By Sophia Lee Blogging Course Review | REAL Results from 2 Awesome Courses

Do you want to know how to make a successful, profitable blog?

Are you overwhelmed by the mountains of unreliable blogging info that you don’t even know where to begin?

Would you like step-by-step guidance on how to perfect your very own blog?

Well, lucky for you, there are two courses that provide all the essential information you’ll need to build and grow the perfect blog.

This page contains affiliate links which means that I will receive a commission if you choose to purchase through the link at no additional cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.

By Sophia Lee Blogging Course Review | By Sophia Lee Courses

The first course is By Sophia Lee’s Perfecting Blogging which will show you how to build your very own blog. The second course is By Sophia Lee’s Perfecting Pinterest which will show you how to grow that blog.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Who’s Sophia Lee and why should I trust her courses to help me make the perfect blog?”

Well, let me show you.

That’s right, Sophia makes over $75,000, not in one year, but in one month! 🤯

Did you know it was even possible to make that much money by blogging? Neither did I.

Sophia has cracked the code to profitable blogging and she’s created two courses spilling all her money-making secrets to you.

It’s a bit of a golden opportunity and it’s quite affordable IMO.

Progress Check-Ins With the By Sophia Lee Blogging Courses

This section of this article is occasionally updated with the progress of my blog since taking By Sophia Lee’s Courses.

For context, in my first years of blogging, from 2020-2022, I approached it like a side hustle where I had no real plan but was just throwing things on the wall and seeing what stuck.

Starting in 2023, I began approaching blogging with a set plan and strategical approach and like Sophia preaches, focusing on ROI (return on investment).

First Progress Check: August 2021

During my first few months after implementing Sophia’s strategies (from March to August 2021), the strategy that stuck with me and that really made a difference in my blog pageviews was how to title my post to make it as clickable as possible. This movie review followed Sophia’s title structure to a T and was one of the first posts that Google positively ranked and got a good amount of page views to this site.

I know the page view increase may not seem like much at this time but I have 3 times as many page views as I had before. On top of that, the numbers are still growing!

Second Progress Check: January 2022

Update 01/27/22: So, reflecting on my growth since first purchasing Sophia’s course on March 27th, 2021, I’ve included an updated graph showing my progress since completing the course.

I finally got a better grip on Sophia’s SEO tips and the tool she introduced me to, Keywords Everywhere, when I published my Squid Game Review in October (hence the spike in numbers in October). This blog site got over *8 TIMES* more views in December than it did in March. I’m thoroughly pleased with that.

Third Progress Check: September 2022

Update 09/13/22: Another reflection on my growth since first purchasing the By Sophia Lee courses: Nothing dramatic since the last update but what I will say is that although 2022 has thrown me curve balls, making it harder to stay as consistent with my blog, my page views have stayed relatively stable since its spike last October.

I haven’t had time to revisit the courses and refresh my memory on strategies I have yet to implement, but I’m hoping to soon so I can start seeing some exponential growth again.

Fourth Progress Check: March 2023

Update 3/13/23: Back again with another reflection, and our page views are more than *4 TIMES* higher than they were in the last reflection! The spike can possibly be attributed to the fact that I posted more than usual in September and also this evergreen post did really well.

Sophia has one lesson of the course titled, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT BLOGGING, and she was not wrong about that.

When I first heard the lesson, I kind of wrote it off a bit because our blog niches are different, but the end of last year really humbled me. A light bulb went off in my head like, “Oh! This is what Sophia has been saying from the beginning.”

I understand the “why?” behind her lessons now. This course is meant to keep you from having to learn lessons the hard way.

Another thing that Sophia harps on but finally clicked in my head: creating content around keywords that people are ACTUALLY searching for. Things are finally clicking for me so I’m excited for the year ahead.

Another update, I quit my full-time job at the end of 2022 so I’m pursuing monetizing this blog full-time. If you want to read more, follow my journey here.

Fifth Progress Check: August 2023

Update 8/23/23: Okay, I really feel like I’m finding my groove now as a blogger and I’m feeling quite optimistic. Let me explain what you’re seeing in the graph below:

The biggest peak in this blog’s pageviews arose after I reached 100 published blog posts with clear keywords.

At the blog’s peak, the beginning of 2023, I did something strange but needed: I pruned my website a lot bringing me down from 120 published posts to 70, drastically reducing the amount of keywords that I ranked for.

So the rest of 2023 so far has been rebuilding my website in a more organized, stronger, more professional manner that targets helping the reader above all rather than the personal journal entry style I had before.

