So, you’ve been toying with the idea of transforming your e-mail listing right into an income stream, but you’re bewildered by all the alternatives around. Audio familiar? You’re not alone. If you’ve been utilizing a standard e-mail service and scratching your head about sponsorships, advertisements, and paid registrations, it could be time to take a look at beehiiv. In this guide, I’ll walk you via everything you require to learn about utilizing beehiiv to transform your newsletter right into cash money– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Brian Schneider Beehiiv
Why You Might Be Stuck with Your Present Email System
You have actually most likely attempted the common suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you’re like many small-scale web content developers, below’s what likely occurred:
- Minimal Monetization Options
You have a handful of loyal customers– possibly 500 to 1,000 individuals– but zero easy method to generate income. Sponsorships feel like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brand names each month.
- DIY Automation Headaches
You intend to trickle campaign brand-new clients, send out a welcome series, and segment individuals for targeted e-mails … but establishing those automations feels like you require a computer science level.
- System Costs Suck
Every single time you think of paid registrations, the platform takes a significant piece, and the settlement configuration is much more complex than it deserves.
- Growth Delays
Development hacks seem to help every person else– but except you. You wish there was an easy means to discover new customers without manually chasing them down.
I remained in your footwear at the beginning of 2024. I ‘d been utilizing Kit (formerly ConvertKit), yet it seemed like a stumbling block for money making. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is wonderful for developing funnels and setting up fundamental automations. But when it came to making a few hundred bucks a month from a tiny list, there had not been an evident “on” switch.
Go into beehiiv.
My Switch over to beehiiv: A Reality Check
In January 2024, I lastly pulled the trigger and moved my e-newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I really did not have time to pursue enrollers, bargain rates, or build complicated paid funnels. I run a SEO composing service full-time, so my newsletter was constantly mosting likely to be a side project. I required something that practically ran itself.
The “Market Me” Moment
What offered me on beehiiv was straightforward:
- Built-In Monetization: Right from the start, beehiiv yells, “Hey, you can generate income below!” It wasn’t an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
- Low-Effort Sponsorships: Rather than me scouring LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings offers directly to my control panel. All I need to do is click “approve,” decrease in the advertisement duplicate, and struck send out.
- Passive Revenue Boosts: By advertising other newsletters in my once a week email, I make $1–$ 3 per referred customer. No heavy training, no difficult analytics– just steady, incremental revenue.
Looter alert: It settled. In my initial complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I pulled in $940 from advertisement sponsorships and boosts alone– on a checklist that never topped 1,000 clients. I didn’t produce a paid training course. I really did not release a product and I simply let beehiiv do its point.
My Partner Program Windfall
As if that had not been enough, I likewise signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– primarily an affiliate program. By covering beehiiv on my blog and sharing my experience with pals, I took $5,108 in referral payments via the end of 2024. Yep, you read that right: over five grand, simply by speaking about the system.
So if you’re asking yourself whether beehiiv is worth it for small designers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. Yet, certainly, it isn’t perfect. Let’s break down the great, the bad, and the trendy stuff you need to recognize.
The Benefit of Using beehiiv
1. Monetization Made Unbelievably Simple
What I like ideal concerning beehiiv is how simple it is to make money on autopilot. You do not require a huge audience. Right here’s how it functions:
- Advertisement Network Sponsorships: When you hit simply 1,000 active clients, brands begin lining up. You obtain 3– 6 advertisement requests monthly usually. You choose the ones you like, insert the duplicate, and you’re done. They ppc or watch– no complex invoicing. And due to the fact that beehiiv matches you with relevant brands, your customers are more probable to click.
- Boosts Referral Income: Do not have enrollers yet? Not a problem. Advertise other creator e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per subscriber. It’s like Amazon’s affiliate program, but also for e-mail listings. I gained a number of hundred dollars in this manner without breaking a sweat.
- Paid Subscriptions (When You prepare): Down the line, if you decide to bill for premium content, beehiiv takes a very little charge (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction by means of Stripe). You can establish several pricing tiers, run totally free trials, or perhaps let subscribers “name their price.”.
