So, you’ve been toying with the concept of turning your e-mail list right into an earnings stream, yet you’re overwhelmed by all the alternatives out there. Audio familiar? You’re not alone. If you’ve been using a fundamental e-mail solution and scratching your head about sponsorships, advertisements, and paid memberships, it could be time to look into beehiiv. In this overview, I’ll walk you through whatever you require to know about utilizing beehiiv to turn your e-newsletter into money– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Ben’s Bites Beehiiv
Why You Might Be Stuck with Your Existing Email System
You’ve most likely attempted the common suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (currently Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you’re like many small-scale material makers, here’s what likely happened:
- Restricted Monetization Options
You have a handful of faithful customers– perhaps 500 to 1,000 individuals– but zero very easy means to earn money. Sponsorships seem like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands on a monthly basis.
- Do It Yourself Automation Headaches
You intend to trickle campaign new subscribers, send a welcome collection, and sector folks for targeted e-mails … but setting up those automations feels like you require a computer technology degree.
- Platform Fees Suck
Every time you consider paid memberships, the platform takes a huge portion, and the payment arrangement is more difficult than it deserves.
- Development Delays
Growth hacks appear to benefit every person else– yet not for you. You wish there was a very easy method to discover brand-new clients without manually chasing them down.
I was in your shoes at the beginning of 2024. I ‘d been utilizing Kit (formerly ConvertKit), however it seemed like a stumbling block for monetization. Do not get me wrong– Kit is fantastic for developing funnels and setting up fundamental automations. But when it pertained to making even a few hundred dollars a month from a little checklist, there had not been an obvious “on” switch.
Enter beehiiv.
My Switch over to beehiiv: A Fact Examine
In January 2024, I finally pulled the trigger and moved my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Here’s the honest truth: I really did not have time to pursue sponsors, discuss rates, or develop difficult paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization writing organization permanent, so my newsletter was always mosting likely to be a side project. I needed something that virtually ran itself.
The “Market Me” Moment
What sold me on beehiiv was easy:
- Built-In Money making: Right from the beginning, beehiiv yells, “Hey, you can earn money here!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
- Low-Effort Sponsorships: Rather than me searching LinkedIn for enrollers, beehiiv brings offers directly to my dashboard. All I have to do is click “approve,” decrease in the ad copy, and hit send out.
- Easy Earnings Boosts: By advertising various other newsletters in my weekly e-mail, I make $1–$ 3 per referred customer. No heavy lifting, no complicated analytics– just constant, step-by-step income.
Looter alert: It settled. In my initial full year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from ad sponsorships and boosts alone– on a checklist that never covered 1,000 subscribers. I really did not produce a paid program. I didn’t introduce a product and I simply let beehiiv do its point.
My Partner Program Windfall
As if that wasn’t sufficient, I additionally signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– essentially an affiliate program. By discussing beehiiv on my blog site and sharing my experience with pals, I swiped $5,108 in referral commissions via completion of 2024. Yep, you read that right: over five grand, simply by speaking about the platform.
So if you’re questioning whether beehiiv deserves it for tiny developers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. However, of course, it isn’t remarkable. Let’s break down the great, the negative, and the trendy things you require to know.
The Benefit of Using beehiiv
1. Monetization Made Unbelievably Basic
What I enjoy ideal concerning beehiiv is just how simple it is to make money on auto-pilot. You don’t need a huge audience. Right here’s how it functions:
- Ad Network Sponsorships: Once you strike simply 1,000 active clients, brands begin aligning. You obtain 3– 6 ad requests monthly on average. You select the ones you like, place the duplicate, and you’re done. They pay per click or check out– no challenging invoicing. And since beehiiv matches you with pertinent brand names, your subscribers are most likely to click.
- Boosts Referral Earnings: Do not have enrollers yet? No worry. Advertise various other developer e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per customer. It resembles Amazon’s affiliate program, but for e-mail listings. I gained several hundred bucks this way without breaking a sweat.
- Paid Subscriptions (When You’re Ready): Down the line, if you make a decision to charge for superior material, beehiiv takes a marginal charge (2.9% + $0.30 per purchase through Stripe). You can set up multiple pricing rates, run totally free trials, or even let customers “name their cost.”.
