Elite Blog Academy Review – Is it Really Worth the Money?
Elite Blog Academy is the brainchild of Ruth Soukup, who is the founder of a successful blog called LivingWellSpendingLess.com.
With Ruth’s years of experience running a successful blog, she has consolidated the years of knowledge and experience into a concise step-by-step training course.
The course retails at $897 and you have the option to pay 3 x $350/month totaling $1,050.
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I’m sure if you’ve landed on this Elite Blog Academy review, you are looking for answers to justify the huge investment in this blogging course.
Let me assure you that you will find your answers here.
I’m one of the lucky ones who’ve gained access to the training materials, and I wasn’t overly impressed by what I’ve seen.
Plus, I am not an affiliate of EBA, so I am pretty sure this will be an unbiased review.
My goal in this review is to help you make an informed decision.
I’ve reviewed many of blogging courses…
You see, I’ve reviewed hundreds of blogging courses, and I only found a few that are worth your time and money.
Now, for the sake of comparison, I am comparing the Elite Blog Academy to Wealthy Affiliate, which is my top blogging course recommendation.
I find that Elite Blog Academy has fallen short in many areas, and I’ll share them with you in this review.
But, don’t me wrong, for what it’s worth, I do think that Elite Blog Academy is a good training course.
So, before we dive into the good points of the program (which most EBA affiliates rave about), let us get into the bad side of the Elite Blog Academy.
How I Fired My Boss and Still Earn a Full-Time Income. Here’s How You Can Too!
What I Didn’t Like
1. Little Discussion on Selection a Niche
While Elite Blog Academy’s strategy for writing content is to start with creating avatars for your blog, that strategy may be a double-edge sword.
Simply speaking, an avatar is an imaginary figure which represents the group of people that your blog will target.
So, with the avatar creation exercise, you can pinpoint the problems and issues a person might face.
And, you can address them by creating useful blog content that speaks to them.
This is a good strategy, but there are drawbacks.
#1 Drawback – Unfocused
Firstly, you could be talking about anything under the sun. Which makes your blog unfocused and not relevant.
The thing about blogging is that you have to touch on a specific topic and become an expert on the topic.
A focused blog builds rapport with their audience, which elevates the brand of the blog.
So, without selecting a proper niche, your blog will not stand out from the millions of blogs on the internet.
#2 Drawback – Will your blog be profitable?
With the avatar strategy, you never know if your niche is profitable.
I am pretty sure the main reason to start a blog is to earn money, and you should know if your efforts are well worth it.
Over the years, I’ve met with aspiring bloggers who spends all of their time building up their blogs.
But, after months or years of hard work, they finally found that their niche is not profitable.
There could be many reasons why a niche is not profitable.
No profitable products to promote, not many people are interested in the niche, or the niche is simply dominated by big corporations or Government agencies, etc.
Honestly, I find that failure to select a profitable niche is one of the main causes that lead people to failure with blogging.
Unfortunately, Elite Blog Academy pays little attention to selecting a niche.
2. Little Focus on Keyword Research
If you want to win big in the search engine game, be it Google, Pinterest or YouTube, you’ve got to do proper keyword research.
Just focusing on creating great content alone, is not going to help with your content search-ability.
In Module 1, Ruth talks about creating pillar content that will speak directly to your avatar that address one of their felt needs.
However, if you didn’t do a proper keyword research, you’d probably wouldn’t know if your content is competing with many others.
Keyword Research is super important in my opinion…
Often times I thought of great content ideas, but when I did a keyword research on those ideas, I stayed away because of the massive competition.
Performing proper keyword research has saved me a lot of time from creating content that could never be found.
And, it has allowed me to direct my attention to creating content that will rank well on search engines.
Unfortunately, keyword research is not a big part of the training material.
3. Tiring Refund Policy
I got in contact with one of the past unsuccessful EBA members who didn’t mind sharing the access.
She was one of the people who couldn’t get her refund, so it was already a loss on her part.
Luckily for me, I was able to gain access to this program, which is why you could get an insider information of what this program is all about.
To get a refund from this course, you need to complete all of the 36 assignments within 6 months.
And, send your completed assignments to the designated email together with screenshots of the before and after blog design, analytics, and income reports.
The problem with this is that you will most likely get stuck completing all of the assignments that you eventually give up getting a refund.
How I Fired My Boss and Still Earn a Full-Time Income. Here’s How You Can Too!
4. Exclusivity Kills Productivity
Elite Blog Academy is opened only once in a year, and if you are interested to join the course, you have to be in line to get it.
There must be a reason that you found EBA, and it may be because you wanted to learn how to earn money by blogging.
And honestly, there’s no reason for you to stop and wait for EBA to be opened before you get started.
Free blogging knowledge is everywhere…
There is a vast amount of free online knowledge about blogging, and if you are concerned with the overwhelming of information, there are plenty of courses available throughout the year.
But, most of the blogging courses on the market are either low quality or scams, so I’ll cut through the chase and share with you a few great blog training programs that I’ve reviewed:
My personal favorite is Wealthy Affiliate and you will understand why in a while, or you could read My Humble Story.
