting to range– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program assist you expand quicker and gain extra.
• You hate complicated email platforms– beehiiv strikes a balance in between effective features and user-friendly design.

Sure, the feature set can really feel daunting at first, and you may get a couple of unimportant ad demands. However consider this: in under a year, I made nearly $1,000 on a small listing and over $5,000 in associate compensations simply by sharing my experience. I have actually seen adequate to know that if you invest a bit of time learning the platform, the returns can be considerable.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for beehiiv, explore the control panel, and let the money making engines turn. Your future self will thanks when the checks roll in.