I think that blogs are still some of the best means of social media for companies. I love reading in-depth blog posts from my favorite companies about new products, store changes, great deals, or even job opportunities. There are also blogs I follow for makeup/hair tips and general college tips. A lot of the most popular ones are given tons of free products by various companies as long as they mention them in a blog post. This is GREAT for companies because it gets very positive reviews of their products to hundreds or thousands of subscribers from a very trusted source (if you’re following someone’s blog you definitely trust their opinions).
I haven’t tried blogging in the past because, much like any time I try to start a journal, I can’t think of anything to write about and I quickly give up on the project altogether. Many of my friends have used tumblr or wordpress to document trips they have taken for school or just for leisure. It is a great way for us as their friends to stay updated on everything they do, and it is also a great way for them to document their travels.
It’s great that the book states that “one of the most important features of a blog is the reader’s ability to interact with the author through comments”. Most of the time I think this is a very beneficial aspect of blogging that starts great discussions. An example of a company using blogs very poorly is the recent Netflix fiasco. They virtually ignored the thousands of angry comments they received and even went so far as to delete a good majority of them. This only fueled the angry fire when a much better idea would have been to answer comments with understanding and attempt to help people understand the changes better.
Social Media Scoop! 
Yes, you are so right — blogs are ultimate communication power. I think they are under-utilized. Any organization can and should have a blog. They’re personal and engaging. I hope you keep up your blog after class is over because it can be a useful tool in getting a job.