3 Reasons Why I’m Going Heavy on Beehiiv For Travel Blogging

Whether you’re a travel blogger, SEO specialist, digital content manager, or simply someone who is looking up a suggested itinerary or restaurant breakdown for their upcoming trip to Japan, the end goal is the same - to create and/or find high-quality content in internet search results that answers the query at hand. 

Unfortunately, Google has been a bit of a fickle mistress over the last year with algorithm and helpful content updates that many would argue are: 

1. Deeply flawed, and

2. Not actually that helpful. 

Once thriving, informative, and actionable content websites, based on the first-hand experiences of their creators, have tanked or been erased off the SERP map in their entirety, forced to take a third-page seat to the likes of global media companies like Forbes, AI-generated nonsense, and copycat, plagiarizing grifters. 

In the interest of preserving my sanity and love for creating quality content that (hopefully) helps people better plan their next trip, find a new spot to grab a bite to eat, or have a memorable experience abroad they might not have otherwise, I’m hedging my creation efforts by branching out with a Beehiiv subdomain and newsletter.

Here are 3 reasons why, as a small-time travel blogger, I’m going heavy on Beehiiv for growing my brand and establishing a sustainable income channel that is independent of the predatory and monopolistic ‘Big G’ and its soul-crushing SERP volatility. 

I Want to Create the Content I Want to Actually Create

If you’re in the content game long enough, it inevitably creeps in. What is “it” exactly? The pressure to feel like you need to create content that Google values and prioritizes. A lot of times I think of that quote from Batman, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” That couldn’t ring more true. 

Whether people care to admit it or not, there’s almost inevitably always a turning point where once original, thoughtful articles and posts begin to morph into whatever amalgamation a writer thinks Google wants to see. You see how your “passion posts” are getting zero traction and think to yourself how maybe if you have traffic come through the door via “other types of posts,” then maybe they’ll stumble upon the article you put your creative heart and soul into.

They begin writing for search engines rather than for people. 

I’ll admit, I’ve done that over the years. However, I’ve always tried to stay true to the core of the content and write from a first-hand perspective (never opining or suggesting anything I’ve never personally experienced). But even trying to strike an honest and authentic balance to serve both (search engines and people) is yielding diminishing returns on the traffic front. It feels like it’s all or nothing. 

It’s no surprise that some articles I’ve written for my website are for gaining traffic and ticking whatever arbitrary ranking boxes Google prioritizes. And, those were the most painful, least fun to write. 

I want to get back to writing entirely for my readers and myself. I don’t want to have to worry about needing to include ‘X’, or structuring something in a specific way, or targeting a post just because it is low competition. I want to write what I want to write and write it in the way that I want to write it. 

While I don’t have a major following on any social media platforms (or elsewhere really), and recognize it will take a good chunk of time to funnel users over from my main site (palealetravel.com) and generate some visibility in the SERPs, I’m confident that once the subscriber snowball is rolling and a dedicated subscriber base is built (even if small), I can completely (maybe that’s lofty) switch over to writing the content I want to write along with the content my audience specifically wants/requests. 

I value a smaller, more engaged audience over short-lived large traffic spikes brought about by SEO-tailored posts that have a shorter and shorter SERP shelf life. 

That brings me to my next point, with a smaller yet dedicated audience, I can leverage that to be more effective (and sustainable) in my monetization efforts. 

Diversified Monetization Channels Via One Platform

Frankly, I haven’t been great at monetizing Pale Ale Travel over the years. It felt invasive and, like many creators, I suffered from imposter syndrome - afraid to insert affiliate links, join a premium ad network, or create a subscription (or one-time) service/product. 

Then, when I made the leap, it became a bit overwhelming and tedious trying to get accepted into a premium ad network (hint: I’ve been waiting for approval for nearly 3 months now) and manage all the various affiliate links/product links. 

For me, besides getting accepted to an ad network in the first place, there are just a lot of moving parts when it comes to monetization. I want to focus on writing. 

In the past, I found myself having far too many ‘admin’ days where I was applying to various programs, analyzing my traffic numbers and formulating a plan to get accepted to ‘X network’, and manually linking and/or inserting links or code into my website. 

Beehiiv ticks the box of being an “all-in-one” platform, where I can create and manage my publication/newsletter, utilize their built-in ad network to easily find sponsors, offer gated and premium tiers of content for paying subscribers, refer writers to Beehiiv via their partner/affiliate program, and “boost” (aka recommend) my readers subscribe to other relevant newsletters (and earn a commission). 

It also helps that I am doing this in front of a dedicated and engaged audience and able to dictate the frequency by which they view X ad, get recommended X newsletter, or have an affiliate link of mine put before them. 

It has always been somewhat of a crapshoot and I do not doubt that promoting an affiliate link to 100 active email subscribers in a weekly newsletter will yield better monetization results than a webpage containing the link that’s seen by 100 people per month (or even 1000 people per month).  

Finally, I don’t have to worry about declining website traffic due to algorithm or helpful content updates having such a drastic impact on my earning potential, as I will have built and curated my own dedicated community (hopefully). Monthly revenue should also be far more predictable than what it currently is. 

I imagine the ability to go from consistent, sustainable income to nothing is exponentially more difficult and far less likely with Beehiiv than it is with a traditional blog relying on Google search or social traffic.  

Beehiiv Has Affordable Pricing (If I Scale)

As you can tell, I’m on Beehiiv’s free plan. I’m currently in the sharp vicissitudes of fortune, having lost my major client (who made up roughly 80-90% of my monthly revenue) after 7+ years and not in a place to be spending any extra money at the moment.

Beehiiv’s free ‘Launch Plan’ provides more than enough of a framework and toolset for me to grow my newsletter and publication up to 2500 subscribers. It also allows me to build a curated newsletter and subscriber list of nearly 10x that of ConvertKit’s free plan.

If I start to gain some traction and generate some income via one of Beehiiv’s numerous monetization channels (mentioned above), I’ll have no problem putting that towards scaling and subscribing to the next tiers (‘Scale’ or ‘Max’). 

And, it’s far more affordable than the likes of ConvertKit and other newsletter competitors (which see you spend at least 2 to 10 times as much per month to engage the same number of subscribers).

You read horror stories about newsletter creators who built a large following but were locked into exorbitant monthly subscription fees just to reach their subscribers, ultimately failing to capitalize on earnings or realize profitability at all. 

Join Me For the Ride

The above is not me saying that Beehiiv is the end all be all of blogging and content creation issues. However, it’s a step in the right direction towards empowering creators to create quality content that actually has a chance of having eyes see it and being rewarded for doing so. 

While I’ll primarily continue to write about travel destinations, restaurants, and experiences that I recommend, so that you can be on your way toward planning the perfect trip, I’ll also continue to provide insight into my growth journey, analytics, and income as a travel blogger.

So, if you’re ready, join me for this ride. 

If you’re a blogger who is diversifying your content channels and rolling out a Beehiiv newsletter/subdomain or making the switch completely, I’d love to hear from you! What made you switch over and how are you finding things so far?

If you have any questions about getting started with Beehiiv or creating a travel blog, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. 

Write well everyone,

Big Body