Is blogging a trivial pursuit? For some, sure. But the successful bloggers we interviewed developed blogs that became core drivers of business growth.

Often it was through these blogs that audiences first became aware of the investing experts, learned what they had to offer, and came to trust them.

Let’s find out how our bloggers did it.

First, Meet Our Panel of Investment Bloggers

Each of our blogging experts has an impressive background in investment and finance.

Some were self-taught while others hold advanced degrees.

Sophia Bera, Gen Y Planning

Sophia Bera and her team at Gen Y Planning close the gap between traditional financial planning firms and the needs of young adults in their 20s and 30s.

Their goal: Helping clients “live their ideal life.”

Sophia is a Certified Financial Planner with a bevy of accolades, including being named among the “Top 40 Under 40” by Investment News.

The Gen Y team advises on big decisions like the purchase of an advanced degree or house, handling student loans, and navigating key life events like getting married and having kids. Her blog reflects those topics.

Sophia’s new book has a 5-star average rating on Amazon: What You Should Have Learned About Money But Never Did.

Shailesh Kumar, Value Stock Guide

Shailesh’s steel processing business was hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis. Credit dried up. He was turned down for a bank loan.

The banker told Shailesh that if he were running an investment business he’d be approved. Why?

“I reviewed your personal tax returns going back 5 years,” said the banker, “and I have not seen anyone making such consistently profitable investments, year after year.”

Shailesh spent a year winding the steel business down and turned his attention toward his first love: investing.

“It took me a year before it finally dawned on me that I can use my skills and passion for investing to help others,” he said. Now he does just that with his Value Stock Guide membership site and blog.

Shailesh brings to the table years of experience advising Fortune 100 companies and overseeing some $700 million in annual client capital.

Oliver Hauschke, Invest Like the Best

Oliver Hauschke discovered his passion for investing as a teenager. He purchased his first shared for 200 Deutsche Marks and still holds them.

In the 25 years since there’s been an explosion of information available on the internet about investing — much of it misleading or complicated.

Oliver launched his blog to provide quality, easy-to-understand information distilled from the strategies of top investors like Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Joel Greenblatt, Howard Marks

Oliver is also the founder of the Bridge2Fortune Academy  which offers online courses and one-on-one coaching.

“I lost money in the dotcom bubble by doing what everyone else was doing,” Oliver recalls, “and I made money right after the subprime crises by following the principles I learned from the successful value investors and swimming against the tide. Knowledge and patience became the keys to my own success.”

Jeffrey A. Miller, Dash of Insight

Jeffrey Miller has a varied and deep background in investing and economics. As a public policy analyst with a Ph.D., Jeffrey taught advanced research methods at the university level.

He went on to become a strategic advisor to early-stage companies.

Decades ago, Jeffrey began working for market makers at the at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. He parsed out pricing model anomalies and developed new forecasting techniques. By “merging these quantitative techniques with specific company analysis” he also “generated trading ideas from sell-side analyst reports.”

Soon afterward he launched a futures and options research consultancy for professional traders at the Chicago exchanges.

Jeffrey is now a recognized expert on the impact of news events on markets, computer-based trading, and economics.

In 1998 Jeffrey created, with co-founder Vince Castelli, NewArc Investments. NewArc’s goal is to put their advanced trading strategies and skills in the service of individual investors.

Jeffrey also serves as an Expert witness and consultant with Capital Markets Research.

Jeffrey’s Dash of Insight blog has a helpful “Individual Investors; Start Here” section and a curated selection of the best resources and ideas for individual investors.

Rohit Chauhan, Understanding and Applying Value Investor Principles

Rohit Chauhan discovered value investing after reading the book The Warren Buffet Way. He soon devoured works by other value investment greats, like Benjamin Graham and Philip Fisher.

Today, through his blog Understanding and Applying Value Investor principles, Rohit chronicles for readers his exploration of the “value investing approach to picking stocks, which involves buying them at a discount to their fair value.”

The blog also focuses on analyses of Indian companies and industries.

Along with Kedar Ghaisas, Rohit formed the investment advisory firm, RC Capital Management.

The two principals are both engineers with MBAs and 20 years of senior experience in Indian companies.

Brian Preston, The Money Guy Show

Brian is the founder and host of The Money Guy Show, which is both a podcast and a blog. The podcast is consistently listed as among iTunes’ most popular investing podcasts.

Both Brian and his co-host Bo Hanson are financial planners and wealth managers who are CPAs and CFPs.

The Money Guy site features the podcast episodes, a blog filled with actionable advice, and the Smart Money Club: a membership-only (but it’s free) subscription to premium content to help you navigate trends and build wealth.

Frequently cited by media, Brian has appeared on cable news, writes a column for US News, and has been featured in Newsweek, Forbes, The Wall St. Journal, and other publications.

He’s also the founder of Abound Wealth Management, LLC, which has been recognized by Advisory HQ as one of the Top 10 “Best Financial Advisors” in the Nashville and Memphis area.

Jason Rivera, Value Investing Journey

It was the sudden onset of a health issue — bouts of dizziness — that led Jason Rivera to seek a new way to support his family. He decided to revisit his fascination with investing and became a successful self-taught value investor.

He subsequently founded and became CEO of Rivera Holdings and launched the Value Investing Journey blog.

Jason’s focus is on small, obscure, and undervalued companies.

The Value Investing Journey blog seeks to simplify learning to value invest. It offers more than just blog posts. The Recommended Resources section offers a reading list covering topics like behavioral finance, mental models, and competitive advantage.

Blog visitors will also find a 6-week Value Investing Masterclass and links to coaching and investment services.

Visitors can also download Jason’s book: On Float: Learn About the Immense Hidden Power of Investment Float to Gain a Huge Advantage Over Other Investors.