How to Use beehiiv to Create, Grow, and Monetize a Newsletter

Starting a newsletter can be a great way to share your knowledge, build a personal brand, connect with an audience, or create a new source of income.

But creating a successful newsletter takes more than writing emails. You need to choose the right topic, create useful content, attract subscribers, understand what your audience likes, and eventually find ways to turn your audience into revenue.

beehiiv brings these activities together in one platform. It provides tools for newsletter publishing, websites, subscriber management, automations, audience growth, analytics, subscriptions, advertising, and digital products.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to use beehiiv from the beginning and how to gradually turn a simple newsletter into a growing digital publication.

Step 1: Choose Your Newsletter Topic

Before creating your publication, decide what your newsletter will be about.

Choose a topic that you understand well and that has a clear audience.

Some examples include:

• AI and technology

• Digital marketing

• Business

• Finance

• Career advice

• Productivity

• Education

• Health and fitness

• Industry news

• Personal development

• Creator economy

Try to avoid making your topic too broad.

For example, instead of creating a newsletter about Technology, you could focus on AI Tools for Small Businesses.

A focused topic makes it easier for people to understand why they should subscribe.

Step 2: Create Your beehiiv Account

Once you’ve decided on your topic, create your beehiiv account and set up your publication.

During setup, you’ll provide basic information about your publication and customize its identity.

You can add:

• Publication name

• Logo

• Description

• Brand colors

• Website details

• Sender information

beehiiv’s current setup is organized around publishing, audience management, monetization, and growth, making it easier to find the tools you need as your newsletter develops.  

Step 3: Create Your Newsletter Brand

Your newsletter should have a recognizable identity.

Start with a simple design.

Choose:

• A clear logo

• Two or three brand colors

• Easy-to-read fonts

• A consistent writing style

• A recognizable newsletter name

Don’t worry about making the design overly complicated.

A clean newsletter that is easy to read is usually better than one filled with unnecessary graphics.

Step 4: Create Your First Newsletter

After setting up your publication, create your first newsletter post.

In beehiiv’s current interface, you can use the + New button to start a blank post or choose a template. The Newsletter section is where you create, manage, and send your posts.  

A simple newsletter could include:

Introduction

Tell readers what they’re going to learn.

Main Content

Provide useful information or insights.

Personal Opinion

Add your perspective or experience.

Call to Action

Tell readers what they should do next.

For your first issue, focus on providing value rather than trying to sell something.

Step 5: Create a Consistent Newsletter Format

Once you start publishing regularly, create a format that you can reuse.

For example:

Weekly Business Brief

→ Top Story
→ Three Quick Updates
→ Tool of the Week
→ Practical Tip
→ Recommended Resource
→ Final CTA

A consistent structure makes your newsletter easier to create and gives readers a familiar experience.

You can also save templates for recurring newsletter formats.

Step 6: Write Better Subject Lines

Your subject line is one of the first things subscribers see.

Keep it clear and relevant.

Instead of:

Newsletter #15

try:

5 AI Tools That Can Save You Time

Or:

What Changed in AI This Week?

The subject line should create interest without misleading the reader.

Your newsletter should deliver what the subject promises.

Step 7: Make Your Content Useful

People subscribe because they expect something valuable.

Your newsletter could provide:

• Practical advice

• Industry news

• Tutorials

• Research

• Curated resources

• Personal insights

• Product recommendations

• Case studies

Try to answer a question or solve a problem in every issue.

If readers consistently find your newsletter useful, they’re more likely to keep opening it and recommend it to others.

Step 8: Create a Welcome Experience

Your relationship with a subscriber starts as soon as they join.

Create a welcome email that explains:

• What your newsletter is about

• What subscribers can expect

• How frequently you’ll publish

• Where they can find your best content

• What they should do next

For example:

Thanks for joining our newsletter. Every Monday, we’ll share practical AI and marketing ideas that you can use in your business.

Keep the message friendly and simple.

Step 9: Build Your Subscriber List

Once your newsletter is ready, start collecting subscribers.

You can use signup forms on:

• Your website

• Blog posts

• Landing pages

• Resource pages

• Social profiles

• Other online channels

beehiiv provides growth tools including subscribe forms, referrals, recommendations, SEO, and automations.  

Your signup message should clearly explain the benefit.

