So, you have actually been dabbling the idea of turning your e-mail list into a profits stream, however you’re bewildered by all the alternatives available. Noise acquainted? You’re not alone. If you’ve been utilizing a basic email service and damaging your head about sponsorships, ads, and paid subscriptions, it could be time to check out beehiiv. In this overview, I’ll stroll you through whatever you require to understand about utilizing beehiiv to turn your newsletter into money– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Jacob Wolf Beehiiv
Why You Could be Stuck with Your Existing Email Platform
You have actually probably tried the common suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you’re like the majority of small content developers, here’s what likely took place:
- Restricted Money Making Alternatives
You have a handful of loyal subscribers– perhaps 500 to 1,000 people– however zero easy means to earn money. Sponsorships seem like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brand names on a monthly basis.
- Do It Yourself Automation Headaches
You want to leak campaign brand-new customers, send a welcome series, and segment individuals for targeted emails … however setting up those automations feels like you need a computer technology level.
- System Costs Suck
Every single time you consider paid subscriptions, the system takes a significant piece, and the repayment setup is more difficult than it deserves.
- Growth Delays
Development hacks seem to work for everyone else– however not for you. You want there was an easy way to discover brand-new customers without manually chasing them down.
I was in your shoes at the beginning of 2024. I would certainly been using Kit (formerly ConvertKit), yet it seemed like a dead end for money making. Do not get me wrong– Kit is great for constructing funnels and establishing fundamental automations. Yet when it involved making a couple of hundred dollars a month from a tiny list, there wasn’t an evident “on” button.
Go into beehiiv.
My Switch to beehiiv: A Truth Check
In January 2024, I finally shot and moved my e-newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Here’s the honest truth: I didn’t have time to hound sponsors, bargain prices, or develop difficult paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization composing organization full time, so my e-newsletter was constantly mosting likely to be a side project. I needed something that practically ran itself.
The “Sell Me” Minute
What offered me on beehiiv was basic:
- Integrated Monetization: Right from the beginning, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can make money right here!” It wasn’t an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
- Low-Effort Sponsorships: Rather than me combing LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings deals directly to my control panel. All I have to do is click “approve,” drop in the advertisement duplicate, and struck send out.
- Easy Earnings Boosts: By advertising other newsletters in my regular email, I make $1–$ 3 per referred customer. No hefty lifting, no complex analytics– just consistent, step-by-step revenue.
Spoiler alert: It settled. In my first complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from advertisement sponsorships and boosts alone– on a listing that never topped 1,000 clients. I really did not produce a paid training course. I didn’t release a product and I just let beehiiv do its thing.
My Partner Program Windfall
As if that wasn’t sufficient, I likewise joined the beehiiv Partner Program– basically an affiliate program. By covering beehiiv on my blog and sharing my experience with friends, I stole $5,108 in referral commissions with the end of 2024. Yep, you check out that right: over five grand, just 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, naturally, it isn’t remarkable. Let’s break down the good, the poor, and the awesome things you need to recognize.
The Upside of Using beehiiv
1. Monetization Made Unbelievably Straightforward
What I enjoy finest concerning beehiiv is exactly how easy it is to make money on auto-pilot. You don’t need a significant audience. Below’s exactly how it functions:
- Advertisement Network Sponsorships: Once you hit just 1,000 energetic clients, brands start lining up. You obtain 3– 6 ad demands each month generally. You pick the ones you like, place the copy, and you’re done. They pay per click or view– no difficult invoicing. And because beehiiv matches you with appropriate brand names, your subscribers are more probable to click.
- Boosts Referral Revenue: Don’t have enrollers yet? No problem. Promote other maker newsletters for $1–$ 3 per subscriber. It’s like Amazon’s affiliate program, however, for e-mail checklists. I made numerous hundred dollars this way without breaking a sweat.
- Paid Subscriptions (When You’re Ready): Down the line, if you choose to bill for premium content, beehiiv takes a marginal cost (2.9% + $0.30 per purchase through Stripe). You can establish multiple pricing rates, run cost-free tests, and even let customers “call their rate.”.
- Partner Program Commissions: Not in it for the brief haul? Sign up for the affiliate program. Make 60% commission on beehiiv’s regular monthly or yearly plans when someone signs up with your code. It’s literally additional cash for sharing something you currently enjoy.
