ww.wp.xz.cn site subscriptions vs WordPress.com site

First, I apologize if I am in the incorrect forum.

I set up my first blog a few months ago, as a self hosted ww.wp.xz.cn site (www.somethingtoshoutabout.org). Since then, I have discovered I love blogging and have added an additional free blog on WP.com (www.squeezeinthefunny.wordpress.com).

The differences in the subscriptions have left me dumbfounded.

In my self hosted site the only subscribers and views are those I have personally invited….none of whom are wordpress users. (The numbers are few and rare.)

In my free site I receive subscribers with each post…..something unheard of in my self hosted site. ALL OF WHOM are wordpress users whom I do not know.

It took me days of research to figure the cause of these differences. I THINK I may have come to a conclusion and ask for your confirmation and advice.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

There is a difference in the access and admin in the wordpress.com reader? My self hosted site does not get read by the same crowd as the free blog? “Following” while being “logged in” to wordpress.com is not possible on my .org site?

As you can tell I am still new and rather confused.

I suppose I simply want to know how to get wordpress.com readers to my .org blog? If this is impossible, perhaps I should switch to a free blog? (What’s the use of paying for a wordpress blog if it will not be read by other wordpress readers? I do not care if they are email subscribers or simply WP followers.)

I certainly appreciate anyone’s help.
Thank you kindly!
April