Instead of simply saying:

Subscribe to our newsletter

try:

Get practical AI and marketing tips every Monday.

This tells visitors exactly what they’re signing up for.

Step 10: Make Your Signup Form Simple

Don’t ask for unnecessary information.

In most cases, you only need basic details such as an email address.

If you need additional information for personalization, explain why you’re asking for it.

The easier the signup process is, the less friction there is for new subscribers.

Step 11: Use Segments to Understand Your Audience

As your newsletter grows, your subscribers will have different interests and levels of engagement.

You can organize your audience into useful groups such as:

• New subscribers

• Active readers

• Inactive subscribers

• Paid subscribers

• Subscribers from specific sources

• Subscribers interested in particular topics

This can help you create more relevant communication.

Instead of sending exactly the same content to everyone, you can adapt your messaging to different audience groups.

Step 12: Set Up Automations

Automation can save you a lot of repetitive work.

For example, you could create a simple welcome journey:

New Subscriber

↓

Welcome Email

↓

Best Content

↓

Useful Resource

↓

Newsletter Introduction

beehiiv includes Automations within its audience tools, allowing publishers to build subscriber workflows and journeys.  

The goal isn’t to automate everything.

Use automation for repetitive tasks while keeping your most important communication personal.

Step 13: Grow Your Newsletter With Referrals

One of the most useful ways to grow a newsletter is to encourage existing subscribers to recommend it to other people.

For example:

Refer 3 friends → Get a bonus guide

Refer 5 friends → Unlock exclusive content

Refer 10 friends → Get premium access

beehiiv includes a referral program specifically designed to help publishers grow their subscriber base.  

Choose rewards that are genuinely useful to your audience.

Step 14: Use Recommendations

Recommendations allow publishers to introduce their audience to other relevant newsletters.

For example, a marketing newsletter might recommend a newsletter about entrepreneurship.

This can create opportunities for audience discovery and collaboration.

Choose recommendations carefully.

Your recommendations should be useful to your readers rather than simply being another promotional message.

beehiiv includes Recommendations as part of its growth tools.  

Step 15: Promote Your Newsletter

Don’t depend on one source of subscribers.

Promote your newsletter through:

• Social media

• Your website

• Blog articles

• YouTube

• Podcasts

• Online communities

• Partnerships

• Referral programs

• Search traffic

You can also repurpose newsletter content.

For example:

Newsletter → Blog Post → LinkedIn Post → Short Video → Social Media Content

One strong newsletter can therefore create multiple pieces of content.

Step 16: Monitor Your Newsletter Analytics

Once you start sending newsletters, pay attention to the results.

Useful metrics include:

• Subscriber growth

• Opens

• Clicks

• Engagement

• Unsubscribes

• Referral performance

• Revenue

beehiiv provides centralized analytics for tracking engagement, growth, and revenue.  

Don’t focus only on your subscriber count.

A smaller audience that actively reads and clicks can be more valuable than a large audience that ignores your emails.

Step 17: Learn From Your Data

Your analytics can help you decide what to publish next.

For example:

If AI tutorials receive lots of clicks, create more practical AI content.

If long opinion articles consistently get low engagement, experiment with shorter formats.

If a particular subject line performs well, analyze why it worked.

The goal is to create a continuous cycle:

Publish → Measure → Learn → Improve → Publish Again

Step 18: Choose Your Monetization Strategy

Once your audience starts growing, you can begin exploring ways to make money.

beehiiv currently offers several monetization options, including:

• Paid subscriptions

• Advertising

• Sponsorships

• Digital products

• Paid recommendations

The platform says it does not take a platform fee from paid subscriptions and digital products, although payment-processing fees still apply.  

You don’t need to use every monetization method.

Choose the options that fit your audience.

Step 19: Create Paid Subscriptions

If you provide specialized or premium information, you can offer paid subscriptions.

For example:

Free Newsletter

• Weekly industry news

• Basic tips

• Selected resources

Premium Newsletter

• Detailed research

• Exclusive reports

• Advanced analysis

• Premium articles

• Members-only content

The paid version should offer something genuinely more valuable.

Give readers a clear reason to upgrade.

Step 20: Monetize With Advertising

Advertising can be another source of newsletter revenue.

beehiiv’s Ad Network connects eligible publishers with advertising opportunities, while programmatic ads can automate some of the advertising process. Publishers can choose which offers they want to run.  

