beehiiv Boosts have enabled independent newsletter creators to earn thousands in extra income by simply recommending other newsletters.
Imagine adding $25,000 to your revenue just by turning on a feature. That’s exactly what social media expert Matt Navarra did with his Geekout newsletter.
The ‘92 newsletter made over $50,000 with beehiiv Boosts in a month.
Another creator, Yaroslav “Captain Yar” Sobko, skyrocketed his Cyber Corsairs newsletter to $16,600 in monthly revenue (over $65,000 in just 7 months) using beehiiv’s growth and monetization tools.
These aren’t isolated wins; beehiiv’s Boosts network has paid a total of $5M to date and is helping newsletters of all sizes grow and monetize faster than ever.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to enable, use, and optimize beehiiv Boosts step by step.
You’ll learn how to turn on Boosts, secure paid placements, and position your newsletter to maximize earnings – all in beehiiv’s clean, bold, and direct style.
Let’s dive in and start boosting your revenue!
Table of Contents
What Are beehiiv Boosts (and Why Should You Care)?
Simply put, beehiiv Boosts are co-registrations.
Unlike beehiiv’s free recommendations, Boosts let you earn revenue for every subscriber you refer to another publication.
It’s a win-win: one creator pays to gain subscribers, and you (the monetizing creator) get paid to introduce your audience to a relevant newsletter, while all of it is managed by beehiiv – no chasing invoices, no miscommunications, all the data is transparent and visible in the app.
For independent publishers focused on growth and monetization, Boosts can become a reliable income stream without the need to chase traditional ads or sponsors.
Real Results:
Geekout gained 1,000 active and engaged subscribers in under 24 hours and made $25,000 solely from beehiiv Boosts.
Captain Yar’s AI newsletter hit 50,000+ subs and $16K monthly revenue by leveraging beehiiv’s Boosts and Ad Network.
These case studies prove that Boosts can significantly “boost” your newsletter’s bottom line when used strategically.
Ready to get started? Here’s how to set up and make the most of beehiiv Boosts, step by step.
Step 1: Enable Boosts and Connect Your Stripe Account
Before you can earn with Boosts, you’ll need to enable the feature and set up payouts. beehiiv makes this easy:
Go to Monetization → Boosts in your beehiiv dashboard. In your account sidebar, navigate to the Monetize section and click Boosts. Here, beehiiv will prompt you to connect a Stripe account.
Connect to Stripe for payments. Stripe is required to monetize with Boosts – it’s how you’ll get paid for referred subscribers. You can sync an existing Stripe account or create a new one through the beehiiv interface.
Make sure to complete Stripe’s identity verification as prompted; this is needed to keep the marketplace secure.
*beehiiv takes a 20% cut for Boosts.
Verify and set up your beehiiv Wallet (if applicable). As part of the process, you may link a bank account and ensure that your beehiiv Wallet is ready to receive funds. beehiiv will walk you through any remaining steps, like ID verification via Stripe, before activating Boosts on your newsletter.
Once Stripe is connected and your account is approved for monetization, you’ll have full access to the Boosts marketplace. Now it’s time to find the right partnerships!
Step 2: Explore the Boosts Marketplace for the Right Offers
With Boosts enabled, you can browse the marketplace to find newsletters that will pay you to promote them. The Boosts Marketplace is where publishers post offers to acquire subscribers, and you can apply to these offers to earn money.
Here’s how to navigate the marketplace:
Review offer details: Each listing (or “Boost offer”) in the marketplace shows key info at a glance – the payout (how much you’ll earn per verified subscriber you send), the newsletter’s category/niche, a brief audience description, and any requirements (e.g., subscriber location or minimum audience size).
For example, an offer might pay $2.50 per subscriber for a personal finance newsletter, with a note that only US-based subscribers count.
Use filters to narrow results: In the top-left of the marketplace, you can filter offers to match your newsletter’s focus. Filter by Category (to stick to relevant topics), Publication Language, Audience Size, or Eligible Countries to ensure that you target offers that align with your readership. This increases your chances of a good match – and approval.
Sort and search: You can also sort offers (e.g., by highest payout or newest) and search for specific publications. Keep in mind that higher payouts often mean more competition from other creators applying. Don’t just chase the highest dollar amount – relevance to your audience is key for better conversion.
Take some time to identify a few offers that seem like a great fit. For example, if you run a marketing newsletter, look for Boosts from business, marketing, or tech newsletters (not, say, a random fashion or sports pub).
