A simple way to lose loyal customers

The other day, I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram.

Saw a post from beehiiv.

“New features are live!”

As someone who’s used their platform from early days, I got curious.

Clicked the link.

Read through the announcement.

Excited.

Then...

Hit a paywall.

Not a free vs paid wall.

A paid vs higher-paid wall.

Turns out the features were only for their highest tier plan.

Even though they didn’t say that in all their promos.

I sat back, annoyed.

Not because I can’t afford it.

But because it broke the brand promise.

Here’s the thing.

If you hype a feature for weeks, market it with passion, get your community pumped — You better deliver to the people who helped build your brand.

Because in branding, expectations matter.

You’re not just selling software.
You’re selling trust.

When that trust breaks, it doesn’t just create a few angry tweets.

It divides your audience.

There are the loyal customers who feel left behind.
The early adopters who now feel like outsiders.
The ones who believed your values weren’t just for marketing.

I was already pissed about the price hike which wasn’t even informed. And then this happens.

When your product becomes about tiers instead of people, you turn your users into two camps:

1. Those who can access the magic.

2. And those who get the leftovers.

What’s worse?

This didn’t have to happen.

All they had to do was tell us upfront.

“Hey, this is a Max plan feature. You’ll love it. Here’s why it’s worth upgrading.”

That would’ve made me want to upgrade.

Instead, it made me want to write this.

I even texted Tyler, the founder on this.
No reply.

Because a broken brand promise doesn’t just lose you users.
It loses you advocates.

So here’s the takeaway:
Your product is what people pay for. But your brand is why they stay.

Don’t break it for a temporary win.

Be clear.
Be fair.
Be real.

That’s how you build something people believe in.

P.S. I’d still recommend beehiiv with all my heart for anyone who want’s to start a newsletter.

Despite the broken promise, it’s one hell of a tool!