Month Seven of My Earnings on Mediavine Journey [March 2025]
I’m a bit slow to the roll with getting this one out.
That’s because I made so much in March on Mediavine Journey that I just considered absconding from Hong Kong, purchasing a beachfront villa in Bali, and hunkering down to live out my remaining 60 years (hopefully) on this earth in Bohemian peace.
I’m just kidding. I barely made enough to afford a low-end dehumidifier from Fortress. However, it was my best month yet, so I really can’t complain.
For an idea of my previous months’ earnings on Mediavine Journey and the emotionally volatile state of mind it sent me (surprisingly, not as bad as this sentence makes it sound), you can find all income reports here.
March 2025 Mediavine Journey Earnings
My highest daily RPM was just over $7 which always kind of teases me before it goes back down to a modest $5 (or just over).
Honestly, $64.06 feels like a win after seeing decreased earnings month after month. Let this be a practical primer on what you might actually expect to earn from your travel blog.
I think by now I’ve accepted that my RPMs have settled in the $5 range and likely won’t ever exceed that over a month’s average. The only hope of substantially improving (at the moment) is to reach the 50,000 sessions per month required by Mediavine’s flagship network.
However, even then I’m skeptical as it’s clear that Mediavine and its advertisers don’t seem to value certain Tier 1 traffic countries too favorably (ex. Hong Kong – my primary niche).
A big win for the month is that I increased traffic by roughly 4,000 pageviews per month (and climbing) due to hitting it hard with publishing. April has seen me take my foot off the gas slightly due to (potential) clients on the horizon so I need to make sure that I don’t lose focus.
Overall, I think I’m far more at peace with my earnings for the blog now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel with breaking out of my “11-month no client work slump.” There’s chasing a dream and then there’s being realistic, ensuring you bring home some bacon on the side.
Do I still aspire to blog full-time and make an actual living from it?
Of course.
Do I get more cynical as each earnings report comes out?
You could say so.
It’s far from a straight shot to the top. I still have some ‘fight’ in me.
Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re considering launching a travel blog (or newsletter), make sure to check out my comprehensive guide ‘WordPress vs. Beehiiv’, which walks you through what I think is best for blogging, beginners, and more.
The Mediavine Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow
“Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun.”
Each month, it becomes clearer and clearer that going ‘all in’ on blogging rarely yields a success story. Stay hedged, stay humble, and stay the course.
Or maybe, just maybe, a Daddy Warbucks-esque figure will come along and adopt this husky, balding 34-year-old so that he doesn’t ever need to stress/fixate on how his blog is performing ever again.
If you have any questions about starting or monetizing a travel blog, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at info@palealetravel.com.
Also, don’t forget to check out my Essential Blogging Tools page, which breaks down all the major platforms, tools, and resources I use for Pale Ale Travel. It’s a great starting point for anyone considering dipping their toes into the thankless waters of travel blogging.
Blog well everyone,
Big Body
Big Body is a voracious lov…eater, a cowardly fighter, and a self-proclaimed curry goat BBQ-eating champion (don’t forget the donkey milk) who likes Stoicism, baseball, and writing in the third person. Having worked for himself for the last 7 years, he isn’t particularly successful but he does still drink ice-cold Sapporo draft beers with the best of them and knows his way around a Dai Pai Dong or two. He is based in Hong Kong but you can still find him in Saigon, Osaka, and Vienna for extended periods.