Now that my page is actually being seen, I want to be more cognizant of what it’s been seen for, hence the pruning and rebuilding.

I also took Sophia’s advice with updating the menu bar to best organize your content under the keywords that you want Google to most associate your website with.

As you can see, the numbers have been back on the rise for the past few months so I’m excited for the next update.

As I grow as a blogger, Sophia’s courses have grown with me.

In fact, she’s completely updated the Perfecting Blogging course to include a ton of fresh, helpful bonuses that I’ve been seriously thinking about lately like:

• How she started hiring employees

• Her current social media strategy

• How she created 6-figure making digital products

And so much more!

Having revisited Sophia’s Perfecting Blogging course for the umpteenth time, her introductory words really ring true for a slow-burn blogger like me:

The biggest misconception is that blogging is easy. It is NOT and it takes months, sometimes years, to grow. It is the bloggers that stick with it when they feel like giving up that are the ones that are successful in the end.

By Sophia Lee

It Isn’t Free to Make a Perfect Blog

If we’re anything alike, you may be hesitant to invest money into your blog. You may wonder if it’ll ever be worth it. Well, I’m still learning to master blogging, but through affiliate marketing and ads, I’ve been able to make about $145 through this blog (Update 3/13/23 – I’ve made over $700 now)(Update 8/23/23 – I’ve made over $1,500 now!).

We’re finally getting this show on a roll!

I know that literally sounds like pennies compared to Sophia (and a lot of other bloggers) but you have to start somewhere.

When I first started blogging, I was so skeptical to spend any money on anything. I used a free website, watched free movies, and got all my information through free YouTube videos and websites.

Although the information was helpful to get me started, my blog had ZERO traction. Soon, I learned that high quality has a cost. Fortunately, knowledge is a gift that keeps on giving.

You know the saying, “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for life.”

That’s the value of investing in courses. You have that knowledge that will make you a profit for life! And getting this knowledge is usually not bank-breakingly expensive.

Also, when you invest money into something, you become committed to the process. If you want to make the perfect blog, you HAVE to commit to the process. Otherwise, the frustration will drive you to quit.

I know that before I make a big purchase, I like to know what I should expect and I NEED to get opinions and views from people who’ve already taken the plunge.

To help you decide whether Sophia Lee’s courses are right for you, I’m going to provide a brief overview of what I found helpful AND unhelpful about her courses.

In this By Sophia Lee course review, I’ll be pulling straight from my notes here to give you an outline of some of what you’ll learn from the course. And whatever questions you still have, please leave a comment below. I’ll respond as best as I can.

Perfecting Blogging Course Review

When I purchased the By Sophia Lee Courses, I had already established my self-hosted WordPress blog and had a good handful of posts although they were not being discovered on Google. With Sophia’s courses, my goal was to fill my gaps in blogging knowledge which is exactly what the course accomplishes.

View the course curriculum below:

Helpful Aspects of Perfecting Blogging

One aspect of this course that I really appreciate is how Sophia teaches through video recordings. As viewers, we get to see our online teacher as she walks us through the course which feels more personal.

In addition to the video teachings, she also includes the full written script of what she’s saying for most of the lessons. This made all of the information easy to follow and even easier to retain.

Most Useful Takeaways From the Course

These are some tips that I picked up from Sophia’s blogging course that has been the most helpful for me.

1. Create a Google Calendar
   • This has helped me stay up to date with all the latest movie releases so that I can make timely reviews and update subscribers on the movies they should keep an eye out for.
2. The Branding Guide
   • I had never thought of creating one before but when I tell you, the branding template that Sophia provided really helped me hone in on my business’s aesthetic. It’s been a super helpful organizational tool that I use time and time again. 
3. Research Keywords
   • I was a stranger to keywords before Sophia’s course. Now I see how big of an impact using the right keywords has on improving site views and people’s interest.
4. Creating Clickable Titles
   • Sophia goes over exactly how she creates an intriguing title that gets people interested in your content. Honestly, when I use her technique, those are consistently the posts that get the highest views. 
5. Making Money
   • She introduced me to the methods that she uses to generate profit from her blog and even shared the affiliate marketing programs and ad companies that she has used. After her course, I finally installed Google Ads on my website and it’s definitely been a great starting point to help me see the monetary value of my blog. 
   • I’ve made $6.27 ($24.93 as of 3/13/23)($34.74 as of 8/23/23 plus an additional $50 from an ad company named Ezoic which you can join after being well-established with Google Ads) since I opened the account in March which is much better than 0. I can buy 6 chocolate bars with that money! (…in Deleware since there’s no sales tax)
6. Creating a Recommendations Page
   • I didn’t make one until after this course, and people actually click on it and are interested. I never would’ve thunk! 
7. Normalizing the Struggles of Blogging
   • She constantly reassures students that blogging isn’t easy and that it has its highs and lows. It was encouraging to know that when I go through my lows, that’s normal. It doesn’t mean I won’t still experience highs. 
8. Frequent Updates With All of the Newest Insights on Growing a Million Dollar Business
   • Viewing Sophia’s massive success as a business owner often has me thinking, “How did she do that?” Well, Sophia is often answering this question with bonus additions to the course giving you the inside scoop on how she manages all her social media accounts, how she hires employees, how she plans content, how she scales her business, EVERYTHING! It is so inspiring and makes the possibility of success feel so much more feasible.

