As you know, I’m taking part in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge over at Problogger. I’m playing catch up today, trying to do several days worth of work on two blogs. And I’m noticing a trend. A lot of Darren’s tips have to do with how you treat readers. No big surprise there. It doesn’t matter if you are writing the best blog on the internet. Without readers, you’re wasting your breath. Or typing. Or whatever. Treat your readers well, and they will treat you well- by linking to your site, checking out ads, and helping to spread the word through twitter, digg, sphinn, and other social media sites.

Treating your readers well will encourage them to keep reading, and to keep (or start) commenting. There are some really easy ways to do this.

• Write individuals who comment often, or even for the first time, an email, thanking them for their participation. It only takes a few minutes, but it can make a huge impact. It says that you care enough about your readers to give something back. Diana, over at Reading Is Sexy, sent me one of these letters, and it just made my day.
• Use CommentLuv. This Wordpress plugin will show a link to your commenter’s recent post underneath their comment. Your readers will appreciate the extra traffic generated by commenting on your blog.  This is a tactic used by Robin over at Web Success 101, and I always get a few visitors after I comment over there.
• Get interactive. Ask for advice, put up a poll, offer to publish reader tips. Hold a contest. Give readers a reason to respond. And make sure that you respond back. Start a conversation with your readers.
• Visit and comment on the blogs of your readers. Let them know that you are interested in what you are doing. This is one of the best ways to build a relationship with your readers. It lets them know that, not only are you reading their comments, but you are interested in the person, and blog, behind the comment.

These ideas aren’t new. But knowing about them, and actually using them, are two different things. We read tips all over the place, from many different sources. Do something different today. Take these tips, and use them. Let me know how it goes.

Which techniques are you already using to encourage comments and earn loyal readers? Do you have any other tips?

I hate Mondays, but I’ve been looking forward to this one. Today kicks off day one of Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge. There are already 9,200 people signed up. This is a free program that Darren is hosting on his Problogger blog. Interested? You can still sign up here. Over the next 31 days, Darren will be walking everyone through how to improve their blog, with daily lessons and tasks.

My husband has decided to take the challenge with me, even. Which surprised me. He is a brand new blogger, over at Extreme Music Underground. He is having a rough start to getting things going, so I think this will be good for him. The challenge could not have started at a better time. This blog, as well as my parenting/personal blog. are both less than a week old. My daily visitors to each site varies between three and twenty. I have a lot of work to do, and I can’t wait to get started.

Today’s task is to write and elevator pitch for my blogs. An elevator pitch is a short (150-200 words) description of who I am, and what my blog is about. An elevator pitch can help a blogger determine an audience, as well as help him, or her, stay on track. It’s also nice to have something ready when someone asks you what your blog is about.

For Writer at Home, this is what I came up with:

Write at Home is a resource for freelance authors, with an emphasis on work at home moms. It offers information relevant to writers in today’s marketplace. As a freelance writer, and work at home mom myself, I strive to give others the tools and techniques they need to be successful in their careers. I understand the challenges and sense of triumph that comes with this career field, and my goal is to create a community where writers can find solutions, share their success and frustrations, and find the information they need to move ahead in their careers.

For Writer Mom at Home:

Writer Mom at Home is my personal blog. It features personal antidotes, pictures, and commentary on things relevant to moms. I am a mom, a writer, a cook, a struggling housekeeper, and a wife.  All of those sides are represented, through recipes, housekeeping tips, parenting advice, and posts about the challenges, and wonders, of marriage. Writer Mom at Home is about me and my daily life, presented in a way that other moms can relate to, laugh with (or at), and learn from.

Obviously, they’re not perfect. I’ll play around with them more later. And before you rush of to Writer Mom at Home, hoping for recipes for tonight’s dinner, there aren’t any recipes yet. Soon, though.

Will you join me in taking Problogger’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge? I sure hope so. Go check out the first task, then come back and let me know what you think. Please feel free to leave your elevator pitch, along with a link to your blog, in the comments section so that others can see what your site is about.

Are you in?