I ran across a great post the other day from John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing on why blogging remains a critical tool in the age of social media. Some people may think that blogging can take a back seat to other forms of social media, but that is akin to putting your best foot backward.

Here’s why:

Blogging is the most stable form of SEO. Google is always taking steps to penalize sites that try to artificially boost their rankings. Blogs provide high quality, education-based, keyword-relevant content that will never be penalized by Google.

Blogging is your hub for social interaction. A blog forms the foundation for your social media efforts. You post a great blog and then make everyone aware of it by reposting on Facebook, Twitter, etc. That drives more traffic to your blog.

Blogging builds your email list. Valuable content entices people to learn more from you by signing up for a subscription to your newsletter or a feed from your blog.

Blogging builds your credibility. By approaching your blog as a publishing platform and pumping out content with a consistent point of view, you build a targeted audience and your expert status.

Blogging gives you options. You can repurpose blog posts into an article, a free report, an e-newsletter or other forms – useful content created on a blog has many potential lives.