✣ 📝 Case Study #1: Beelieve It

ISSUE 025

Dear readers,

Tomorrow is my birthday. The 25th. And today, I share issue 025. Coincidence?! 😄

I want to offer a very special treat for you all.

Last week, I got vulnerable. This week, we’re changing it up with a case study. According to our survey, that’s one of the most highly requested types of content you all are asking for. So without further ‘ado’ (what does that mean anyway?), this week I want to reveal a buzzing case study in relationship-first company building.

This company has done so well with their relationship-building tactics that I was an immediate purchaser of their software (which you’re reading from).

Gone are the days of Company brands. The days of Personal Brands (sometimes inside Companies) are here to stay. Don’t just take it from me, read it from McKinsey.

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🐝 HOW A MISSPELLED BRAND GOT PEOPLE TO CARE

You know what’s fascinating about the creator economy? It’s not just about what you build—it’s about who builds with you.

Let me introduce you to Beehiiv (yes, two i’s), a newsletter operating system that’s turning customers into raving fans, much less a community, through intentional relationship building.

And I’m not just saying this because I use their platform (which, full transparency, I do!). I took 12+ hours analyzing their relationship-first customer strategy to share it all today with you.

So if you enjoyed this version of Connections, please tell me in the poll at the bottom!

What’s the buzz?

Beehiiv is a newsletter creator toolkit. It has cool features like the ad network (thank you for clicking on those ads!💰), a self-hosted website, and 3D analytics.

But come on, what really won me over was their relationship-building strategy.

Relationships are the new growth engines.

Beehiiv’s Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy blends personal branding, fostering meaningful connections, and empowering creators to scale.

Who runs this thing?

The “Build in Public” Founder 🏗️ – Tyler Denk

The “build in public” (BID) movement embodies modern-day entrepreneurs. As mostly a B2C company, Beehiiv takes some of these lessons to heart to share the up’s and down’s of building a newsletter business in Tyler’s investor letters.

What makes the BID approach powerful?

Shares both wins and struggles
Responds to users directly
Makes technical updates feel like exciting milestones we’re all part of

The Wild Card Employee 🃏 – Daniel Berk

Enter Daniel, their sales lead who’s cracked the code on LinkedIn engagement in the most unexpected way: by being wonderfully, strategically chaotic.

His strategy?

His personal brand works because it breaks through the LinkedIn monotony while making newsletter tech feel… human.

You find yourself thinking, “Who lets this guy post like this?”

And then you realize—that’s exactly the point.

More than that, in one of many of his viral LinkedIn posts, Daniel shared a real-time customer story about Beehiiv’s agility. At 9:10 PM, a creator texted him with a problem, and Daniel responded with a solution before midnight. Alright, maybe it was a bit creepy. However, this anecdote is more than a great customer support story—it’s a testament to Beehiiv’s commitment to creators.

The Community Amplifier 📣🐝 – The Brand behind the Bee

Their head of social media is wonderful at making customers feel seen:

Actively resharing customer wins (they shared my newsletter too!)
Celebrating user milestones like they’re company achievements
Creating a feedback loop where customer success = platform success

The New Growth Engine: Making People Feel Welcome 💫

What Beehiiv understands is this: in 2025, features don’t win markets—relationships do.

They’ve turned their platform into a community by:

Treating customers like partners in their journey
Building in public so everyone feels part of the story
Making technical support feel like friend support (truly)
Creating multiple touchpoints for engagement (not just support tickets)

When customers feel like insiders, they become natural ambassadors.

I mean, look at me—I’m literally writing a whole newsletter about them! That’s not because they asked me to; it’s because they made me feel part of something bigger than just another SaaS subscription.

How You Can Apply Beehiiv’s Lessons

Beehiiv’s success offers valuable lessons for operators looking to scale their own businesses or communities:

Leverage Personal Branding: Whether you’re a CEO or in sales, your story is your biggest asset. Use it to drive sales—which today, means building trust and credibility.
Focus on Connections: Your audience isn’t just customers—they’re potential advocates. Invest in building meaningful relationships. Loyalty wins.
Leveraging Word-of-Mouth: Deliver exceptional value and actively promote your customer’s success stories, turn users into evangelists.
Create a Community: A product is great, but a community is better. Beehiiv has a dedicated Slack channel. Foster connections among your users to create a network effect for point #3.
Adapt Rapidly: Listen to your users and respond quickly. Your responsiveness will set you apart from competitors.
Help your customers win: Share insights about growth within your industry arena. This helps position you as a thought leader, not a salesman.
Build your own box: Perhaps the “unprofessional” approach is the most professional move you can make (oh, Daniel)

Conclusion

Beehiiv isn’t just a newsletter platform—it’s a connection engine, a growth accelerator, and a champion for creators. Through a relentless focus on personal branding, fostering connections, and listening to its users, Beehiiv has carved out a unique position in its own industry inside the creator economy.

The Beehiiv strategy shows us that in the age of AI and automation, genuine human connection isn’t just nice to have—it’s a competitive advantage.

And maybe that’s why they spell their name with two i’s.

Because in relationship building,
it’s not about “me” — it’s about “we” 👁️👄👁️

(Okay, that was cheesy, but you get the point!)

Interested in creating an account with Beehiiv? Get a 30-day free trial and 20% off the first 3 months here.

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Hope you enjoyed this one! Let me know!

Sincerely,

Lauren and the Connections team