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Why I Love and Hate Beehiiv: A Newsletter Read-Along
Wisdom Okonkwo
February 10, 2025
Hey there,
Today, I want to talk about why I have a love-hate relationship with Beehive. Let’s dive into it.
First, let’s start with the love. Beehive is a fantastic platform, and I’ll be honest with you—it’s great. But why the hate? Well, the hate isn’t just about Beehive. It’s about most US companies in general. Here’s the thing: they claim their products are global, designed for the world, but in reality, they’re built for the US and only the US.
They create products with the US in mind, market them to the world, and call it a day. That’s what pains me. They don’t truly consider those of us in third-world countries or other regions. Let me give you an example.
The Problem with Monetization
Beehive is a newsletter platform where you can start making money once you hit 500 or 1,000 subscribers. I’ve seen case studies, and it looks promising. I have a blog with 400 subscribers, and I send out emails every week with a 25-30% open rate. The issue? I’m using ConvertKit for that blog, but I also use Beehive for other brands.
Here’s the catch: Beehive has this feature called Beehive Boost and Adlets. You approve ads, they show up in your newsletter, and you get paid within 72 hours. Sounds amazing, right? But here’s the problem—if you’re not in the US or another developed country like the UK, you can’t fully enjoy it.
For example, if you’re in Nigeria (like me), Stripe doesn’t work. PayPal doesn’t work. The only platforms that do work are Payoneer and Wise. And guess what? Beehive doesn’t support those. So, even though my audience is in the US and other countries, I can’t monetize my newsletter because Beehive detects my location and says, “Sorry, this feature isn’t available in your country.”
It’s frustrating because, in this digital age, you can be in a remote village in Nigeria and still create content for a US audience. You don’t need to physically be there. But platforms like Beehive don’t make it easy for people outside the US to access their monetization features.
The Dashboard and Monetization Options
Let me show you what I mean. Here’s the Beehive dashboard. I have around 400 subscribers, and I’m working on growing that number. If you’re watching this, I’d love for you to follow my journey as I explore ways to make money online. Subscribe, and I’ll keep you updated—no spam, I promise.
Now, let’s talk about the three ways you can make money on Beehive:
Ads: These are ads that appear within your newsletter. As your readers go through your content, they’ll see these ads, and you get paid for them.
Boost: When someone subscribes to your newsletter, a pop-up asks if they want to sign up for other newsletters (the ones you’ve approved). You get paid per subscriber. Imagine getting $8 per subscriber—if 10 people sign up, that’s $80. You’re making money before they even read your content!
Paid Subscriptions: You can set a price for your newsletter, and readers pay a monthly fee to access it.
Sounds great, right? But here’s the kicker: the only payment method Beehive supports is Stripe. And Stripe doesn’t work in Nigeria. The only way around this is to open an LLC in the US, which costs around $500. If I had that kind of money, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But for now, I’m stuck.
Why This Hurts
It’s not just Beehive—it’s most US-based software. They build products for the US and then market them as global. It’s like watching a movie where they claim to show the world, but it’s just the US and Europe. That’s not the world! The world is so much bigger.
So, what can I do? I have two options:
Wait for Beehive to add other payment platforms like Payoneer or Wise. But I don’t think that’s a priority for them because Stripe works fine for most of their users in the US.
Save up $500, open a US LLC, and get a Stripe account. That would open up a lot of opportunities for me, not just with Beehive but with other platforms too.
Why I Still Love Beehive
Despite these issues, I still love Beehive. It’s a great platform for newsletters. If you’re in the US or a country where Stripe works, it’s perfect. The features are solid, and it’s designed specifically for newsletters. It’s not like other email marketing platforms that try to do everything—Beehive is focused, and that’s what makes it beautiful.
If you’re considering using Beehive, you can try it out with a one-month free trial using the link in the description. Test the pro features and see if it’s right for you.
My Plan Moving Forward
Here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to reach out to the Beehive team—CEOs, marketers, product officers—and plead with them to add support for Payoneer or Wise. I’ll send emails every week, follow them on social media, and do whatever it takes to get their attention. Maybe they’ll listen, maybe they won’t, but at least I’ll have tried.
In the meantime, I’m not switching platforms. I’m even thinking of adding another newsletter to Beehive because you can have up to three publications. But it still pains me that I can’t easily monetize my content.
That’s it for today. If you have any suggestions or know of a platform similar to Beehive that supports Payoneer or Wise, let me know. Until next time, this is Wisdom signing off.