- Partner Program Compensations: Not in it for the brief haul? Sign up for the affiliate program. Earn 60% compensation on beehiiv’s regular monthly or annual plans when somebody signs up with your code. It’s actually added money for sharing something you currently enjoy.
Put simply, beehiiv turns monetization right into an integrated feature, as opposed to a task you dread.
2. Analytics That Don’t Make Your Head Explode
If you’ve ever stared at a control panel thinking, “What does any one of this actually mean?”, you’ll value beehiiv’s approach:.
- Clear Client Growth Graphs: See precisely how many brand-new individuals signed up with, how many left, and why your checklist diminished (much more on that in a sec).
- Open Up and Click Rates: Beehiiv breaks down performance over the last 1 month, so you can detect patterns immediately. For instance, I watched on my open price (hovering around 64%– okay) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either metric dips, I tweak my subject lines or calls-to-action.
- Monetization Dashboards: Sponsorship earnings, boosts earnings, partner referral profits– you understand. Revenue streams are nicely separated so absolutely nothing gets shed in the shuffle.
It resembles having a partner who tells you, “Hey, your January email eliminated it– below’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open prices are tanking– let’s repair this.”.
3. Growing Your List Without Offering Your Heart
The majority of e-newsletter platforms will certainly charge you for every added customer after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for approximately 2,500 clients, it’s free. You get:.
- Endless e-mail sends out.
- Access to the boosts network (expand your audience by advertising your e-newsletter on various other beehiiv e-newsletters).
- Standard analytics and forms.
If you’re a novice or have a tiny audience, this is massive. You can explore subject lines, send out regularity, and different lead magnets without bothering with hitting a paywall.
4. Built-In Site & Custom-made Pages
Envision abandoning WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace entirely due to the fact that your newsletter platform functions as a website builder. That’s beehiiv essentially:.
- Newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails reside on a blog-like web page that’s automatically SEO-optimized.
- Customized Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet web page? A thank-you web page? A page to sell an item? You can build it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
- Mobile-Friendly Templates: Every little thing looks great on phones– crucial since a lots of folks review emails on mobile.
Certain, you will not get every elegant drag-and-drop that a devoted website builder provides, however, for many designers, it’s more than enough.
5. Referral Program to Turbo Charge Growth
Beehiiv’s referral program is outstanding if you want to take advantage of a community of similar developers. When your subscriber clicks on “Recommend This E-newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring maker get credit rating. It’s a wise means to expand your list without spamming.
The Downsides: What to Keep an eye out for
No product is excellent– and beehiiv has its missteps. Prior to you dive in, below’s what may trip you up:.
Feature Overload initially
When you visit, there are so many alternatives– Types, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel frustrating. If you’ve only made use of a straightforward service that sends one-off emails, you may require a number of days to get comfy.
Unimportant Advertisement Requests
Sometimes the enrollers beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your specific niche. A video gaming e-newsletter might get supplied a code-review device for designers. See to it to decrease anything that doesn’t jive with your target market, or you’ll tank your click-throughs.
No Time At All Zone– Based Sends Out
If your checklist is worldwide, you can not instantly set up e-mails based upon each customer’s time zone. All sends head out simultaneously, so you might wake up to reduced open rates if half your list is asleep.
Custom-made Page Builder Isn’t Extremely Intuitive
Creating a landing page is possible, however the UI could be smoother. I spent a couple of hours (and a helpful conversation with assistance) obtaining a giveaway opt-in page just right. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you might find it cumbersome.
Restricted Integrations
If you utilize Gumroad to sell products, you run out luck– no straight integration yet. You’ll need to make use of embed codes or a Zapier workaround.
All that said, beehiiv’s group is regularly turning out updates– and those cons are slowly yet definitely being dealt with.
Who Should Take into consideration beehiiv?
Not every person needs a completely featured e-newsletter platform. However if any one of the complying with defines you, beehiiv could be a match made in heaven:.
- Absolute Beginners: You have actually never ever sent an email blast, you do not wish to spend cash in advance, and you require a totally free, easy method to experiment. Beehiiv allows you start for free, send endless emails to up to 2,500 subscribers, and expand naturally with the boosts network.
