What is it about an online article that makes people forward it on to their acquaintances?  Is it a feel good story? Practical advice? The unexpected?

According to a recently concluded study of the New York Times  all three play a factor, but the most important element is whether or not a story can evoke a feeling of awe.

There is no science to evoking awe, but there are some patterns that you can look for.

• Does your writing evoke a feeling of vastness, that there is something greater than you and your reader?
• Does your article tell the reader something that will expand their understanding of the world and what is possible within it?
• Does it go beyond expectations?

Note that while all of these elements are informative, none of them need to be immediately practical.

If your goal is a wider readership, expounding upon the breadth of possibilities unlocked by your trade is the way to go.  Inspire your readers; tell them what is possible regardless of whether or not you are the specialist for the task.  Even providing a referral will get a potential client to remember you as a valuable resource.

This isn’t to say you should eschew practical advice altogether.  Variety is good and all informative posts, regardless of the specifics of the information, are more likely to see forwards than vapid and empty text.

And if we’re being honest with ourselves, there is more to a good e-mail campaign than user driven dissemination.  It is still important to show what you can do and where you thrive - and for that, practical articles are king.

And while study of the New York Times focused on the viral nature of print media, they same patterns can be seen in picture, video, and just about any other content you want to pass from one individual to another through their social networks.