Put simply, beehiiv transforms monetization right into an integrated feature, instead of a task you fear.
2. Analytics That Do Not Make Your Head Explode
If you’ve ever before looked at a control panel thinking, “What does any one of this in fact mean?”, you’ll value beehiiv’s approach:.
- Clear Subscriber Growth Charts: See specifically the amount of new people joined, how many handed over, and why your listing diminished (much more on that in a sec).
- Open Up and Click Rates: Beehiiv breaks down performance over the last 30 days, so you can spot fads right away. For example, I watched on my open rate (floating around 64%– tolerable) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either statistics dips, I fine-tune my subject lines or calls-to-action.
- Money making Dashboards: Sponsorship earnings, boosts revenue, companion referral revenues– you get the picture. Earnings streams are neatly divided so absolutely nothing gets shed in the shuffle.
It resembles having a sidekick who tells you, “Hey, your January e-mail eliminated it– here’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open rates are tanking– let’s repair this.”.
3. Growing Your List Without Selling Your Soul
Many newsletter systems will certainly bill you for every single additional customer after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for up to 2,500 subscribers, it’s totally free. You obtain:.
- Unlimited e-mail sends out.
- Access to the boosts network (expand your audience by advertising your e-newsletter on other beehiiv newsletters).
- Fundamental analytics and types.
If you’re a beginner or have a small target market, this is massive. You can trying out subject lines, send regularity, and various lead magnets without bothering with striking a paywall.
4. Integrated Site & Custom Pages
Picture ditching WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace altogether due to the fact that your newsletter platform functions as a website builder. That’s beehiiv basically:.
- E-newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails reside on a blog-like web page that’s instantly SEO-optimized.
- Personalized Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet web page? A thank-you web page? A page to sell a product? You can develop it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
- Mobile-Friendly Templates: Everything looks fantastic on phones– vital considering that a ton of folks review emails on mobile.
Sure, you will not get every expensive drag-and-drop that a committed website builder supplies, but also for most makers, it’s more than enough.
5. Referral Program to Supercharge Development
Beehiiv’s referral program is awesome if you intend to use a community of similar designers. When your client clicks on “Recommend This Newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring creator get credit score. It’s a clever method to expand your listing without spamming.
The Downsides: What to Watch Out For
No item is best– and beehiiv has its missteps. Prior to you dive in, here’s what could journey you up:.
Feature Overload in the beginning
When you log in, there are a lot of alternatives– Types, Boosts, Advertisements, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can feel frustrating. If you have actually only used a straightforward service that sends one-off e-mails, you might require a couple of days to get comfortable.
Unimportant Advertisement Requests
Sometimes the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your niche. A video gaming newsletter may get supplied a code-review tool for developers. Make sure to decline anything that does not jive with your audience, or you’ll tank your click-throughs.
No Time Area– Based Sends Out
If your checklist is worldwide, you can’t instantly arrange e-mails based on each subscriber’s time zone. All sends out head out at once, so you might get up to reduced open prices if half your checklist is asleep.
Custom-made Page Builder Isn’t Extremely Instinctive
Producing a landing page is possible, yet the UI could be smoother. I spent a few hours (and a valuable chat with assistance) obtaining a freebie opt-in web page perfect. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you might find it cumbersome.
Limited Integrations
If you utilize Gumroad to market items, you’re out of luck– no direct integration yet. You’ll have to make use of embed codes or a Zapier workaround.
All that stated, beehiiv’s team is regularly presenting updates– and those disadvantages are slowly however definitely being addressed.
Who Should Take into consideration beehiiv?
Not everybody needs a fully featured e-newsletter system. But if any one of the adhering to explains you, beehiiv might be a match made in heaven:.
- Absolute Beginners: You have actually never ever sent an email blast, you do not wish to invest money in advance, and you require a complimentary, very easy means to experiment. Beehiiv lets you start totally free, send unrestricted e-mails to approximately 2,500 subscribers, and grow organically with the boosts network.
- Small-List Creators: If you already have a few hundred or a pair thousand clients yet no clue how to turn that right into earnings, beehiiv’s ad and boost programs are custom-made for you. In my first ten months, I was making concerning $92/month with a ~ 1k listing. Okay for coffee cash, right?
