There has been much buzz online recently about the future of blogging since popular blogger Steve Rubel announced that he was giving up blogging in favor of Twitter and FriendFeed.  Not surprisingly, many bloggers have taken sides on this debate.  I'm definitely on the side for blogs.  While they might take longer to write, that's what I like to do.  While I like Twitter and certainly see the value in it, I prefer getting to know people better, and I have more to say than 140-characters will allow. :)Mark Evans (a Newstex Blogs On Demand publisher and subject of our May 2009 Blogger in the Spotlight interview) weighed in on the subject in a blog post called 11 Reasons Why Blogs Still Matter.  In his post, Mark makes a strong case for why blogging should coexist with your other online activities.  I couldn't agree more.  The key to social media marketing and building an online presence is developing relationships and ecreating xperiences, and one of the best ways to achieve that goal is to surround consumers with experiences they can self-select from in order to engage with you, your business, or your brand.  Using just one tool doesn't get the job done.  To me, that strategy is like only producing print ads but nothing else as part of your advertising plan.  One form of communication isn't enough.Following are a few points from Mark's post that jumped out at me.

• Blogs are a great way to build relationships with other people/bloggers by putting the spotlight on their thoughts and ideas.
• Blogs are a valuable “digital business card” because they give clients and potential clients a clear view of who you are and what you think.
• Blogs are search-engine friendly, which means if people are looking for you or your area of expertise, there’s a better chance of being found.
• Blogs are a labor of love that require time, effort and, often, brain-power. To write a good blog post, you need to think about it and have something to say. Blogs are dinner; Twitter is dessert: part of the same meal and both tasty but different things consumed at different times.

Be sure to read Mark's complete post here to learn all 11 reasons why blogs still matter.