Layer your beats. If you use prerecorded audio loops and samples to make your beats, after a while they will begin to sound repetitive and stale. You can remedy this by layering different loops on top of one another to create a more complex sound. To do this, find a variety of loops that complement one another and place them on top of each other in separate tracks using your digital audio software. For example, combine a punchy drum beat with a catchy bass riff and add a prerecorded synthesizer line. You can find free loops online at sites like Looperman and Free-Loops.
Add effects to your beat. Your digital audio software contains a variety of options and filters that allow you to edit your sound in unique ways. Try adding reverb to your beat or using an echo effect. Make your beat sound more electronic by using a "Chorus" filter, or make it more aggressive by adding distortion. Experiment with different effects to see what works best.
Create beats from scratch. Using samples will only take you so far, but recording your own custom tracks can open up new opportunities and give you far greater originality. You can record professional-sounding beats right into your computer by using a MIDI cable with a MIDI keyboard or controller keyboard. Use the MIDI cable to plug your keyboard into your computer (you may need a MIDI-to-USB converter cable), and then record custom beats directly onto your digital audio program by selecting a software instrument setting and clicking the "Record" button.
Practice making beats by copying those from your favorite artists. Do not do this for purposes of plagiarism, but simply as a private exercise to better familiarize yourself with the process of putting professional beats together. By repeating what others have done, you will better understand the process for creating hits and hone your own skills as an artist.
Try new things. You have likely noticed a lot of similarities among the beats used in popular music, and the fact that artists use certain popular chord progressions and riffs repeatedly. Try creating unique melody lines and beats that do not match those commonly heard on popular radio stations. This will make your beats stand out, and you may discover catchy new melody lines along the way.