Unhelpful Aspects of Perfecting Blogging

Despite how much I learned, there were definitely moments where I zoned out because I had already developed a strategy of my own that was more effective for me.

1. Backtracking to Classic WordPress Editor:
   • She uses the classic WordPress editor and the Thrive Architect plugin. I use the updated Gutenberg editor and the Elementor plugin. I didn’t see the point of backtracking to the classic editor when I felt like I already had a good hang of Gutenberg.
   • I think that people who are using WordPress and starting their blogs afresh should get accustomed to the most updated version of WordPress because there is always a chance the old version will become completely obsolete. However, I appreciate that Sophia didn’t try to teach something that she hasn’t yet mastered and was honest about her own personal techniques. 
2. Images
   • Sophia’s photo technique didn’t seem to take into account how much photo size can impact the speed of your website. Website speed is so important for user experience and after Sophia’s course, I had to go to Google University to learn that photos can negatively impact website speed and user experience. Her photo strategy just didn’t take that into account at all. 
3. Post Creation
   • Sophia runs an interior design blog and I run a movie review blog. Very different things. And although she uses neutral ground by teaching the course through a cat blog that she makes from (almost) scratch, her post content was too formulaic for me. So, although it’s helpful to know exactly how she writes her post content, it didn’t feel applicable to my personal style of writing. 

By Sophia Lee Blogging Course Review – Was It Worth It? 

I would say that this course was definitely worth it for me. I got to see how a successful millionaire blogger runs her blog and really took away actionable, effective strategies from the course. I felt secure in knowing that I have all of the tools I need to build an income from doing something that I enjoy. Even the moments where I zoned out reassured me that I already had what I needed and that felt empowering. 

I would definitely recommend this course to someone who is more of a fresh blogger because I think they’ll take the most out of it. I would just caution them to do more personal research on what fits best for their blog in terms of design, post content, and photos. Listen to her methods but maintain flexibility when it comes to personal blogging strategies. 

Now, as someone who has been blogging for a while now, I am surprised by how much I still do revisit this course to refresh my blogging strategy. It has a way of staying current with the blogging world and refreshing your memory on the blogging essentials.

I would also definitely do some more in-depth research on other blogging courses and compare and contrast to find one that may be more suitable and comprehensive for what you want to do with your blog.

Personally, I never searched beyond By Sophia Lee’s course but haven’t felt like I lacked any information.

At the end of the day, if this course is just supplemental information to see how a really successful blogger runs her blog, it’s absolutely still worth it. 

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Perfecting Pinterest Course Review

With blogging, I had at least some semblance of a clue of what I was doing, but with Pinterest, I was completely lost. When I purchased the Perfecting Blogging + Perfecting Pinterest bundle, I knew that even if I didn’t get much out of Perfecting Blogging, I would get everything out of Perfecting Pinterest and that’s exactly how the cookie crumbled.

View the course curriculum below:

Perfecting Pinterest Mini Progress Report

After implementing what I learned from Perfecting Pinterest, my Pinterest analytics have stayed in the green.

Update 1/27/22: Yeah, that’s no longer true. My analytics have been pretty red… but only because I have been slacking hardcore with Pinterest. In regards to movies, it’s hard to create novel visual pins and on top of that, have *47* pins to post a day. Yes, Sophia recommends that you pin 47 pins a day for optimal results. I’m just one person, I don’t have the stamina! 😩

Update 9/13/22: I need to get back into Pinterest. My organic Google views have been great but 97% of my views are from Google meaning that if I put effort into Pinterest, I could really get a lot more eyes on my content.

So, I definitely want to revisit this course and make some actual progress with Pinterest because, in the beginning, it did bring a handful of people to my site.

