Whether they’re for personal or professional use, blogs are a powerful way to engage your audience and expand the reach of what you have to say. Businesses have used blogs to land new business and build a stronger relationship with existing clients through ongoing conversations that blogs facilitate.

One key thing to remember when beginning: have a purpose before you start. Don’t start blogging and then deciding what you want to say. (Leave that to the amateurs.)

Even after you’ve developed your niche, though, it can be challenging to think of new ideas to keep your readers happy.

So here are some tips to get you moving and keep your blog moving forward:

1. Stick to your blog’s purpose. Hopefully, you established a clear and concise purpose when you started your blog. You should know if you want to inform your audience, inspire them or just connect. And you should know what topics belong in the blog, what the general point of view is, and what you plan to deliver.  Now, stick to your purpose. While some headlines or trending topics may be tempting to discuss, if they aren’t consistent with your purpose, leave them alone.
2. Find out what’s current. If you have a point of view about a current event that is within your blog’s purpose, share it on your blog. Tying postings to current events can make them more sharable, which will expand your reach. If you are at a loss, browse Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. See what is trending and use that to your advantage.
3. Keep it original. People don’t want to read about mundane, everyday things that they might find on a Facebook status. People want to be informed, engaged and inspired. Most likely, the people who read your blog are interested in whatever field of knowledge or advice you have to offer, so keep your it relatable and current. If you don’t catch your reader’s attention in the first paragraph, you will lose them.
4. Add flavor and personality. Blogging is telling a story, but it’s not as strict as journalism. You can – and should – inject your personality into what you’re writing. Think back to when your parents or loved ones would tell you stories when you were a child. Do you remember how their voices and facial expressions would change and how it added so much more to the story? Now figure out your own style of writing and put your personality into it.
5. Use pictures and video. People are visual creatures, so by adding in more visual stimuli, you’re grabbing their attention, and they’ll be more likely to stay on your blog longer.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your blog. Over time you will begin to develop your own voice and style. The more you enjoy what you’re writing about, the more people will enjoy reading it.

Happy blogging!