The closer the niche alignment, the more likely your readers will subscribe to the partner newsletter – which means more earnings for you.
Step 3: Apply to Boost Offers and Secure Partnerships
Once you’ve found a promising Boost offer, it’s time to apply. Applying to a Boost means you’re asking the other newsletter to let you promote them (and get paid for each subscriber you send).
Here’s how to make your application count:
Click “Apply” on the offer. A form will pop up, allowing you to send a short note along with your application. This is your chance to pitch your newsletter as a great partner.
Share context and highlight your value. In the application message, briefly explain who your audience is and why they’d be interested in the partner’s content. Mention your newsletter’s topic, tone, and any impressive stats (open rates, subscriber count, growth rate) if you have them.
For example: “I run a 5,000-subscriber fintech newsletter with a 45% open rate. We cover investing tips and often discuss topics similar to your content – our readers would love your newsletter.”
Providing this context shows the partner that you have an engaged, relevant audience, which can boost your chances of approval.
Submit and wait for approval. After writing your message, submit the application. beehiiv will share some basic stats about your publication (like size and engagement) with the publisher to help them decide.
Now you’ll need to wait for the publisher’s response. You’ll get an in-app notification or email once the other newsletter approves or rejects your request. (Pro tip: you can track pending applications on your Boosts dashboard while you wait.)
Apply to multiple relevant offers. You’re not limited to one Boost. In fact, beehiiv allows up to 25 Boost applications per month, so feel free to apply to several offers that make sense for your audience. Diversifying gives you more chances to land a good partnership – just make sure each application is thoughtful and targeted, not a copy-paste blast.
Remember that quality matters here. Publishers will review your newsletter’s content and engagement before accepting. If you only have one issue published or your content doesn’t align with their niche, they might decline.
To fast-track approval, ensure that you’ve published a few high-quality posts, so partners feel confident in your newsletter’s credibility and value.
Step 4: Promote Your Boosts – Email, Web, and More
Congratulations! Once a publisher accepts your application, you have an active Boost partnership. Now you’ll earn money for every subscriber you refer to that newsletter.
The next step is to actually promote the partner newsletter to your audience so those referrals start rolling in.
When your Boost is approved, it will appear in your Monetize > Boosts dashboard, and beehiiv will guide you on how to implement it.
There are a few ways Boosts can be delivered to your readers:
Email Boosts (in-newsletter promotions): If the partnership includes Email Boosts, you can insert a special content block in your newsletter emails that advertises the partner publication.
beehiiv makes this easy with a built-in Boost block you can add while drafting your email. It might appear as a callout or sponsored blurb (e.g., “🔥 Recommended Newsletter: Check out [Partner Name] for daily tech insights. Click here to subscribe!).
When a reader clicks and subscribes via that Boost block, they’re added to the partner’s list, and you earn the payout once they’re verified.
Web Boosts (recommendations on your site): Web Boosts work through beehiiv’s recommendation widget or page. For instance, after someone subscribes to your newsletter on your website, they’ll be redirected to a recommendations page showing other newsletters (including your Boost partners) with one-click subscribe toggles.
These appear with a “Sponsored” label; and if your new subscriber opts into any, you’ll get credit for those referrals. You can also embed a Boost recommendation widget on your website to showcase partner newsletters to any visitor. By having Boosts on your site, you capture additional subscribers outside of email sends.
Direct Link Boosts: Some offers allow a direct referral link. beehiiv provides a unique URL you can share anywhere – in a tweet, on your blog, etc. – that tracks subscribers who sign up to the partner via that link.
This is another avenue to earn, making them especially useful if you want to mention the partner in contexts beyond your newsletter (for example, “P.S. I love [Partner Newsletter]; join it here” on social media).
Make sure to use all the channels available for a given Boost. If your partner enabled both email and web boosts, leverage both: include the partner promo in your newsletters and have them on your site.
The easier you make it for your audience to see and subscribe to the recommended newsletter, the more referrals (and revenue) you’ll generate.
Finally, be transparent with your readers that these are sponsored recommendations (beehiiv labels them as such automatically).
The best practice is to only promote newsletters you genuinely think your audience will find valuable – that way your recommendations come off as authentic, and your readers trust them, driving higher conversion.
Step 5: Track Your Earnings and Optimize Performance
Once your Boosts are up and running, beehiiv provides tools to track results and help you optimize:
Monitor the Boosts Dashboard: In the Boosts section of your dashboard, you’ll see stats for each active Boost partnership: how many subscribers you’ve referred, how many of those have been verified, and how much revenue you’ve earned so far.