Update 3/13/23: The 2nd quarter of 2023 is dedicated to reviewing Sophia’s Perfecting Pinterest course and mastering Pinterest because I definitely wrote it off prematurely. There is so much visual marketing I can get through Pinterest if I just tried again and now, I actually have the time to dedicate to this rigorous Pinterest strategy. Stay tuned…

Update 8/23/23: I’ve officially given up on trying to master Pinterest. I wouldn’t say it has anything to do with Sophia’s course because I still use her strategy for my occasional Pinterest posts but I just don’t think Pinterest is the best platform to promote movie reviews. Especially with how demanding it is.

Now, I’m focusing my energy on platforms that produce results without draining all my time and energy. Only using Pinterest for reposts now.

My advice to anyone reading this: do keyword research to see if your niche is something being actively searched for on Pinterest. If not, I wouldn’t waste my time if I were you…

Helpful Aspects of Perfecting Pinterest

Everything. She maintains the video plus script structure that she has in Perfecting Blogging and drops invaluable Pinterest gems.

And on top of that, because Pinterest updates its system so often, she actively updates the course when she adjusts her Pinterest strategy so that you’re constantly in the loop regarding what’s new.

Most Useful Takeaways from the Course

1. Using Tailwind – I’m social media deficient so learning about using Tailwind and having it do the dirty work for me was life-saving. (Update 8/23/23: Only using the free version of Tailwind now since Pinterest now has its own scheduler)
2. Keywords!!! And putting them EVERYWHERE.
3. Statistics Fluctuate – being prepared for low moments again is reassuring.
4. Creating a “Best Of–” Board. It is now my most popular board.
5. Step-by-step Pinterest pin creation and learning that it doesn’t have to be perfect. The pressure is off 😅.
6. Learning how many pins to pin daily for success. I only do a fraction of the number of daily pins I should do but I still see significant progress in the number of impressions I get. 
7. How to Pinterest legally. Using legal photos only and not spamming. 
8. Creating engaging pins, titles, and captions.

Unhelpful Aspects of Perfecting Pinterest

1. It’s way too taxing to be successful on Pinterest. Sophia’s strategy requires a lot of time and energy which may not be as beneficial for certain niches that aren’t as visually inclined.

By Sophia Lee Pinterest Course Review – Was It Worth It? 

It was definitely worth it because I do have a better hang of Pinterest as well as Tailwind. Everything I know about optimizing Pinterest, I’ve learned from Sophia.

However, I’m not using Pinterest exactly as prescribed by Sophia because I’m not sure how beneficial Pinterest is for a movie review business.

Who goes on Pinterest to read movie reviews?

Exactly, no one.

But if your blog is big on original visuals like travel photos, decor, DIY ideas, and more, this Pinterest strategy may be exactly what you need.

By Sophia Lee Blogging Course Prices

To purchase By Sophia Lee’s Perfecting Blogging Course, the current price is $247.

To purchase By Sophia Lee’s Perfecting Pinterest Course, the current price is also $247.

There is nearly a 20% discount if you decide to buy both courses together with the bundle price being $399.

A note of caution, when I bought the bundle, it only cost $210 and I’ve been noticing with a lot of blogging resources and courses that I’ve used, prices have been rising across the board so don’t wait for another price hike. Get the courses now so you don’t delay perfecting your blog any longer!

As an affiliate of By Sophia Lee’s courses, I do get alerted whenever there is the occasional discount and send it out by email so you can sign up for those alerts below.

In Conclusion…

Overall, I think the biggest thing that both of these courses gave me was a solid foundation for creating a perfect blog. Coming out of those courses, I felt equipped to take my blog to the next level.

My analytics as well as my content have consistently gotten better over time.

The progress that I’ve shown here has been over the course of a couple of years so my advice to anyone who wants to see quicker results is to take Sophia’s course and create a solid plan that allows you to consistently implement what you’ve learned.

I would highly recommend Perfecting Pinterest for anyone trying to drive more traffic to their blog, most especially if the blog features original images and visuals.

And I would recommend Perfecting Blogging to any new bloggers who are overwhelmed by the many facets needed to make a perfect, profitable blog. 

If you’re interested, the links to purchase Perfecting Blogging, Perfecting Pinterest, or the bundle for a discounted price on both are linked below!

Take a step towards making the perfect blog. You won’t regret it 🙂

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Have any more questions or reservations about the By Sophia Lee Courses? Let me know in the comments below!

And be sure to subscribe for the latest blog updates (form in sidebar).

Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

IMO