So my marketing department (also known as Carolyn) told me: “You need a blog.”  At first, I did what every other overwhelmed, bootstrapping, first-year CEO does.   I resisted.  I am not a writer; I don’t have time; who will read it?

But 2011 is a new year, fresh start, clean slate, and all things considered, a blog is not a bad idea for small companies like Zimmdot.  Here’s why I gave in and started a blog, and why you should too.

1. “Hello, this is Zimmdot speaking.”

Blogging gives us a voice.  Increasingly, clients want to know more than the skill set of their vendors.   Clients want to know why you wrote the software that’s going to revolutionize their business.

2. Have a Soapbox

Blogs allow your company to have an easy platform from which to announce new or upcoming products.   You can generate excitement and energy around your products or services.   You can share your ideas and philosophies.  If you are a small company, you want to associate your brand with your values.  You still have press releases, ads, and social media marketing.  But blogs allow a different sort of marketing to occur.  In a blog, you can tell the whole story.   It’s just good PR.

3. Headcounts

Here in the business world, numbers are king.  Blogs increase traffic to your website.  Hopefully you (and I) will gain a following.  We will then be able to brag at conferences and clients that our web traffic is up exactly 7,045% since May.  Yeah, we rock!

4. Expect the Expected!

Let’s be honest; everyone and their brother has a blog.  And so does their mother, the mother’s best friend, her daughter, the next door neighbor and the next door neighbor’s cat.  Blogs are simply everywhere.  I am going to throw a number out here and it’s probably fairly accurate: 127% of companies have blogs.  Clients have come to expect that your small company has a blog.  So, while blogs may not be unique, they certainly are important.  And if you don’t give your company a voice, your clients may just go find another company.

I hope you will be blogging in 2011 with me.  Look for ZimmThought to be updated every Tuesday and Thursday.  Here goes nothin’!