- Partner Program Payments: Not in it for the brief haul? Sign up for the affiliate program. Make 60% payment on beehiiv’s monthly or annual plans when a person join your code. It’s essentially extra money for sharing something you currently like.
In other words, beehiiv turns monetization right into an integrated feature, as opposed to a task you fear.
2. Analytics That Do Not Make Your Head Explode
If you’ve ever stared at a control panel reasoning, “What does any of this actually indicate?”, you’ll value beehiiv’s approach:.
- Clear Client Growth Charts: See exactly the amount of brand-new people signed up with, the number of handed over, and why your listing shrank (more on that particular in a sec).
- Open and Click Prices: Beehiiv breaks down performance over the last 1 month, so you can find patterns right away. For instance, I watched on my open price (floating 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 profits, boosts revenue, partner referral incomes– you understand. Revenue streams are neatly separated so absolutely nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
It resembles having a sidekick who tells you, “Hey, your January email killed it– right here’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open prices are tanking– let’s repair this.”.
3. Growing Your Listing Without Marketing Your Heart
The majority of e-newsletter platforms will certainly charge you for each added customer after a limit. Not so with beehiiv– for as much as 2,500 customers, it’s complimentary. You obtain:.
- Limitless email sends out.
- Access to the boosts network (expand your audience by promoting your e-newsletter on various other beehiiv e-newsletters).
- Standard analytics and kinds.
If you’re a novice or have a little target market, this is significant. You can experiment with subject lines, send out regularity, and different lead magnets without worrying about striking a paywall.
4. Integrated Web Site & Customized Pages
Imagine dumping WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace entirely due to the fact that your newsletter platform doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv in short:.
- E-newsletter Archive Pages: All your past emails survive on a blog-like web page that’s automatically SEO-optimized.
- Custom-made Landing Pages: Required a lead magnet web page? A thank-you web page? A web page to sell an item? You can construct it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
- Mobile-Friendly Templates: Every little thing looks terrific on phones– crucial given that a lots of folks check out e-mails on mobile.
Sure, you will not get every expensive drag-and-drop that a specialized website builder uses, however, for most makers, it’s more than enough.
5. Referral Program to Supercharge Development
Beehiiv’s referral program is incredible if you wish to tap into a community of similar designers. When your client clicks “Recommend This Newsletter” and joins, both you and the referring maker get credit rating. It’s a clever way to expand your checklist without spamming.
The Downsides: What to Keep an eye out for
No item is perfect– and beehiiv has its hiccups. Prior to you dive in, right here’s what could trip you up:.
Feature Overload initially
When you visit, there are numerous options– Kinds, Boosts, Advertisements, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel overwhelming. If you have actually just made use of a basic service that sends one-off e-mails, you might require a number of days to obtain comfy.
Unnecessary Ad Requests
In some cases the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your specific niche. A video gaming newsletter might get supplied a code-review device for designers. Ensure to decrease anything that does not jive with your audience, or you’ll storage tank your click-throughs.
No Time At All Area– Based Sends Out
If your listing is international, you can not automatically schedule e-mails based upon each customer’s time zone. All sends out head out simultaneously, so you could get up to low open prices if half your list is asleep.
Custom Web Page Builder Isn’t Incredibly Intuitive
Developing a landing page is possible, however the UI could be smoother. I spent a couple of hours (and a practical conversation with assistance) obtaining a free offer opt-in web page just right. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you could find it clunky.
Restricted Integrations
If you make use of Gumroad to sell items, you run out good luck– no direct integration yet. You’ll have to utilize embed codes or a Zapier workaround.
All that stated, beehiiv’s group is constantly presenting updates– and those disadvantages are slowly but surely being dealt with.
Who Should Consider beehiiv?
Not every person requires a fully featured newsletter platform. Yet if any of the adhering to explains you, beehiiv may be a suit made in heaven:.
- Absolute Beginners: You’ve never sent out an e-mail blast, you do not intend to spend money in advance, and you require a complimentary, easy means to experiment. Beehiiv allows you start totally free, send unlimited emails to up to 2,500 customers, and expand organically with the boosts network.