For example, a newsletter about technology might work with advertisers offering:

• Software

• AI tools

• Business services

• Productivity products

Choose sponsors that are relevant to your audience.

Trust is more valuable than a single advertising deal.

Step 21: Sell Digital Products

Your newsletter can also become a way to sell your own products.

Possible products include:

• Ebooks

• Templates

• Guides

• Courses

• Workshops

• Coaching

• Consulting

• Memberships

For example, if your newsletter teaches digital marketing, you could eventually sell a detailed marketing template or course.

This allows you to turn your expertise into an additional revenue stream.

Step 22: Use Paid Recommendations

beehiiv also allows eligible publishers to earn money by recommending other publications to new subscribers.

Publishers can browse available paid offers, apply to relevant ones, and earn a specified amount for verified subscribers they send to another publication.  

Only recommend publications that are relevant to your audience.

A good recommendation should feel useful rather than forced.

Step 23: Build a Community Around Your Newsletter

If your audience shares a strong interest, consider creating a community.

beehiiv now offers a native Community feature where creators can create spaces, start discussions, and offer exclusive areas to paid subscribers.  

For example, a business newsletter could create:

Free Community

→ General discussions
→ Newsletter updates
→ Networking

Premium Community

→ Expert discussions
→ Exclusive content
→ Private events
→ Direct access

This can make your newsletter more interactive.

Step 24: Consider Adding a Podcast

If you have a lot of ideas that work well in audio format, a podcast can complement your newsletter.

Your newsletter can promote podcast episodes, while the podcast can bring new people to the newsletter.

The overall journey can look like:

Podcast → Newsletter → Community → Paid Subscription

This gives your audience multiple ways to interact with your brand.

beehiiv now supports newsletters, websites, podcasts, monetization, and growth tools within the same broader platform.  

Step 25: Keep Your Audience Engaged

Growing a list is only the beginning.

You also need to keep people interested.

You can do this by:

• Publishing consistently

• Asking questions

• Sharing exclusive information

• Responding to readers

• Creating useful content

• Testing different formats

• Avoiding excessive promotion

Make your subscribers feel that they are part of something rather than simply being another number in your database.

Step 26: Improve Your Newsletter Over Time

Don’t expect your first newsletter to be perfect.

Keep testing:

• Subject lines

• Content length

• Publishing frequency

• Calls to action

• Signup messages

• Referral rewards

• Paid offers

• Newsletter formats

Change one or two things at a time so you can understand what actually improves performance.

A Simple beehiiv Growth Strategy

You can organize the entire process into five stages:

1. Create

Choose your topic, branding, and newsletter format.

2. Publish

Send useful content consistently.

3. Grow

Use forms, referrals, recommendations, SEO, and partnerships.

4. Engage

Use relevant content, segmentation, automation, and community.

5. Monetize

Explore subscriptions, advertising, sponsorships, digital products, and paid recommendations.

This creates a simple growth cycle:

Create → Publish → Grow → Engage → Monetize → Improve

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Trying to Cover Everything

A focused newsletter is usually easier to grow.

Chasing Subscriber Numbers

Focus on engagement and audience quality, not just quantity.

Publishing Inconsistently

Choose a schedule you can realistically maintain.

Promoting Too Much

Readers don’t want every email to feel like an advertisement.

Ignoring Analytics

Your data can tell you what your audience actually enjoys.

Monetizing Too Early

Build trust and value before aggressively selling.

Overcomplicating the Design

Useful content is more important than excessive visual effects.

Final Thoughts

Using beehiiv successfully is not simply about sending emails. The platform gives creators a broader set of tools for publishing, audience growth, automation, analytics, community building, and monetization.  

The best approach is to start simple.

Choose a clear topic, create useful content, make subscribing easy, and publish consistently. Once you have an engaged audience, introduce growth tools such as referrals and recommendations. Then experiment with monetization through paid subscriptions, advertising, sponsorships, or digital products.

Most importantly, focus on your readers.

A successful newsletter is built on trust, useful content, consistency, and a strong relationship with the audience.

If you can provide something valuable every time someone opens your newsletter, your subscriber base can gradually become more engaged, your brand can become stronger, and your newsletter can eventually develop into a sustainable digital business.