Mark Walsh

November 8, 2009, MediaPost — Much has been made of the ability of social media to help brands connect with consumers in new and deeper ways -- to establish a "dialogue" with users through various interactive tools that blend seamlessly into their online activities.

Compared with the rise of newer marketing tools such as Facebook and Twitter, the corporate blog may seem a bit stodgy. But a new study finds blogging to the most important lead-generation source among social media options, followed by StumbleUpon, YouTube, Facebook, De.lic.ious and Digg.