I'd be wary of jumping on the content marketing bandwagon and of copying others. If what you want is word of mouth then you have to give people reasons to say thank you and wow before you can get them to say yes to your calls to action which need to be clear. Content should be timely and relevant to people's needs wants and interests whilst hilighting the expertise and passion that backs up your brand promise. This makes for word of mouth within relevant circles.

Given Google's current direction, I'd worry less about SEO and focus more on creating fresh relevant content people will want to share online.

If people are saying they would pay then ask them to. The question is what are you offering in the paid version that they can't get for free and is it worth paying for. You don't want it too look like a cash grab. You also want to make sure you're not asking people to be the first at the party so make sure you have some key members signed up and active first. Consider giving them free access if it means others will buy in

Do you have a niche? What makes you different than all the other options in the market? Where are your sales coming from right now? Social media is good for lead generation if you're listening properly. The key is to generate thank you'd and wows so you can get yeses when you put out a call to action.

Do you have anything to show him? Find out what his timeline is and what his goals are and see if you can deliver Also make sure this fits your own goals (Have you set any?) What are the delays in your development pipeline? Will this interest help resolve any?