Last week I examined the compelling reasons why every seller to schools should have a company blog. But once you’ve got your blog set up, what happens next?

In my experience, the prospect of coming up with ideas for weekly posts is one that many would-be bloggers find seriously daunting, if not a little terrifying. It shouldn’t be. If you keep your ears and eyes open, inspiration is all around you.

Today I’m going to look at the 5 types of post we use at Sprint. Then I’m going to grade them on a) how easy they are to come up with inspiration for, b) how easy they are to write, and c) How often you should be looking to use them:

BLOG TYPE 1: THE ‘HOW TO’ OR LIST POST

Ease of inspiration score = 9 out of 10

The blog you’re reading now is an example of this type of post. It came about because we’re constantly asked questions such as ‘What’s the point in a company blog?’ or ‘What makes a good blog post?

Inspiration for these posts is incredibly simple to come by; just take a quick glance at your company FAQ’s and you will instantly be confronted with a whole host of glorious subjects that teachers are crying out for you to tackle.

Ease of execution score = 9 out of 10

The fantastic thing about this type of post is that it’s also the simplest to write. By breaking it down into bitesize steps or bullet point tips, it makes it much easier to structure your thoughts and far less daunting to undertake.

Ideal frequency score = 4 in 10 posts

Not only are these posts the easiest to produce, they’re also some of the most beneficial to teachers, offering them great tips that they can take away and implement in their school. All of which means that the ‘how to’ or list blog should account for nearly half of your total posts!

BLOG TYPE 2: THE ‘TOPICAL OR ‘AGILE’ POST

Ease of inspiration score = 8 out of 10

This type of post relies upon you keeping your eyes open for topical news stories that are sure to capture teachers’ attention. It’s always worth asking the question, ‘what is the whole world talking about right now that I can blog about?’

Subscribing to the TES, keeping daily tabs on the Education page of the BBC News website, and even checking out what’s trending on Twitter, will provide you with a great picture of the kinds of subjects that are going to be occupying teachers’ thoughts.

Ease of execution score = 6 out of 10

If these stories directly affect schools or your industry then you’re onto a sure-fire winner and the post should almost write itself. If not, then it can still work brilliantly, you’ll just have to use a little more imagination.

The X Factor and the Scottish Independence Referendum are not subjects that are directly related to either marketing or education; however we still managed to use them as springboards to offer sellers to schools some really useful advice.

Ideal frequency score = 3 in 10 posts

These posts can be tricky ones to strike the right balance. By talking about things that are in the public consciousness you’re sure to get good engagement, but you also have to make sure you give teachers something useful that they can take away.

If you can get it right, the results can be dynamite and really demonstrate that your business has its finger on the pulse. Look to crank out one of these every month or so.

BLOG TYPE 3: THE ‘OUR WORLD’ POST

Ease of inspiration score = 3 out of 10

One of the key tasks that your blog must perform is to give teachers an insight into the people and personalities behind your brand so they grow to feel like they know you a little. So, whenever possible, you need to write a post that’s going to let teachers into your world.

I’ll admit that these can be tricky to find inspiration for so make sure you make the most of it if you win or get nominated for an award, gain a new team member, or your mum says something funny!

Ease of execution score = 4 out of 10

Again, striking the right balance in these posts can be devilishly tricky. It’s fab to let teachers have a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes, but you’ve also got to make sure you give them a pay off – something useful that they can take away.

Ideal frequency score = 1.5 in 10 posts

These posts are all about waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. They are a valuable but limited part of your blogging arsenal so don’t overuse them.

BLOG TYPE 4: THE FUNNY OR QUIRKY POST

Ease of inspiration score = 3 out of 10

Email and postal marketing tends to be quite straight laced. And for good reason; it’s likely you’ll have to get sign off from 3 or 4 different people and be expected to demonstrate a return on investment.

Blogs then, are a great chance for you to cut loose and be a little more experimental. These blogs, although great fun to write, can be pretty tricky to come up with an idea for that’s both funny and tackles a useful subject.

Ease of execution score = 6 out of 10

These posts are all about the strength of the concept. Once you’ve hit upon the right idea, they’re actually great fun to write and even slightly addictive! We had a blast making the model ‘Egg Men’ for last Easter’s 'Why We Should All Be More Like The Humble Egg' post!

Ideal frequency score = 1 in 10 posts

This is the joker in the pack. Used sparingly it can really make your blog stand out from the crowd. However, if it’s overused it can end up cheapening your blog.

BLOG TYPE 5: THE HEADLINE POST

Ease of inspiration score = 5 out of 10

This is the ‘headline’ or ‘marquee’ post that really creates a splash and demonstrates how forward thinking your business is. It’s often strategic in nature and so will usually be planned in advance to support the introduction of a new product or initiative. If you're the type of business that's always trying to break new ground then you'll find inspiration easy to come by.

Ease of execution score = 3 out of 10

These are the posts where there is most at stake so it’s crucial you spend enough time researching it and getting the message spot on. These posts are often written by a company director as they are the equivalent of setting out their vision of the business.

For examples, have a read of a couple of our ‘headline’ posts; ‘Inbound: My Mission to Fix The Broken Marketing to Schools Playbook’ and 'Back to The Future For Education Sector Businesses’.

Ideal frequency score = 0.5 in 10 posts

These posts are the real heavyweights of your blog. They should feel like an ‘event’ so it’s crucial that you use them sparingly or the magic will wear off.

Ensuring your posts are a nice mixture of these styles will ensure your company blog remains fresh and unpredictable. Next week, we’ll discuss how to put these fab blog ideas into a format and style that teachers are going to love reading.

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