Going Paid On beehiiv - The Ultimate Checklist

Whether you’ve already built a community around your niche, or you’ve just started, you need to find the people who religiously love your content.

You need your 1000 true fans.

What is the 1000 True Fans Theory? Simply put, it’s the idea that you can sustain a career by cultivating a relatively small but dedicated fan base. Instead of setting all your focus on reaching a large, mainstream audience, build a sustainable career by cultivating a core group of fans who are willing to support you through direct financial support, such as buying merchandise, attending shows, or paying for exclusive content.

To find your 1000 true fans, you need to focus on building a community around your niche. You need to create content that resonates with your target audience and encourages them to engage with you.

A great way to do that is through a community newsletter.

Newsletters are assets, but you have got to make them work for you. Launching a paid subscription is one way to earn while you create. There are a few things you should keep in mind before you roll out your premium subscription. Here’s your checklist for building a paid subscription on beehiiv:

Focus On Your Niche

Give out most content for free, but charge for the rest of it. This could work as an amazing freemium model and also highlight the fact that only you can provide the value that you’re offering.

If you have a newsletter that focuses on informing people about events happening in their town, you can use the freemium model to monetize your content. This means that you can provide most of the information about the events for free while charging for access to additional benefits or perks.

For example, you might provide information about the date, time, and location of an upcoming concert for free, but charge for access to a coupon code that offers a discount on tickets to that concert. Or you might provide information about a community festival for free, but charge for access to an exclusive VIP area with free food and drinks.

The ones who follow you for your specialized content are your tribe.

Setting Up Your Profile And Account On Stripe

Your beehiiv profile should be all up to date to keep your audience posted. Your bio, your description, and your overall branding and design.

To get paid, you need to connect your beehiiv account with Stripe.

1. Go to the Premium tab to connect your stripe account.

2. Follow the Stripe instructions:

3. After this, there’s some personal information that you will have to fill up, including your contact number, personal details, professional details and lastly your bank details

And you’re done!

Once your Stripe account has been approved it will be connected to beehiiv and you will be able to set up and charge for your premium subscriptions.

Premium Subscription On beehiiv (Pricing, Description, Features)

Once you’ve set up your Stripe account with beehiiv, you now need to decide your annual and monthly pricing.

When it comes to pricing, there are several factors to consider. One of the most important is the value you offer to your members. This includes the quality of your content, the exclusivity of your offerings, and the level of engagement you provide. The more value you offer, the higher you can price your membership.

Identify the unique value that your newsletter provides to readers. Consider the quality and depth of your content, the size and engagement of your audience, and any additional benefits or features you offer. Answering these questions can help you determine what price point will be most effective in attracting and retaining members.

Consider the demographics and buying habits of your target audience. For example, younger audiences may be more price-sensitive, while older audiences may be willing to pay more for premium content.

Include the description of why you are introducing a paid community. One reason you might consider introducing a paid community is to create a sustainable business model that allows you to continue providing high-quality content and services to your audience.

While free content can be great for attracting new readers and building an audience, it's not always enough to support a thriving business. By introducing a paid community, you can generate a steady stream of revenue that can help you invest in your business and provide even more value to your readers.

Lastly, tell your premium subscribers about the benefits that they’ll get when they pay for your subscription. It could be weekly interactions with you over calls, or regular exclusive offers, for example. Create a private community for your subscribers where they can interact with each other, and with you, on topics related to your newsletter. Provide subscribers with additional resources such as eBooks, templates, or tools related to your newsletter's niche.

Setup Offers

One more way to monetize on beehiiv is through offers!

You can create a variety of offers for your audience, adjusting the terms and length of time the offer is available. Offering a free trial is a great way to give the audience a glimpse of what the premium access would look like.

Here’s what your final offer page would look like to a subscriber:

Build The Hype

You’re all set to go paid on beehiiv, but having a buildup helps in letting your audience know that you’re planning something. Here are a few ways you can do it:

• Start by teasing your audience about the upcoming launch of the premium subscription. Use social media platforms, email newsletters, and blog posts to give your audience a sneak peek of what they can expect from the premium subscription.
  

• Explain the benefits of the premium subscription and what sets it apart from the free version. Highlight exclusive content, early access, discounts, or other perks subscribers can expect.
  

• Share stories or testimonials from existing subscribers to showcase the value of your newsletter. This will help potential subscribers understand what they can expect from the premium subscription.
  

• Set a launch date and create a sense of urgency around it. Use countdown timers, limited-time offers, or other promotional tactics to encourage subscribers to sign up before the launch date.
  

• Host a virtual event or webinar to launch your premium subscription. This will give subscribers a chance to ask questions, learn more about the subscription, and interact with other subscribers.

Add A Paywall Break

Another way to inform your subscribers about your premium subscription is by adding a paywall break. It will intrigue your audience to know what’s more that could be added in the paid version. Offering a paywall break also shows that you're confident in the value of your premium content. This can help build trust with your readers and demonstrate that you're committed to providing high-quality content.

Start Earning

Well, that’s a wrap!

Building a sustainable career through cultivating a dedicated fan base and offering premium content is a great way to monetize your content and turn your passion into a thriving business.

One of the key benefits of this approach is that it allows you to monetize your content without relying on traditional advertising or sponsorship models. Instead, you can focus on building a community of fans who are invested in your success and who are willing to support you through their membership fees or other purchases.

By following the tips outlined in this blog, such as focusing on your niche and building hype for your premium subscription, you can successfully launch a paid community and start earning revenue from your content. Start building your 1000 true fans today. Well, 999–because you’ve got us on your team for sure.

At beehiiv, we do not charge any platform fees because your hard-earned money should be all yours. Let’s grow together. Select your pricing plan today!