Today LMC welcomes guest blogger Jessica Kane, who shares her thoughts on – you guessed it – blogging. Thanks Jessica!

Blogs are critical for establishing your firm as thought leaders. Zipping out your first 8, 10 or even 20 blogs can be a breeze when you are bursting with ideas and enthusiasm for your new project. Somewhere along the line, however, the ideas can start to dry up and your content can start to feel stale – like you are just rewriting the same thing over and over. Sometimes, it’s not even a matter of getting out those first 8, 10 or 20 blogs; you don’t even know where to start in the first place. Whether you’re just starting out or are running out of ideas, here are 5 tips for creating great blog content.

1) Steal concepts, but not content

Whatever kind of blog you write, it’s a good bet that someone else writes a similar blog. Don’t be afraid to keep tabs on what other people are writing about and write on the same topic, but from your own perspective. Think of the media: there’s only so many newsworthy stories to cover and most channels are essentially reporting much of the same news, but with a slightly different take and different spin. You can do the same with blogging.

2) Use guest writers

Providing a wide variety of fresh content is key for any great blog. Sometimes, however, we can feel stuck in a rut or like we just keep beating on the same drum over and over. Asking another blogger to write content for your blog is a great way to inject new life into your content.

3) Contract fresh material

Having a guest blogger write content for you is one way to spruce up your blog with fresh, new material, but another way to do it is to contract someone to write content for you. With content services like Fiverr, you can actually contract a number of different people to create fresh, new material for you.

4) Use a mix of content, like video and infographics

Videos are rising in popularity and infographics have been proven to add significant “weight” to almost any article involving statistics, numbers or figures. You can hire someone to shoot a professional, high quality video if you have the budget for that, but you can also shoot your own “selfie” blog video. You do want it to be as professional as possible, however, so do some research on how to create a great video and maybe invest in a “selfie light” such as this one.

5) Design your content with your demographic in mind

Studies have shown that most people do not read blog content, but merely scan it instead. Conversely, however, that still leaves a specific demographic that actually prefers long, juicy, meaty content to sparse, easily scannable content with key points highlighted. What constitutes great blog content differs by audience, and this is why it’s important to know your audience. If your target audience is readers who are “book-smart,” they are far more likely to read long, meaty content that gives them a lot to think about. If you write a business blog, however, you’re more likely to attract followers if you offer concise, easily digested information, including pictures, diagrams and infographics.

Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Faxage a leading company that provides Internet fax service for individuals and businesses.