5. Lack of Technical Support
If you run into technical issues with your blog, you can’t count on Elite Blog Academy to solve it for you.
You’ll probably have to rely on other sources like your web hosting company.
The problem with this is that most of the time, the web hosting company couldn’t understand what you are trying to solve.
And they send you into a tailspin.
I’ve personally tried setting blogs with web hosting companies in the past, and I had such a bad experience that I eventually hosted all of my website back in Wealthy Affiliate.
So, you must know that having a good technical support for your blog is super important for your productivity.
6. Not Worth the Money – In my opinion
Truth be told, most of the information you find in the Elite Blog Academy are freely available online.
Even Ruth Soukup has acknowledged that fact.
The only thing that you are actually paying for is the structure of the course.
Elite Blog Academy has done a good job in simplifying the steps to get you started with blogging.
And, it has made it in a way that it is not overwhelming.
However, I didn’t think that it is worth $897.
But, if it cost $297, then it is worth every penny.
How I Fired My Boss and Still Earn a Full-Time Income. Here’s How You Can Too!
7. Recommends Unnecessary Expense
On the 13th assignment, you’ll be tasked to create your lead magnet.
Lead magnet is basically a strategy to entice your readers to provide their contact details in exchange for something of value that you can provide.
With that, you need an email autoresponder to help you automated the delivery process.
And, a nicely designed lead capture page or form to grab your readers email and contact details.
What Elite Blog Academy recommends for creating a lead capture page is the use of a service called LeadPages.
However, LeadPages will cost you $37 per month.
In fact, the cost could be avoided when you have a WordPress blog.
You can simply use a WordPress plugin by Thrive Themes called “Thrive Architect“, and you can get all the beautifully designed templates to work with, instead of paying a monthly fee for it.
8. Lack of Real Support
The lady who handed me the access to Elite Blog Academy spoke of the same experience Ashlynn of Enjoying Simple had.
You can’t really get good support from the EBA community.
The moderators in the private Facebook group is not present, and when you try sending emails to Ruth, the email was forwarded to another team member of EBA.
And, you couldn’t really get your issues solved.
What I Like
#1 Good Platform to Start Blogging
Though I’ve pointed out the flaws of the Elite Blog Academy, I still think that this is a good platform to learn how to blog effectively.
I just didn’t think that the high cost of entry justifies the value you get from the program.
The Elite Blog Academy has structured its training materials in a way that it is not overwhelming.
And, their assignments are not too difficult to complete as well.
Through the steps, it gives you a positive motivation for you to complete all of the assignments that will eventually lead you to a successful blog.
#2 Shares Good Strategies to Grow Your Blog
I must say that there are some good blogging strategies which are talked about in the course.
Like creating an editorial calendar and ways to brainstorm blog content.
However, these strategies are openly available on the internet, if you know where to find it.
#3 Answers to Most Problems Bloggers Might Face
Ruth Soukup is a blogger herself, and she started with humble beginnings.
She talked about the struggles that many bloggers faced and how she overcome those hurdles.
And, as a blogger myself, I felt the connection because I’ve been through that process as well.
Things like comparing yourself against other successful bloggers who are way ahead of you, and feeling intimidated and overwhelmed.
The strategy to overcome this, is to stop comparing yourself with others, and focus on yourself. This is good advice!
#4 Lifetime Access
You pay a one time fee of $897 and that’s it!
There’s no further payment for future updates or premium content.
Even if the Elite Blog Academy 4.0 in 2019 cost more than $897.
#5 Many Successful Students
You can find many success stories with the Elite Blog Academy here.
However, you must note that there are many unsuccessful EBA members as well, which are under-mentioned.
Almost everyone who’ve written a review about the Elite Blog Academy are singing praises for it.
Because they get paid when someone signs up to the EBA through their affiliate link.
Seldom, you’ll see someone who is honest enough to tell you like it is.
How I Fired My Boss and Still Earn a Full-Time Income. Here’s How You Can Too!
A Thorough Look into the Elite Blog Academy…
The Elite Blog Academy works this way…
There’s a total of 4 modules, and in each module there are 3 units, which makes up a total of 12 units.
In each unit, there are 3 assignments to complete, which makes up a total of 36 assignments.
#1 Module: Refine
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#1 Unit: Start with Awesome
In Unit 1, there are 3 assignments to complete.
- Assignment 1: Blog Assessment
- Assignment 2: Create Your Blog Tagline & Structure
- Assignment 3: Create Your Customer Avatar
#2 Unit: Content is king
You’ll learn how to brainstorm and create content that matters to your audience.
- Assignment 4: Brainstorm Post Ideas
- Assignment 5: Create an Editorial Calendar
- Assignment 6: Create Pillar Content with Focus
#3 Unit: Presentation is Everything
In this Unit, you’ll learn how to use visual presentations to draw your audiences’ attention.
- Assignment 7: Get an Objective Assessment
- Assignment 8: Redesign Your Website
- Assignment 9: Develop a Photo & Graphics Standard
#2 Module: Grow
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#4 Unit: Set the Stage
This unit will walk you through the process of creating your elevator pitch and optimize your website for a better user experience.