- Small-List Creators: If you already have a few hundred or a pair thousand customers yet no hint just how to transform that into revenue, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are tailor-made for you. In my very first 10 months, I was making about $92/month with a ~ 1k checklist. Tolerable for coffee cash, right?
- Creators Who Dislike “Salesy” Stuff: You do not wish to pitch items nonstop or sling digital courses. You ‘d rather share worth, build trust fund, and let the cash can be found in on autopilot. Beehiiv’s advertisement network and boosts let you make without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
- Switchers Who Do Not Want to Reconstruct Everything: Perhaps you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your email automations are a twisted mess. Beehiiv promises a smooth movement from those systems. And also, if you have a huge list (claim 10k+), you can obtain aid from beehiiv’s assistance team to relocate everything over without shedding your automations.
Getting going: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Subscribe and Explore the Control panel
As soon as you produce an account, beehiiv drops you into a control panel where you see your customer matter, open prices, click-through prices, and any pending ad offers. Consider it as your mission control– whatever you require is just a click away.
Develop Your First Subscribe Form
Navigate to Audience ’ Subscribe Kinds ’ Produce Brand-new Form. You’ll need:
- A heading that hooks visitors
- A short blurb discussing what your newsletter has to do with
- A call-to-action switch (e.g., “Join My E-newsletter”)
- Your logo 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 type styles: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the email area), or progressed (with monitoring codes). The modification options are basic– shades for buttons and background images– however it’s remarkably effective for catching e-mails.
Establish Your Site and Custom-made Pages
If you want more than simply a type, jump right into Design ’ Website Builder ’ Personalized Pages ’ Internal Page. Use this to:
Host your newsletter archive (all past issues, searchable and SEO-friendly).
Create a landing page for a free offer (e.g., “Download my search engine optimization cheat sheet”).
Build a thank-you page that goes online after a person subscribes.
I spent a few hours tweaking my very first landing page, once I got the hang of it, I understood how powerful it is to have every little thing under one roof. As opposed to managing Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.
Draft Your First E-newsletter
Click the big “Start Composing” button in the top-right corner. You’ll see a tidy, distraction-free editor where you can:
- Create your e-mail copy Ben’s Bites Beehiiv
- Place photos, headers, and personalized HTML blocks
- Preview just how it’ll look in inboxes and on your internet site
- Arrange or send instantly
One catch: Personalization is restricted. Every client sees “Hello there” as opposed to “Hey there [Given name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you might miss that. But also for most individuals, a friendly, conversational introductory suffices.
Turn On Monetization
When you strike 1,000 active clients, beehiiv will certainly invite you to:.
- Join the Ad Network: Instantly get sponsorship requests that match your particular niche. Select which ones to accept, put the ad copy into your newsletter, and make money per click/view.
- Set Up Boosts: Apply to advertise various other e-newsletters. If somebody signs up with via your link, you gain $1–$ 3 per subscriber.
For paid newsletters, navigate to Monetization ’ Paid Memberships. You’ll link your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t charge added costs past Stripe’s handling), set your pricing plans (monthly, annual, or “Call Your Cost”), and determine what web content goes behind the paywall.
Monitor and Optimize
Inspect your analytics weekly. If open rates go down listed below 40%, reconsider your subject lines. If a sponsorship obtains no clicks, it may be pointless to your audience– decrease comparable future ads. When a boost converts well, send more boost requests or modify your deal.
It might seem like a lot at first, yet I promise you’ll get the hang of it within a few days. And the rewards– both economic and in terms of your target market’s development– deserve the preliminary contour.
Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Money making Options
If you’re serious about turning your e-newsletter into a lucrative maker, let’s break down each income stream thoroughly.
1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Incomes)
Consider this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Here’s the lowdown:.
- How It Functions: You enroll in the Partner Program, get your distinct referral link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, anywhere. When a person clicks, enroll in a paid plan (Scale or Max), you gain a commission.
- Compensation Rates: Up to 60% of their first-year repayment. If they pay $100, you could see $60. Cha-ching.
- Payout: Beehiiv pays regular monthly using PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to leap through.
In my case, I published a Medium post walking people through my beehiiv experience (spoiler: this overview right here becomes part of that effort). With a combination of blog website traffic and word-of-mouth, I made over $5,000 in associate commissions by December 2024. All I did was share my authentic experience.
