from: http://www.clickz.com/3639620
If your goal is get as many people as possible to opt in to a relationship with you, stop reading this now and go start a contest to give away a trip to Hawaii to one lucky person following you on Twitter. It hardly matters what you are selling.
But if you are in this to create an actual business with long-running value, I invite you to explore a new model, called CAFE, which provides the four main building blocks of a strategic, social plan. CAFE stands for Content, Advocacy, Fans, and Engagement.
Content is the fuel that drives the plan. A brand must have some content to start an interaction. We can't wait for the consumer to come to us. That content could be an invitation to tell us what they are thinking. But, more likely it is something that communicates an idea about the product.
Advocacy is the newest kid on the marketing block. While we've always known that people make decisions based on advice from their peers, we've never been able to bake that into a plan the way we have now. Generating advocacy needs to be a real part of what you are planning to do.
Fans are important, of course. We've said they shouldn't be the only goal, but it is critical that when consumers do come to your content, you seek to establish a relationship with them, and following (or fanning) is an excellent way to do it. This is also the pathway to advocacy and earned media.
Engagement is the final piece and the one that most people, unfortunately, ignore. This is the long-term relationship that you intend to have. The work you do to bring people in to your world not only represents value to you, but also a commitment. When someone opts in, it's because they are looking to interact with you again and again. You need to be ready to do this.
The Million Pound Drop