- Assignment 10: Craft Your Elevator Pitch
- Assignment 11: Optimize for Search Engine Traffic
- Assignment 12: Network like a Pro
#5 Unit: Grow Your List
Growing your email list is one of the most important things for a blogger.
And, in this unit, you’ll learn how to do just that.
- Assignment 13: Create Your Lead Magnet
- Assignment 14: Create a Welcome Campaign
- Assignment 15: Optimize Your Opt Ins
#6 Unit: Rock Your Social Media
Learn how to utilize the social media to draw attention to your blog.
- Assignment 16: Set Up Your Social Media Profile
- Assignment 17: Create Your First Facebook Ad
- Assignment 18: Social Media Deep Dive
#3 Module: Monetize
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#7 Unit: Show Me the Money
Here is where you’ll be introduced to ways to earn money from your blog.
- Assignment 19: Complete Your Midcourse Assessment
- Assignment 20: Optimize Your Ad Revenue
- Assignment 21: Explode Private Advertising
#8 Unit: Create Your Product
You’ll be given basic steps to plan your own product launch.
- Assignment 22: Conduct a Market Survey
- Assignment 23: Create Your First Baby Seed Launch
- Assignment 24: Create Your Product
#9 Unit: Master Sales & Marketing
Even with the best product in the world, if you don’t master the art of selling, you won’t succeed. This unit will walk you through the process of crafting your sales message.
- Assignment 25: Create Killer Sales Copy
- Assignment 26: Plan a Sales Promotion
- Assignment 27: Become a Power Affiliate
#4 Module: Build
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#10 Unit: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Take your blog to the next level. Be a business person, and leverage on other people’s time.
- Assignment 28: Think Big
- Assignment 29: Take Your Goals from Big to Bite Sized
- Assignment 30: Organize Your Virtual Company
#11 Unit: From Blog to Business
In this unit, you will learn the fundamentals of starting a business.
- Assignment 31: Create Your Mission Statement
- Assignment 32: Create a Business Plan
- Assignment 33: Create Your Company Structure
#12 Unit: Lead Your Team
Start the hiring process!
- Assignment 34: Identify Your Strengths
- Assignment 35: Create Job Cards
- Assignment 36: Build Your Team
How I Fired My Boss and Still Earn a Full-Time Income. Here’s How You Can Too!
Elite Blog Academy vs. Wealthy Affiliate
EBA and its affiliates may not be very happy to see this comparison, but I’ll share them anyway so that you know what’s out there in the market.
The rest is up to you to decide.
#1 Price and Content
Elite Blog Academy has a total of 36 assignments and several videos that aid the process. It cost $897.
And, if you opt for the payment plan option ($350/month for 3 months), you are restricted to only the first module, until you paid off everything.
Wealthy Affiliate has 120 step by step lessons, weekly live training and past recordings (hundreds of them), 12 classrooms that touch on specific topics, hundreds of courses and tutorials created by successful members. It cost $49 per month to unlock every course and lessons (no restrictions).
#2 Tools
Elite Blog Academy does not provide any complimentary tools.
Wealthy Affiliate provides free hosting for its premium members (which usually cost $20+ per month from other service providers), and a keyword tool called Jaaxy (which usually cost $20 – $40 per month).
You can immediately save money on the blogging tools by joining the Wealthy Affiliate premium membership.
#3 Community
Elite Blog Academy has a private Facebook group, but the moderators are rarely seen.
Wealthy Affiliate is a community of tens of thousands of bloggers. Successful bloggers who became a success through the help of Wealthy Affiliate stays as a premium member to help new joiners get started. It is a thriving community that helps each other out.
#4 Availability
Elite Blog Academy opens its doors once a year.
Wealthy Affiliate welcomes new members every single day.
# 5 Support
Elite Blog Academy provides support through the private Facebook group and email. Ruth Soukup rarely helps its members, and she dedicates the support to her team members.
Wealthy Affiliate has live chat, 24/7 Technical Support (which responds within minutes – tested and verified), 12 specific classrooms, and the owners personally replies to all of the members (although there’s hundreds of thousands of members in the community).
My 2 Cents
So, I’ve laid out everything for you, and the rest is for you to decide.
Elite Blog Academy is a good platform to get started with blogging, however it is not a comprehensive course that will take you from point a to point z.
Especially when it comes to supporting it’s members.
And, it is quite expensive for a basic course ($897).
In my opinion, although the Elite Blog Academy provides a good structure for anyone to learn blogging, it is way overpriced.
What I Recommend?
For a fraction of the cost, you could have gotten much more from courses like Wealthy Affiliate (see Elite Blog Academy vs. Wealthy Affiliate above).
In fact, Wealthy Affiliate is the program that taught hundreds and thousands of average people to become successful online.
Including me! Wealthy Affiliate has allowed me to fire my boss and earn a full-time income online.
I hope it can do that for you too.
Wishing you all the best in whichever decision you make, and thank you for reading this Elite Blog Academy review!
If you found this review helpful, please share it! It might help others who are looking for this information.
And, if you’d like to discuss more about Elite Blog Academy, please, feel free to leave a comment below.
Your pal,
Jack