2. Boosts: Earn by Aiding Others Grow
Boosts are basically funded promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” model. Below’s the scoop:.
- Become a Boost Sponsor: If you think your newsletter can help others grow, use in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll explain why your target market is a great fit and established a price you would certainly spend for a new subscriber.
- Apply to Boost Others: If you desire fast subscribers, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on other makers’ listings. But what the majority of little developers enjoy is the reverse: you relate to 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 supplies each month, yet beehiiv just surfaces 3 deals each time to prospective companions.
- If a boost is executing well, other designers will choose it up quickly.
Here’s a fast instance: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow search engine optimization creator’s e-newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over two weeks, I generated 200 brand-new subscribers for them– and made regarding $350 while doing so. Win-win.
3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Advertisements)
This is where the big dollars can can be found in, even if your checklist is “small.” Right here’s exactly how it goes:
- Qualification: You require a minimum of 1,000 active clients and a constant send out routine (at least one email each month, though regular is excellent).
- Automation: As soon as authorized, you’ll begin getting 3– 5 sponsorship requests each month. Beehiiv matches you with brands based on your target market’s interests– so a marketing SaaS company could approach an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for example.
- Settlement Version:
- Price Per Click (CPC): You earn money every single time a person clicks the advertisement in your e-mail.
- Expense Per Mille (CPM): You gain based upon a thousand impacts.
- Ease of Use: You can accept or decline each offer right from your control panel. Beehiiv manages all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the ad right into your e-newsletter.
In 2024, I ran 37 funded ads, consisting of a few high-profile brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from advertisements alone, with my top campaign generating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Bear in mind: importance is king. Unimportant advertisements container click-through rates, so be careful.
4. Paid Subscriptions (” Premium Content”)
If you produce really one-of-a-kind material– deep dive reports, special tutorials, or expert analyses– you may think about a paid tier. Below’s the 101:
- Arrangement: Go to Monetization ’ Paid Subscriptions, connect Stripe, and select your pricing:
- Monthly
- Annual (usually discounted)
- One-time settlement (for a solitary guide or training course)
- Name Your Cost (your subscribers select what they can afford)
- Profits Split: Beehiiv doesn’t charge you a system cost; they just pass Stripe’s handling cost (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
- Instances: If you have 100 clients paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe charges). Tolerable, right? Of course, getting to 100 paid customers suggests you need a devoted, involved base.
Currently, be realistic: Paid registrations are a work. You need constant, high-value web content that makes individuals comfy taking out their pocketbooks. If you’re just beginning, the advertisement network and boosts could be quicker victories.
Pricing Plans: What You’ll Pay (and Obtain)
I understand pricing is a big enigma when you’re considering switching systems. Below’s the malfunction since mid-2025:.
- Free Plan (as much as 2,500 clients): Great for pet projects or if you’re evaluating the waters. You still get boosts for list growth, basic analytics, and limitless sends– just no advertisement network or paid memberships yet.
- Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about monetizing. You obtain ad network access, boosts, paid memberships, and the AI Writing Aide to accelerate your e-newsletter production.
- Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI tools (photo generation, grammar taking care of, translation) issue to you, and you want top priority assistance, this is the wonderful area. And also, you can launch a mobile app for your subscribers.
- Enterprise (100k+ subscribers): For brands and mega-creators who require custom-made migrations, service-level arrangements, and advanced safety. Not many small developers need this.
My suggestion? Start on the Free plan. Get a feel for the control panel, expand your list to 1,000, after that update to Scale when you know you classified ad profits and boosts.
Distinct Features Ben’s Bites Beehiiv
You might be thinking, “Okay, ads and boosts are amazing. However what else can beehiiv do that can not?” Let me highlight a few standout features:.
1. Audio E-newsletters
Ever before considered transforming your e-mail into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated sound e-newsletter feature instantly converts your e-mails right into spoken-word sound. No extra editing software application, no outsourcing to Fiverr– simply toggle it on, and your customers can pay attention on the move. For busy audiences who drive or exercise, this is a handy way to stay connected.
2. Customized Mobile Application for Visitors
Many systems give you a “mobile-optimized site.” Beehiiv goes one action better: you can launch a custom mobile app for your subscribers. Once they add it to their home display, your newsletter comes to be a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Visualize getting up and seeing app alerts when you drop a new issue. Discuss engagement.