- Small-List Creators: If you already have a couple of hundred or a couple thousand subscribers yet no idea how to turn that into revenue, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are custom-made for you. In my initial 10 months, I was making concerning $92/month with a ~ 1k checklist. Okay for coffee money, right?
- Creators Who Hate “Salesy” Things: You don’t want to pitch items continuously or sling digital courses. You prefer to share value, develop depend on, and let the cash come in on autopilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you gain without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
- Switchers Who Do Not Intend To Rebuild Whatever: Maybe you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a tangled mess. Beehiiv promises a smooth migration from those systems. Plus, if you have a big checklist (claim 10k+), you can get aid from beehiiv’s assistance group to relocate whatever over without losing your automations.
Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Subscribe and Discover the Dashboard
As soon as you produce an account, beehiiv drops you into a control panel where you see your customer matter, open rates, click-through prices, and any pending advertisement offers. Think about it as your mission control– whatever you need is just a click away.
Build Your Very First Subscribe Kind
Browse to Target Market ’ Subscribe Types ’ Create Brand-new Kind. You’ll need:
- A headline that hooks visitors
- A brief blurb explaining what your e-newsletter is about
- A call-to-action button (e.g., “Join My Newsletter”)
- Your logo design or a relevant image
- A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Thanks for joining! Inspect 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 basic– shades for buttons and background images– yet it’s remarkably reliable for capturing e-mails.
Establish Your Internet Site and Custom Pages
If you want more than just a type, jump into Layout ’ Website Builder ’ Customized Pages ’ Internal Web Page. Utilize this to:
Host your e-newsletter archive (all past concerns, searchable and SEO-friendly).
Create a landing page for a freebie (e.g., “Download my SEO cheat sheet”).
Construct a thank-you web page that goes live after somebody subscribes.
I invested a couple of hours tweaking my first landing page, once I got the hang of it, I understood how powerful it is to have every little thing under one roofing. Instead of managing Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.
Draft Your Very First Newsletter
Click the big “Start Composing” switch in the top-right edge. You’ll see a clean, distraction-free editor where you can:
- Create your email copy Brian Schneider Beehiiv
- Put pictures, headers, and personalized HTML blocks
- Preview how it’ll look in inboxes and on your website
- Set up or send immediately
One catch: Customization is restricted. Every client sees “Hi there” as opposed to “Hello [First Name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you might miss out on that. However, for most people, a pleasant, conversational introduction is enough.
Switch on Monetization
When you hit 1,000 energetic clients, beehiiv will invite you to:.
- Sign Up With the Ad Network: Instantly obtain sponsorship demands that match your niche. Pick which ones to accept, place the ad copy into your e-newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
- Establish Boosts: Put on advertise other e-newsletters. If somebody signs up with through your link, you make $1–$ 3 per customer.
For paid newsletters, navigate to Money making ’ Paid Registrations. You’ll connect your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t charge added costs past Stripe’s processing), set your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Name Your Rate”), and determine what web content goes behind the paywall.
Monitor and Maximize
Inspect your analytics weekly. If open prices drop below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets zero clicks, it could be irrelevant to your target market– decrease similar future advertisements. When a boost transforms well, submit more boost requests or tweak your deal.
It could seem like a great deal at first, however I promise you’ll master it within a few days. And the rewards– both monetary and in regards to your target market’s development– are worth the preliminary contour.
Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options
If you’re serious about transforming your e-newsletter right into a profitable maker, let’s break down each revenue stream in detail.
1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Revenues)
Think about this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Below’s the lowdown:.
- How It Functions: You sign up for the Partner Program, order your special referral link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, anywhere. When somebody clicks, register for a paid plan (Scale or Max), you make a payment.
- Commission Fees: Up to 60% of their first-year settlement. If they pay $100, you could see $60. Cha-ching.
- Payment: Beehiiv pays month-to-month via PayPal. No minimum threshold, no hoops to jump with.
In my case, I published a Medium post strolling individuals through my beehiiv experience (spoiler: this overview right here becomes part of that initiative). Through a mix of blog website traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in associate compensations by December 2024. All I did was share my genuine experience.
2. Boosts: Gain by Aiding Others Expand
Boosts are primarily funded promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” version. Right here’s the scoop:.
