The Grow plugin is simply that, a plugin.
Anyone can install the Grow plugin and use it. The features for your blog are awesome!
Journey is the name the of ad monetization program that you must get approved for and runs on the Grow plugin.
While monetizing your blog may be your ultimate goal, it's entirely up to you whether or not to pursue it right away.
If you're interested and are just starting out, it can be beneficial to apply for the Mediavine program early on.
Even if you don't have significant traffic yet, applying now allows the process to run in the background, so you won't need to worry about it.
As your blog grows, Mediavine will be tracking your progress, and one day, you might receive an email saying you've been approved.
If you're ready to start your journey before fully diving into blogging, I recommend applying now. You can follow the instructions from Mediavine below.
Extra trainings for the Grow plugin and Journey program can be found in module 5.
Links:
How to Install the Grow Script on non-Wordpress sites
How to apply to Journey by MediaVine (only after you've registered for Grow)
The Grow plugin and Mediavine Journey program support various platforms, including WordPress, Blogger, Squarespace, Shopify, and others. It's important to check if your website is on their list of supported platforms and follow the instructions from Mediavine.
If your site isn't on the list and you're not too committed to your current platform, don't feel discouraged about pursuing monetization. Instead, consider whether the benefits of switching to a platform that supports monetization are worth it for your goals.
There are also other ad agencies you can explore, which I've listed below for your reference.
Other Ad Agencies:
MediaVine (standard MediaVine)
Understanding RPM & CPM
Ad RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is a metric that shows how much money you earn from ads for every 1,000 views (or pageviews) on your blog. For example, if your RPM is $10, it means you make $10 for every 1,000 views.
To break it down further, RPM = (Total Earnings / Total Views) x 1,000. It's a helpful way to track your ad income and compare how different days or months are performing.
Another term you'll often see is CPM (Cost Per Mille), which refers to how much advertisers are willing to pay to show their ads 1,000 times on your site. So while RPM reflects what you're actually earning, CPM represents how much advertisers are paying.
These numbers fluctuate based on many factors, like the season, how much advertisers are spending, and how many people are viewing your blog. Some months, RPM might be higher, like around the holidays when advertisers spend more, and other times it may dip.
The key is to keep creating great content to attract more traffic, which will boost your overall earnings, even if RPM changes.