For example, you might see that you’ve sent 50 subscribers to “Newsletter X,” 45 of whom passed verification, earning you $90 at a $2 payout each. You’ll also see any pending revenue for subscribers still in the verification window.
Understand verification (quality counts): beehiiv only pays for verified subscribers – meaning the referred reader not only signed up but also confirmed their email and isn’t flagged as low-quality or fake.
Verification can take anywhere from a couple of days up to ~two weeks as the system gauges engagement and legitimacy of the subscriber. This process ensures that advertisers (the newsletters paying for subscribers) get real value, and it incentivizes you to bring in genuinely interested readers.
Keep an eye on your verification rate in the dashboard; a high rate means your audience is a good fit for the partner offer, which is a great sign.
Optimize your placements: Pay attention to which Boosts are earning well and which aren’t. If one partnership isn’t getting many conversions, ask yourself why. Maybe the offer isn’t quite right for your audience demographic, or perhaps you need to tweak how you introduce the recommendation (e.g., adding a personal note about why you like the partner newsletter).
You have control to activate or pause Boost placements on your end, too – if a Boost is underperforming or you need a break, you can set it to inactive in your dashboard. Focus on the partnerships that resonate most with your readers for maximum earnings.
Maintain your content quality and engagement: As you earn, don’t lose sight of your own newsletter’s content. The more engaged and happy your audience is, the more likely they’ll trust your recommendations.
High open rates and click rates on your emails indicate an active audience – which in turn leads to better performance on Boosts (partners notice if the subscribers you send engage well). In short, great content = engaged readers = more verified Boost conversions.
Get paid and reinvest (if you want): Earnings from verified subscribers will accumulate in your beehiiv wallet. You can withdraw these funds via Stripe or even reinvest your Boost earnings to grow your own list by switching to the “Grow” side of Boosts (paying others to promote you).
Some creators essentially let Boosts fund their newsletter growth, creating a sustainable loop of growth and monetization. That’s optional, but an exciting strategy once you have Boost revenue coming in.
Now that you know the mechanics, let’s look at a couple of real-world success stories to see how creators are using Boosts to their advantage.
Real-Life Boosts Success Stories
One of the best ways to understand the power of beehiiv Boosts is to see them in action. Here are two standout creators who’ve leveraged Boosts for significant growth and revenue:
Matt Navarra – Geekout Newsletter: Navarra is a solo newsletter creator who built Geekout into a must-read for social media professionals. After moving to beehiiv, he tapped into features like Boosts to monetize his audience.
In just the last six months, Navarra earned $18,000 through Boosts, adding up to $25,000 total from this channel since he enabled it. Boosts became a significant income source alongside his ads and sponsorships.
Navarra managed to gain over 1,000 new subscribers in a single day by partnering with the right publications via Boosts. His newsletter now has 30k+ readers and exceptionally high engagement (50%+ open rates), which makes him an attractive Boost partner and keeps that revenue flowing.
Geekout’s success shows that even a one-person operation can scale up fast with the right monetization tools.
Captain Yar – Cyber Corsairs: Yaroslav “Captain Yar” Sobko launched his AI and productivity newsletter Cyber Corsairs on beehiiv in late 2023 and rapidly turned it into a revenue-generating machine.
In seven months Sobko grew from just 4,000 subscribers to over 50,000 subscribers, adding roughly 12k new readers each month. How? By experimenting relentlessly and using beehiiv’s all-in-one growth features: paid ads, referrals, Boosts, and the beehiiv Ad Network.
Crucially, Sobko started monetizing early through Boosts and sponsorships, turning on revenue streams from week one. The results: about $16,600 in monthly revenue, totaling $65,000 in seven months of launch. A chunk of this came from Boosts and cross-promotion deals that matched his tech-savvy audience.
Captain Yar’s advice to fellow creators: “With beehiiv, you can literally make your first dollar in week one.” In other words, don’t wait – the moment you have an audience (even a small one), features like Boosts can start generating income and validating your newsletter business model.
These case studies highlight a common theme: relevance and quality are king.
Both Navarra and Sobko chose Boost partnerships that aligned with their audience’s interests, and they cultivated trust with their readers. The payoff was not only immediate revenue, but also sustained growth (because happy subscribers stick around and even help attract more subscribers).
Now, let’s distill some of their wisdom and other best practices into actionable tips for you.
