The speed with which this piece of advice has replicated itself across the web is a solid testimony to its effectiveness. It comes from Seth Godin’s blog, and answers the question: “What Makes An Idea Viral?”

For an idea to spread, it needs to be sent and received.

No one “sends” an idea unless:
a. they understand it
b. they want it to spread
c. they believe that spreading it will enhance their power (reputation, income, friendships) or their peace of mind
d. the effort necessary to send the idea is less than the benefits

No one “gets” an idea unless:
a. the first impression demands further investigation
b. they already understand the foundation ideas necessary to get the new idea
c. they trust or respect the sender enough to invest the time

This explains why online ideas spread so fast but why they’re often shallow. […]

Notice that ideas never spread because they are important to the originator.

Notice too that a key dynamic in the spread of the idea is the capsule that contains it. If it’s easy to swallow, tempting and complete, it’s a lot more likely to get a good start.

I’m interested in what Seth’s saying here because I’ve noticed that certain of my articles get picked up and talked about all over the web, while others languish in loneliness and nobody seems to even notice them. I think what he’s saying here about making a distinction between what’s important to you versus what’s important to your readers is really important. I might have what to me is a simply explosive idea. But I’ll put it out there and get little or no response. Meanwhile, I’ll post something which is more of a throwaway idea, and it spreads like wildfire. It’s a really interesting dynamic that anybody who’s interested in communicating their ideas (on or offline) ought to take some time to consider.