- Become a Boost Sponsor: If you believe your e-newsletter can assist others expand, apply in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll clarify why your audience is a great fit and set a rate you ‘d spend for a brand-new customer.
- Relate to Boost Others: If you desire quick clients, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on various other developers’ listings. However what the majority of tiny creators like is the reverse: you apply to be a boost partner for various other newsletters. When a person join with your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
- Limitations:
- You can send up to 25 boost provides per month, yet beehiiv only surface areas three offers at a time to prospective companions.
- If a boost is doing well, various other designers will certainly pick it up promptly.
Right here’s a quick example: In October 2024, I advertised a fellow SEO designer’s e-newsletter for $1.75 per subscriber. Over two weeks, I created 200 new customers for them– and earned regarding $350 in the process. Win-win.
3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Ads)
This is where the big bucks can can be found in, even if your checklist is “small.” Here’s just how it goes:
- Eligibility: You require at least 1,000 active clients and a constant send routine (a minimum of one e-mail per month, though weekly is excellent).
- Automation: As soon as authorized, you’ll start getting 3– 5 sponsorship demands monthly. Beehiiv matches you with brand names based on your audience’s passions– so a marketing SaaS firm might come close to an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for example.
- Settlement Model:
- Expense Per Click (CPC): You earn money every single time a person clicks the ad in your e-mail.
- Expense Per Mille (CPM): You make based upon a thousand impacts.
- Relieve of Use: You can accept or decrease each deal right from your control panel. Beehiiv manages all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the ad into your newsletter.
In 2024, I ran 37 funded advertisements, including a few high-profile brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from ads alone, with my top campaign generating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Bear in mind: importance is king. Unnecessary ads container click-through rates, so be careful.
4. Paid Subscriptions (” Premium Content”)
If you develop really distinct content– deep dive reports, unique tutorials, or insider analyses– you could consider a paid tier. Here’s the 101:
- Configuration: Most Likely To Monetization ’ Paid Registrations, link Stripe, and pick your pricing:
- Month-to-month
- Annual (normally discounted)
- Single settlement (for a single overview or program)
- Call Your Price (your customers pick what they can afford)
- Profits Split: Beehiiv does not bill you a platform charge; they just pass Stripe’s processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
- Examples: If you have 100 customers paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe fees). Not bad, best? Obviously, getting to 100 paid customers means you require a faithful, engaged base.
Now, be practical: Paid subscriptions are a grind. You require consistent, high-value web content that makes people comfy pulling out their pocketbooks. If you’re just starting, the advertisement network and boosts might be quicker wins.
Pricing Plans: What You’ll Pay (and Get)
I recognize pricing is a huge question mark when you’re considering switching over platforms. Here’s the malfunction since mid-2025:.
- Free Plan (approximately 2,500 customers): Great for pet projects or if you’re examining the waters. You still get boosts for checklist development, basic analytics, and unrestricted sends out– simply no ad network or paid memberships yet.
- Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Suitable if you’re serious about generating income from. You obtain ad network accessibility, boosts, paid registrations, and the AI Writing Assistant to quicken your e-newsletter production.
- Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI tools (image generation, grammar dealing with, translation) matter to you, and you want concern support, this is the sweet area. And also, you can launch a mobile app for your subscribers.
- Enterprise (100k+ customers): For brand names and mega-creators who require customized migrations, service-level contracts, and advanced protection. Very few small designers need this.
My recommendation? Beginning on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the dashboard, grow your checklist to 1,000, then upgrade to Scale once you know you classified ad income and boosts.
Distinct Features Brian Schneider Beehiiv
You may be thinking, “Okay, ads and boosts are trendy. But what else can beehiiv do that others can not?” Let me highlight a few standout features:.
1. Sound Newsletters
Ever before thought about turning your email right into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated sound newsletter feature instantly converts your emails right into spoken-word sound. No extra modifying software program, no outsourcing to Fiverr– just toggle it on, and your subscribers can pay attention on the go. For busy audiences who drive or work out, this is a handy way to remain linked.
2. Custom Mobile Apps for Visitors
Many platforms offer you a “mobile-optimized web site.” Beehiiv goes one step better: you can introduce a customized mobile app for your customers. Once they add it to their home screen, your e-newsletter becomes a one-tap experience– no inbox mess. Picture awakening and seeing application notices when you drop a new problem. Discuss engagement.
