If you want to increase the size of your mailing list, or the subscribers list to your blog, or your Twitter following, there is really just one thing that you need to do: Be Interesting.

It's entirely possible that you aren't interesting. But, if this is the case, you're going to have to fake it, or, reconsider your goals. Here are a few ways to be interesting enough.

Turn the board around
Military strategists talk about "turning the board around" as a method of understanding the enemy. You can do the same with marketing or self-promotion. Try to see the world through the eyes of your readers. What do they want? What amuses them? Odds are that you are interested in your topic, so think about what YOU would like to read.

Be funny, odd, different
Don't worry about being normal, because normal can be pretty boring. Allow yourself the privilege of being yourself in your writing. Ultimately, people are attracted to personalities, so let them see yours.

Keep it short
A good way to lose readers is to go on too long. Unless you know that what you are saying is absolute riveting, don't write too much. It takes too long, it can burn you out, and nobody has the time to read it all. The world is becoming a 140-character place.

Have a theme
Try to talk about some central idea, and then branch out into smaller items. It makes for cohesive writing, but allows enough wandering to be stimulating.