- Designers Who Despise “Salesy” Things: You do not intend to pitch items continuously or sling digital programs. You ‘d rather share value, develop trust, and let the cash can be found in on autopilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you gain without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
- Switchers Who Don’t Intend To Rebuild Whatever: Possibly you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a tangled mess. Beehiiv guarantees a smooth migration from those systems. Plus, if you have a big list (claim 10k+), you can get assist from beehiiv’s support group to relocate every little thing over without shedding your automations.
Starting: A Detailed Walkthrough
Join and Explore the Dashboard
When you produce an account, beehiiv drops you into a dashboard where you see your customer matter, open rates, click-through rates, and any pending ad deals. Think of it as your mission control– everything you require is just a click away.
Develop Your Initial Subscribe Type
Browse to Audience ’ Subscribe Types ’ Create New Type. You’ll need:
- A headline that hooks visitors
- A brief blurb discussing what your e-newsletter has to do with
- A call-to-action switch (e.g., “Join My Newsletter”)
- Your logo design or a pertinent photo
- A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Thanks for signing up with! Check your inbox in a sec.”)
You can pick from different type styles: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the email area), or advanced (with tracking codes). The personalization alternatives are fundamental– colors for switches and history photos– yet it’s surprisingly efficient for recording e-mails.
Set Up Your Site and Custom Pages
If you want more than simply a type, hop right into Layout ’ Website Builder ’ Personalized Pages ’ Internal Web Page. Utilize this to:
Host your e-newsletter archive (all past concerns, searchable and SEO-friendly).
Produce a landing page for a giveaway (e.g., “Download my SEO cheat sheet”).
Build a thank-you page that goes real-time after someone subscribes.
I spent a few hours tweaking my first landing page, once I mastered it, I realized exactly how effective it is to have everything under one roof. Rather than handling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.
Draft Your First Newsletter
Click the huge “Start Writing” button in the top-right corner. You’ll see a clean, distraction-free editor where you can:
- Write your e-mail copy Jacob Wolf Beehiiv
- Put photos, headers, and customized HTML obstructs
- Preview just how it’ll look in inboxes and on your site
- Set up or send out promptly
One catch: Customization is restricted. Every customer sees “Hi there” as opposed to “Hi [Given name]” If you require hyper-personalization, you could miss that. But for the majority of people, a pleasant, conversational introductory is enough.
Activate Monetization
When you hit 1,000 active clients, beehiiv will certainly invite you to:.
- Sign Up With the Ad Network: Immediately get sponsorship demands that match your specific niche. Select which ones to approve, place the advertisement duplicate into your newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
- Establish Boosts: Put on advertise other newsletters. If a person signs up with through your link, you earn $1–$ 3 per customer.
For paid newsletters, browse to Monetization ’ Paid Registrations. You’ll connect your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t bill extra fees beyond Stripe’s handling), set your pricing plans (monthly, annual, or “Name Your Rate”), and determine what material goes behind the paywall.
Display and Maximize
Check your analytics weekly. If open prices drop listed below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets no clicks, it may be irrelevant to your target market– decline similar future ads. When a boost transforms well, submit more boost requests or fine-tune your offer.
It might feel like a lot initially, yet I promise you’ll get the hang of it within a couple of days. And the rewards– both financial and in regards to your target market’s development– deserve the first curve.
Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options
If you’re serious about transforming your newsletter into a profitable device, let’s break down each income stream in detail.
1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Profits)
Think about this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Below’s the lowdown:.
- How It Functions: You register for the Partner Program, grab your unique referral web link, and share it on your blog site, Twitter, LinkedIn, any place. When somebody clicks, register for a paid plan (Range or Max), you gain a commission.
- Payment Fees: Approximately 60% of their first-year settlement. If they pay $100, you might see $60. Cha-ching.
- Payout: Beehiiv pays regular monthly using PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to leap through.
In my instance, I released a Medium message strolling people via my beehiiv experience (looter: this guide right here becomes part of that initiative). Via a combination of blog website traffic and word-of-mouth, I made over $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 essentially funded promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” version. Right here’s the scoop:.