3. “Call Your Cost” Registrations
Rather than forcing everyone into $5 or $7 tiers, let your most dedicated followers choose what to pay. It’s a trust-building step and can result in higher life time value. I haven’t evaluated this feature directly yet, but for makers who really feel a bit anxious concerning rate factors, it’s a wonderful option to try out.
4. beehiiv AI Collection
For those on Scale and Max plans, beehiiv’s AI tools are a blessing:
- AI Creating Aide: Produce newsletter drafts based on bullet points or topics. For days when you’re looking at a blank page, this boosts your creative thinking.
- AI Text Device: Grammar, spelling, tone checks– no need for Grammarly. You get a tidy, refined draft that feels human Brian Schneider Beehiiv.
- AI Picture Device: Create custom-made header pictures or images without purchasing supply pictures. Simply type a timely, and voila.
- AI Translator: Want to send your newsletter in several languages? Translate your material right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese instantly.
These features can shave hours off web content development and help you experiment with brand-new layouts.
Pro Tips For Being successful on beehiiv
Since you know what beehiiv can do, right here are some insider hacks to take advantage of it:
Clean Your Checklist for Better Performance
In August 2024, I reduced my client count in half (from regarding 2,400 down to 1,200) by eliminating non-active emails– people who hadn’t opened anything in six months. My open rates jumped from ~ 45% to over 60%, which suggested marketers paid even more per click. It hurt to lose subscribers, however a lean, involved listing deserves more than a bloated, easy one.
Experiment with Topic Lines Like a Pro
Subject lines make or break open prices. Do A/B examinations on tiny segments prior to sending out to your whole checklist. Brief, punchy, question-based subjects (” Ready to increase your web traffic?”) often outperform generic ones (” April Newsletter”).
Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers
If an ad does not reverberate with your particular niche, say no. Unnecessary advertisements annoy readers and container click metrics. Over time, beehiiv’s algorithm will certainly learn what fits your audience– decline enough off-topic deals, and they’ll stop sending them.
Use Boosts to Test New Audiences
Obtained a new group you intend to check out? Attempt enhancing your newsletter in a related specific niche. The expense per subscriber averages $1.63– yet if those subscribers linger, it deserves it. I when boosted a SEO e-newsletter in a digital marketing audience and got an unusual uptick in retention.
Leverage AI for Faster Production
On nights when I’m burnt out, I ask the AI Writing Aide to prepare a rough outline: intro, three main points, final thought. After that I flesh it out with my very own narratives and design tweaks. It’s not excellent, but it’s a strong structure that conserves me 30– 45 mins per e-mail.
Take Advantage of the Mobile Application
Urge subscribers to install your newsletter’s mobile application. In your following email, create a quick “Just how to Include Our E-newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. Even more application installs mean more exposure, and press alerts beat inbox sound.
Deal Occasional Paid-Only Content
Rather than making every issue free, tease a “bonus offer report” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Advertise it greatly to your listing. Even if you just offer 20 duplicates, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your month-to-month beehiiv costs.
Finishing up: Is beehiiv Right for You?
If you’ve stuck with me this much, you most likely come under among these camps:
- You’ve never ever sent out a newsletter, yet you’re itching to begin– beehiiv’s free plan and user-friendly devices are perfect for learning the ropes.
- You have a tiny checklist (< 2,500) and want to generate income from without frustrations-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing nearly nothing added.
- You’re a mid-sized designer (1k+ subscribers) wanting to range– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program help you grow quicker and make much more.
- You hate intricate e-mail systems– beehiiv strikes a balance between powerful features and easy to use design.
Sure, the feature set can feel intimidating in the beginning, and you might get a few irrelevant ad requests. Yet consider this: in under a year, I made nearly $1,000 on a little list and over $5,000 in affiliate payments simply by sharing my experience. I have actually seen sufficient to know that if you invest a little time learning the platform, the returns can be considerable.
So, what are you awaiting? Register for beehiiv, discover the control panel, and let the monetization engines turn. Your future self will thanks when the checks roll in.