Let me ask you something important - if your YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook shut down tomorrow, how would you reach your audience?

If that question made you a little uncomfortable... good.

Because here's the hard truth - you don't own your social media followers.

That's exactly why I've spent the last two years building something I DO own - my Marketing Minds email newsletter!

And I'm not just talking about a small list I never email...

I'm talking about 48,000+ active subscribers on my Marketing Minds Newsletter alone, with an all-time 35% open rate - which, if you've ever sent emails before, you know that's actually really solid.

Today I want to share exactly how I built this on the beehiiv platform and how you can set up your own email newsletter - even if you're starting from scratch.

After testing multiple email platforms over the years, I landed on beehiiv about two years ago - and I haven't looked back.

Here's the thing - beehiiv isn't just an email newsletter software.

It's a full creator platform.

When you send a newsletter on beehiiv, it doesn't just go to inboxes - it also gets published on your own website. That means your content is SEO optimized, so people searching on Google can find your articles and subscribe.

Think about that for a second... You write one email, and it works for you in TWO places simultaneously.

Let me break down what I've been able to build across my two newsletters:

Marketing Minds Newsletter (This Newsletter):

AI Marketing Newsletter:

When beehiiv released their beehiiv Rewind feature (kind of like Spotify Wrapped but for newsletters), it showed me I wrote 165,000 words and had 5 million total impressions.

5 million times my content was seen in people's inboxes.

That's the power of building an owned audience.

1. Drag-and-Drop Editing

Creating newsletters on beehiiv is incredibly intuitive. Just click the plus button and add whatever you need - buttons, images, YouTube embeds, quotes, tables - it's all right there. No coding required.

Want to embed a YouTube video directly in your email? Just paste the URL and beehiiv automatically optimizes it with a thumbnail that links to your video.

2. AB Testing Built-In

This is HUGE for improving your open rates.

beehiiv lets you test multiple subject lines automatically. Here's how it works - you create a few different subject line options, it sends each version to a small segment of your list for an hour, identifies the winner based on open rate, then sends the rest of your emails using the best performing subject line.

This happens completely automatically. You don't have to think about it or manually check results.

That's how I consistently hit 30-40%+ open rates on individual emails.

3. Automated Welcome Sequences

When someone subscribes to my newsletter, they don't just get thrown into the mix. They receive a carefully crafted welcome sequence that:

I built this once, and now every new subscriber gets the VIP treatment automatically. My welcome email alone has a 47% open rate and 10% click-through rate.

4. Website Builder

beehiiv recently rolled out a brand new website builder, and it's really impressive. You get a professional-looking website where all your newsletters live - searchable, SEO-optimized, and designed to convert visitors into subscribers.

As people scroll through your articles, a prompt pops up inviting them to subscribe. It's another way beehiiv helps you grow without extra effort.

5. Built-In Monetization

Here's where it gets really exciting - beehiiv has its own ad network. Sponsors pay to place ads in newsletters, and you get paid every time someone clicks.

I didn't have to go out and find sponsors. I didn't have to negotiate deals. beehiiv handles all of that.

The result? My newsletter essentially pays for itself - and then some.

Look, I get it. Starting a newsletter can feel overwhelming.

But here's what I want you to understand - every email you collect is an asset you OWN.

Unlike social media followers who can disappear with an algorithm change, your email list is yours. You can communicate with those people whenever you want, without paying for ads or hoping the algorithm favors you that day.

That's freedom.

And with tools like beehiiv, it's never been easier to get started.

I filmed a full walkthrough showing you inside my beehiiv dashboard - the automations, the stats, the website builder, all of it.

If you're serious about building an owned audience (and you should be), this video will show you exactly how to do it step-by-step.

Because building an owned audience isn't optional anymore. It's essential.

I'll see you in the next one!

To Your Success,

- Aleric Heck | Founder & CEO of AdOutreach

P.S. We’ve partnered with beehiiv to create this email & video, that said beehiiv is a platform I truly believe in, which is why I was excited to work with them to share their software with all of you!

Sign Up for a Free Trial of beehiiv today!

Use Code: ALERIC30 for a special discount!