- Come To Be a Boost Sponsor: If you think your e-newsletter can help others expand, use in the Boosts control panel. You’ll describe why your audience is a good fit and established a price you would certainly pay for a new subscriber.
- Relate to Boost Others: If you want quick customers, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on other developers’ checklists. But what the majority of little designers like is the opposite: you put on be a boost companion for other e-newsletters. When somebody join through your boost, you get $1–$ 3
- Limits:
- You can send up to 25 boost provides monthly, yet beehiiv just surfaces 3 deals at once to prospective companions.
- If a boost is doing well, other designers will certainly choose it up swiftly.
Below’s a fast example: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow SEO creator’s newsletter for $1.75 per subscriber. Over 2 weeks, I produced 200 brand-new subscribers for them– and gained regarding $350 at the same time. Win-win.
3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Advertisements)
This is where the big dollars can be available in, even if your list is “tiny.” Here’s exactly how it goes:
- Eligibility: You require at least 1,000 active subscribers and a constant send schedule (at the very least one e-mail each month, though once a week is perfect).
- Automation: When approved, you’ll begin receiving 3– 5 sponsorship demands each month. Beehiiv matches you with brands based on your target market’s rate of interests– so a marketing SaaS firm could approach an SEO-focused newsletter, as an example.
- Payment Version:
- Cost Per Click (CPC): You make money each time someone clicks the advertisement in your email.
- Cost Per Mille (CPM): You earn based on a thousand impacts.
- Relieve of Use: You can approve or decrease each deal right from your control panel. Beehiiv takes care of all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the ad right into your e-newsletter.
In 2024, I ran 37 funded advertisements, consisting of a few high-profile brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from ads alone, with my leading campaign producing $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Remember: significance is king. Unimportant ads storage tank click-through prices, so be careful.
4. Paid Subscriptions (” Premium Content”)
If you produce really special material– deep dive records, special tutorials, or insider analyses– you might consider a paid tier. Right here’s the 101:
- Setup: Most Likely To Monetization ’ Paid Registrations, attach Stripe, and select your pricing:
- Monthly
- Annual (typically marked down)
- One-time repayment (for a single overview or course)
- Name Your Price (your subscribers select what they can afford)
- Revenue Split: Beehiiv does not bill you a platform charge; they just pass Stripe’s processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) on to you.
- Examples: If you have 100 customers paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe charges). Tolerable, right? Naturally, reaching 100 paid clients indicates you need a dedicated, involved base.
Now, be realistic: Paid memberships are a work. You need regular, high-value web content that makes individuals comfy pulling out their purses. If you’re simply starting, the advertisement network and boosts could be quicker victories.
Pricing Plans: What You’ll Pay (and Get)
I understand pricing is a large enigma when you’re considering switching platforms. Here’s the break down as of mid-2025:.
- Free Plan (approximately 2,500 customers): Great for pet projects or if you’re examining the waters. You still get boosts for list development, basic analytics, and unrestricted sends– simply no ad network or paid memberships yet.
- Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Ideal if you’re serious about generating income from. You obtain advertisement network gain access to, boosts, paid registrations, and the AI Writing Aide to quicken your e-newsletter creation.
- Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI devices (image generation, grammar taking care of, translation) issue to you, and you want top priority assistance, this is the pleasant spot. And also, you can release a mobile app for your customers.
- Enterprise (100k+ customers): For brand names and mega-creators who need custom movements, service-level contracts, and advanced safety. Very few tiny makers need this.
My suggestion? Start on the Free plan. Get a feel for the dashboard, grow your listing to 1,000, then upgrade to Scale when you understand you want ad earnings and boosts.
One-of-a-kind Features Jacob Wolf Beehiiv
You may be believing, “Okay, advertisements and boosts are trendy. But what else can beehiiv do that can not?” Let me highlight a few standout features:.
1. Audio E-newsletters
Ever before considered turning your e-mail right into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s built-in sound newsletter feature instantly converts your e-mails right into spoken-word audio. No additional editing and enhancing software application, no outsourcing to Fiverr– simply toggle it on, and your customers can listen on the go. For active audiences who drive or work out, this is a handy method to remain connected.
