Beehiiv’s newsletter platform now allows subscribers to chat with each other, AI adds

Newsletter platform Beehiiv is expanding into new ways of interacting by introducing a feature called Community, which allows subscribers to the creator’s chat to chat with each other. The company also introduced a new AI Copilot that helps creators manage and grow their audience.

The updates come as Beehiiv positions itself as a platform for creators beyond newsletters. In the past few months, the company has introduced podcasts, webinars, and customized paywalls. Some of these initiatives are already showing positive results. The company said 50% of podcast users have moved their shows from another location, for example.

Beehiiv’s new community tool will allow users to respond to a discussion forum within the forum. Today, creators often have member chats on a separate Discord or Slack server or in Facebook groups, but Beehiiv wants to bring those chats back to its own space. Here, creators can also create paid membership categories to get exclusive access to certain discussion forums and discussion forums.

“The people who follow your content have a common interest in what you’re creating, but they can’t communicate with each other. Whether that interest is in sports, the World Cup, or politics, being able to have a community where your audience can engage is really important,” Beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk told TechCrunch.

The platform also presents another monetization opportunity through classified ads, which allow users to sell ad spaces in their newsletters. They can monetize by selecting the ads that are likely to provide the highest returns based on their audience, content, and performance.

The company already has tools like metered paywalls, paid tests, and a sponsorship storefront to sell their posts in packages. Also, Beehiiv said publishers on the platform earn more than $1 million a month through their ad network.

Beehiiv introduces a new AI assistant called Copilot, too, which can understand context such as content, audience, subscribers, and performance to give users advice on how to manage their newsletter and grow their audience. An assistant can analyze the performance of various newsletters and podcasts, prepare social media campaigns, and look for new monetization opportunities.

Assistant is one of many AI efforts underway. Earlier this year, the company introduced a model content protocol (MCP) server, which allows users to connect their Beehiiv to other assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude to ask questions and get information. It also works with better AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), which helps the newsletter to be cited in AI assistant answers more often.

Along with these updates, the company is shipping a redesigned editor that allows users to see editing modes and side-by-side previews, helping them understand how the content they’re writing will appear to readers.

Denk noted that in the coming quarter, Beehiiv wants to spend time educating users about these tools and teaching them how top newspapers are using them to grow their publications.

The platform’s competitors are also improving by introducing new offerings. For example, Riverside launched a newsletter publishing feature last month, and Substack launched a built-in studio product in March.