That’s a good question, and honestly, I wish I had the magic answer.
What I try to do is build reciprocity and community. I read a lot of blogs, comment often, and genuinely engage with other writers. If someone subscribes to me, I always subscribe back because I actually enjoy discovering new voices and perspectives. I use the Reader constantly to find new blogs, new writers, and different ideas. That interaction matters to me.
Since I have more time these days, I make an effort to read almost every email that comes in and interact with about 90% of what I read through likes or comments. I always try to make my replies meaningful, and if the situation calls for humor, I try to make people laugh, too. I also reply to comments because if someone takes the time to engage with my writing, I think they deserve acknowledgment. Too many people treat blogging like broadcasting. I try to treat it like a conversation.
I also try to offer a mix of content so the blog never feels one-dimensional. Some posts are funny, sarcastic, or built around everyday gripes and observations. Others are more serious — book reviews, historical pieces, commentary on current events, and reflections on life, retirement, and living abroad in Rio.
I put real effort into the presentation as well. I try to keep the blog visually clean and easy to navigate, and I added a language translation button so readers can experience posts in their preferred language. I also highlight a “Favorite Blog Post of the Month” to recognize other writers and help build connections within the blogging community.
Consistency matters too. I usually publish two posts a day and use MailPoet to deliver everything in a clean email format, along with a weekly recap so subscribers can easily keep up without feeling overwhelmed.
At the end of the day, this started as a fun hobby, but it’s also something I genuinely want to build into a place where people can laugh, think, learn something, and enjoy spending time. I want it to feel less like random internet noise and more like an actual media space with personality.
I don’t put my work behind a paywall because I want people to be able to enjoy it freely. I do keep a small tip jar available for donations for anyone who wants to support the work, but mostly I hope that consistency, honesty, humor, and real interaction naturally lead people to subscribe over time.
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