2. Personalized Mobile Application for Visitors
Many platforms give you a “mobile-optimized internet site.” Beehiiv goes one action even more: you can introduce a custom mobile app for your subscribers. Once they add it to their home screen, your newsletter comes to be a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Visualize waking up and seeing app alerts when you drop a new concern. Speak about interaction.
3. “Call Your Price” Subscriptions
Instead of compeling everybody right into $5 or $7 rates, let your most faithful fans determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building move and can lead to higher lifetime worth. I haven’t evaluated this feature directly yet, but for developers who really feel a bit worried regarding rate points, it’s a sweet option to explore.
4. beehiiv AI Suite
For those on Scale and Max plans, beehiiv’s AI tools are a blessing:
- AI Composing Assistant: Generate newsletter drafts based upon bullet points or topics. For days when you’re staring at a blank page, this jumpstarts your imagination.
- AI Text Tool: Grammar, punctuation, tone checks– no requirement for Grammarly. You get a tidy, polished draft that really feels human Jacob Wolf Beehiiv.
- AI Photo Device: Develop customized header images or images without purchasing stock photos. Simply type a timely, and voila.
- AI Translator: Intend to send your newsletter in multiple languages? Equate your web content right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese quickly.
These features can shave hours off web content production and assist you explore new styles.
Pro Tips For Prospering on beehiiv
Since you understand what beehiiv can do, here are some expert hacks to take advantage of it:
Clean Your Listing for Better Efficiency
In August 2024, I reduced my client matter in half (from regarding 2,400 to 1,200) by getting rid of inactive e-mails– people who hadn’t opened up anything in six months. My open prices leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which suggested advertisers paid more per click. It hurt to lose customers, yet a lean, involved listing deserves greater than a puffed up, easy one.
Trying Out Subject Lines Like a Pro
Subject lines make or break open rates. Do A/B tests on tiny sectors prior to sending out to your entire list. Short, punchy, question-based subjects (” Ready to double your web traffic?”) usually outperform generic ones (” April E-newsletter”).
Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers
If an ad doesn’t reverberate with your niche, say no. Irrelevant advertisements frustrate visitors and storage tank click metrics. Gradually, beehiiv’s algorithm will certainly learn what fits your target market– decline sufficient off-topic offers, and they’ll quit sending them.
Usage Boosts to Check New Audiences
Obtained a new classification you intend to check out? Attempt boosting your e-newsletter in a relevant particular niche. The price per customer averages $1.63– however if those subscribers remain, it deserves it. I once improved a SEO newsletter in a digital marketing audience and obtained an unexpected uptick in retention.
Leverage AI for Faster Production
On nights when I’m worn out, I ask the AI Composing Aide to prepare a rough outline: introduction, three bottom lines, conclusion. Then I flesh it out with my own stories and style tweaks. It’s not excellent, yet it’s a strong structure that conserves me 30– 45 mins per email.
Make use of the Mobile Application
Urge customers to install your newsletter’s mobile application. In your next email, create a quick “Exactly how to Include Our Newsletter to Your Home Display” tutorial. More app sets up indicate even more visibility, and press notifications defeat inbox sound.
Deal Periodic Paid-Only Content
As opposed to making every issue free, tease a “bonus offer report” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Promote it heavily to your listing. Even if you only sell 20 duplicates, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your regular monthly beehiiv expense.
Concluding: Is beehiiv Right for You?
If you’ve stuck with me this much, you probably fall under among these camps:
- You’ve never ever sent an e-newsletter, but you’re itching to start– beehiiv’s free plan and instinctive tools are ideal for learning the ropes.
- You have a small listing (< 2,500) and intend to monetize without frustrations-- beehiiv's ad network and boosts pay you for doing virtually nothing extra.
- You’re a mid-sized developer (1k+ subscribers) seeking to scale– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program help you grow much faster and gain more.
- You hate complex e-mail platforms– beehiiv strikes a balance in between powerful features and straightforward layout.
Sure, the feature set can feel intimidating at first, and you could get a couple of pointless ad requests. However consider this: in under a year, I made practically $1,000 on a little listing and over $5,000 in affiliate payments just by sharing my experience. I’ve seen enough to understand that if you spend a bit of time learning the system, the returns can be significant.
So, what are you waiting on? Register for beehiiv, explore the dashboard, and let the monetization engines transform. Your future self will certainly thanks when the checks roll in.