In the December 2007 issue of Fast Company magazine (you read it, right? if not, subscribe today!), Robert Scoble wrote about the ways that presidential candidates are using New Media to attract an audience. Blogging, texting, video, webcasting, social networking, and tracking. Businesses can take a cue from this starfish – Scoble’s Starfish. This multi-legged strategy can be used to get people talking about you; coming to you; bringing others to you. (This strategy only works if it allows the consumer to have a conversation with you in the manner they want).

Some folks want all info on their phone (especially those iPhone fanatics). Some want to have a forum. Some will want to share with content they help create. No one way works for everyone. Let your audience decide.

(Google “scoble starfish” without the quotes and see the results.) Scoble has 2 videos where he discusses the starfish (see here). The diagram is on Flickr, but wordpress prevents me from showing it.
Robert Scoble is a blogger and author of a book on blogging titled Naked Conversations.