Thanks to Scott Monty for this link to what Scott Mitchell, a fan of Disney is doing to engage with and consolidate user generated content. This is a great exampled of fan-power using the digital world to achieve a massive outreach.

Having been to Disney theme parks many times over the years as my kids were growing up I can think of loads of valuable information that could be shared and would have made my families enjoyment even greater. We used to spend time trying to find characters so my kids could get their autographs. What about a twitter alert telling us where they were? Queues - where are they forming and how long? Where is a ride with a shorter wait? With two excited sub 10 year olds it can make a heck of a difference to have some insider knowledge. Where is the best place to stay - on site or off site? Are the character breakfasts worth the waiting list and money? (yes and yes)  

So what should other companies do? First realise the potential. What is amazing is that this is customer generated. People are in effect members of of your sales and marketing department. Treat them as such. They do not want paying. They just want to be acknowledged and given access to people and information from the company that will help them do a better job for their 'readers'. Ask them what you can do to help them.

It does not matter what sort of product or service you have - it will have a potential fan base.