Pro Tips To Attract Boost Offers and Maximize Earnings
Turning on Boosts is easy – but making serious money with Boosts requires a smart approach. Here are some strategic tips to position your newsletter for success:
Stay within your niche for promotions. Promote newsletters that overlap with your content niche or category. If your newsletter is about finance, your readers will be far more interested in another finance or business newsletter than, say, a cooking newsletter.
Sticking to relevant topics means higher conversion rates and happier subscribers. (Matt Navarra, for example, promotes social media and tech newsletters to his social-media-focused audience – it just fits.)
Build content credibility before applying. Don’t apply for a dozen Boosts on day one of starting your newsletter. Newsletter creators who have at least a few high-quality issues published and an engaged readership are much more attractive to Boost partners.
Publish great content consistently and showcase your value publicly (on your beehiiv site and social media) so that when you do apply, partners can see you’re the real deal. Remember, no one will pay to reach an audience that isn’t proven yet – so focus on delivering value to your readers first, then monetize.
Drive high-quality traffic (engage your audience). The quality of subscribers you refer is more important than the quantity. Boost partners will look at how those referred subscribers behave – do they open emails and engage, or do they churn immediately?
If the subscribers you send have only ~20% open rates, a partner might pause or end the Boost because it’s not delivering engaged readers. Aim to keep your own newsletter’s open and click rates strong and promote Boosts in a way that encourages genuinely interested sign-ups (for instance, a personal endorsement of the partner newsletter).
When you send engaged, real subscribers, you’ll maintain long-term Boost relationships and could even attract higher payouts. Quality over quantity is the name of the game.
Craft compelling recommendations. How you introduce the Boosted newsletter matters. Instead of a dry “Subscribe to X here,” add a line about why you think it’s worth your readers’ time.
For example: “I read Tech Daily every morning – it’s my go-to for coding tips. If you’re into AI and coding, you’ll love their newsletter.” A genuine recommendation can improve click-through and subscribe rates, directly impacting your earnings.
Be responsive and professional with partners. When a publisher accepts your Boost application, you’re entering a business partnership, however informal. Fulfill your end by placing their promotion as agreed (in email, web, etc.) and stick to any guidelines they gave. If they reach out with feedback (maybe asking for a tweak in how you present the blurb), be open to it.
Good relationships can lead to extended campaigns or other opportunities. Plus, if you develop a reputation for delivering quality subscribers, other publishers might proactively invite you to Boost their newsletters.
Leverage multiple Boosts (but stay selective). As you grow, you might be able to handle promoting two to five newsletters at a time (beehiiv allows up to five Boosts on a single recommendations page view). This can diversify your income.
Just ensure that each Boost is relevant and not overwhelming your readers with too many sponsored ads. It’s often better to rotate a few highly relevant boosts than to cram in everything available.
Keep an eye on new offers and adjust. The Boosts marketplace is dynamic – new paid offers come in, and payouts can change. Make it a habit to periodically check for fresh opportunities that might suit your audience.
Also, reevaluate current Boosts: if one offer ends or a new higher-paying (but still relevant) offer appears, you might switch. Since you have a limited number of applications per month, use them wisely on the best matches.
Subscriber performance is tracked and attributed to their 'quality' score. So while it's tempting to apply to every single offer to make money, a bad fit will kill your 'quality score' since your readers won't be engaged (or convert in the first place) for something that feels random or unrelated.
By following these strategies, you’ll make your newsletter a magnet for quality Boost offers and ensure that the promotions you run are lucrative for you and valuable for your readers. Now, all that’s left is to take action.
beehiiv’s mission is to empower creators, and Boosts put a monetization engine at your fingertips. It’s rare to find a tool that can generate revenue from day one without needing a large team or complex ad deals. With Boosts, if you have an audience – no matter how small – you can start earning by connecting that audience to content they’ll love (and getting paid for it).
The case studies above started just like you: an independent newsletter with a growth mindset. The difference is they flipped the Boosts switch on and gave it a try.
Now, it’s your turn. Log in to your beehiiv dashboard and turn on Boosts today. Set up Stripe, explore the marketplace, and apply to one or two offers that fit your niche.
You might earn your first dollars within days of adding a Boost to your next newsletter send – all while providing extra value to your subscribers through relevant recommendations.
Don’t leave money on the table that could be funding your newsletter dream. Give Boosts a try and see the results for yourself. Many creators have already unlocked new revenue streams and subscriber growth using this feature, and you can, too.
Flip the switch on beehiiv Boosts and start boosting your revenue now – your future self (and bank account) will thank you! 🚀
Happy Boosting and happy earning!
