Platform Selection and Setup

Choosing Your Platform

Your platform choice shapes everything that follows — your growth tools, monetization options, design capabilities, and workflow. There’s no universally “best” platform. There’s the best platform for your specific goals.

The three major platforms at a glance:

Decision framework:

• “I want to build a media business with ads and sponsorships” → Beehiiv
• “I sell courses, coaching, or digital products” → Kit
• “I just want to write and get paid for writing” → Substack
• “I’m not sure yet — I want the most room to grow for free” → Kit (10K free subs)

✅ Quick Check: Why does the decision framework matter more than feature lists? Because every platform has enough features for a successful newsletter. The difference is which features are strongest. Beehiiv’s growth tools (referral programs, boost network) serve media businesses. Kit’s automation and tagging serve product creators. Substack’s simplicity serves writers. Choosing based on your business model saves you from switching platforms later.

Setting Up Your Platform

Once you’ve chosen, follow this setup checklist:

1. Custom Domain (Recommended)

Use your own domain (newsletter@yourdomain.com) instead of the platform’s default. This builds brand recognition and improves deliverability.

Why it matters: Subscribers recognize your domain. Email providers see consistent domain reputation. If you ever switch platforms, your domain reputation travels with you.

2. Email Authentication

Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your custom domain. This is a one-time DNS setup that ensures your emails reach the inbox.

The impact: Authenticated domains achieve 2.7x higher inbox placement. Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook all require authentication for bulk senders as of 2025.

Most platforms provide step-by-step DNS configuration guides. Follow them exactly — one misconfigured record can tank your deliverability.

3. Welcome Email

Your welcome email is the most important email you’ll ever send. Write it before you write your first newsletter issue.

Welcome email template:

Help me write a welcome email for my newsletter:

Newsletter name: [name]
Topic: [what you write about]
Frequency: [how often you send]
Target audience: [who reads this]
The one thing that makes my newsletter different: [your unique angle]

The welcome email should:
1. Thank them for subscribing (warm, not corporate)
2. Tell them exactly what to expect (topic, frequency, format)
3. Deliver one immediately useful insight or resource (quick win)
4. Ask them to reply with one question about [topic] (builds engagement and deliverability)
5. Ask them to move this email to their primary inbox (whitelist)

Keep it under 300 words. Conversational tone — like a friend who's genuinely glad to hear from them.

4. Branding Basics

• Logo or name header — doesn’t need to be fancy, just recognizable
• Consistent colors — pick 1-2 brand colors and use them every issue
• Author photo — newsletters with a face build more trust
• Footer — unsubscribe link (required by law), social links, one-line description

✅ Quick Check: Why should you ask new subscribers to reply to your welcome email? Because email providers track engagement. When subscribers reply, Gmail and Outlook learn that your emails are wanted — boosting your sender reputation and improving inbox placement for all future sends. A simple question (“What’s your biggest challenge with [topic]?”) achieves two goals: deliverability boost and audience insight.

Planning Your Content Strategy

Before writing your first issue, define your content pillars:

Content pillars are 3-5 recurring themes that your newsletter covers. They give you a framework so you never stare at a blank page.

Defining your cadence:

Research shows 1-3 emails per week is optimal for maintaining strong open rates.

Key Takeaways

• Choose your platform based on business model: Beehiiv for media, Kit for products, Substack for writing
• Set up a custom domain and email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) before sending anything
• Your welcome email gets 3-4x higher open rates than regular issues — make it count
• Define 3-5 content pillars so you always have a framework for what to write
• Weekly cadence is the most popular and sustainable starting point

Up Next: You’ll learn to write compelling newsletter content using AI — creating a workflow that amplifies your voice without making your newsletter sound like everyone else’s.