3. “Call Your Cost” Registrations
Instead of compeling everyone into $5 or $7 tiers, let your most dedicated fans choose what to pay. It’s a trust-building step and can lead to greater life time worth. I have not examined this feature directly yet, but also for creators who feel a little bit anxious regarding cost points, it’s a sweet alternative to trying out.
4. beehiiv AI Collection
For those on Scale and Max plans, beehiiv’s AI tools are a blessing:
- AI Composing Aide: Create e-newsletter drafts based on bullet factors or subjects. For days when you’re staring at a blank page, this jumpstarts your creativity.
- AI Text Device: Grammar, punctuation, tone checks– no demand for Grammarly. You get a tidy, refined draft that feels human Ben’s Bites Beehiiv.
- AI Photo Tool: Develop custom-made header pictures or pictures without acquiring stock photos. Just type a punctual, and voila.
- AI Translator: Intend to send your newsletter in numerous languages? Translate your content into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese quickly.
These features can shave hours off material production and assist you trying out new formats.
Pro Tips For Doing well on beehiiv
Now that you recognize what beehiiv can do, here are some insider hacks to make the most of it:
Clean Your List for Better Efficiency
In August 2024, I reduced my client matter in half (from regarding 2,400 down to 1,200) by removing inactive emails– people who had not opened anything in six months. My open prices jumped from ~ 45% to over 60%, which meant advertisers paid more per click. It injured to lose customers, however a lean, involved listing is worth greater than a bloated, passive one.
Experiment with Topic Lines Like a Pro
Subject lines make or burst prices. Do A/B tests on small sectors prior to sending out to your whole checklist. Short, punchy, question-based subjects (” Ready to double your web traffic?”) typically outperform common ones (” April E-newsletter”).
Be Pickier with Ad Offers
If an ad does not reverberate with your specific niche, say no. Unnecessary ads annoy visitors and storage tank click metrics. With time, beehiiv’s algorithm will certainly learn what fits your audience– decline sufficient off-topic offers, and they’ll stop sending them.
Use Boosts to Examine New Audiences
Obtained a brand-new group you intend to discover? Attempt boosting your e-newsletter in a relevant niche. The price per subscriber averages $1.63– but if those clients stick around, it deserves it. I once boosted a SEO e-newsletter in a digital marketing audience and got an unusual uptick in retention.
Utilize AI for Faster Manufacturing
On evenings when I’m burnt out, I ask the AI Creating Assistant to compose a rough outline: intro, three bottom lines, verdict. After that I flesh it out with my own stories and design tweaks. It’s not perfect, however it’s a strong foundation that conserves me 30– 45 mins per e-mail.
Capitalize on the Mobile Application
Urge customers to install your newsletter’s mobile app. In your next e-mail, create a quick “How to Add Our Newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. Even more app sets up indicate even more exposure, and press alerts beat inbox sound.
Deal Periodic Paid-Only Content
Rather than making every issue totally free, tease a “bonus report” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Advertise it heavily to your checklist. Even if you only market 20 duplicates, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your regular monthly beehiiv costs.
Concluding: Is beehiiv Right for You?
If you’ve stuck to me this much, you most likely fall into one of these camps:
- You’ve never sent an e-newsletter, however you’re itching to begin– beehiiv’s free plan and user-friendly devices are perfect for learning the ropes.
- You have a small checklist (< 2,500) and wish to monetize without migraines-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing nearly nothing added.
- You’re a mid-sized maker (1k+ subscribers) looking to range– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program aid you expand faster and gain more.
- You hate intricate email systems– beehiiv strikes an equilibrium between effective features and user-friendly design.
Sure, the feature collection can really feel intimidating initially, and you may get a few unimportant ad requests. Yet consider this: in under a year, I made nearly $1,000 on a small list and over $5,000 in associate payments just by sharing my experience. I’ve seen adequate to recognize that if you spend a little bit of time learning the platform, the returns can be considerable.
So, what are you waiting on? Enroll in beehiiv, check out the dashboard, and let the monetization engines turn. Your future self will thank you when the checks roll in.