Today we see large Fortune 500 companies jumping into the shallow end of social media - getting their feet wet and waiting to be told that it's okay to go a little deeper. Nobody wants to be the only kid at the pool party watching everyone else have fun.

The problem is that these companies are all copying each other and following the exact same format. They're creating well-designed and entertaining marketing programs using a variety of social media outlets that are initiating awareness, but with a relatively short life span.

Being able to get people to talk about your product or service, it turns out, is not very hard to do. Companies are constantly driving up the number of followers they have, but are the connections meaningful? You can extend your arm for a handshake and chances are most people will reciprocate, but how much further does the connection go? Are you getting the type of consumer engagement that drives your brand?

Granted, some products are more interesting to talk about than others, and obviously you can't provide opportunities for interaction as easily with a service as you can with a product-driven campaign: this requires some outside-of-the-box thinking.

Generally, nobody will tell a story if it is not going to generate a response, whether it is educational, shocking, motivational, etc. The key is to give people something to talk about that is engaging. Providing good content that is credible and has a trigger that sparks consumer interaction is key.

Here are just a few triggers that can help initiate the chain of consumer discussion:

• Secrecy
• Exclusivity
• Humor
• The Unusual

Giving people something to talk about is different than giving them a reason to talk. Giving consumers something simply to talk about is like saying a quick hello to a person passing you by on the street. Providing a reason to talk is when fellow consumers become engaged and want to continue the conversation.

• While there's no set format for developing a social media campaign, to create a successful one remember to: Develop a strategy that provides opportunities for consumer interaction with the product.
• Provide credible and interesting content.
• Focus on the consumer.
• Don't force discussion, it must occur naturally.

Continue to check out my blog posts. I will be highlighting successful social media campaigns that used various triggers to help spark consumer awareness.

Ron Dylnicki is a Senior Art Director at Long Island advertising agency Austin & Williams, and the Agency's go-to resource for new and innovative buzz marketing ideas. To read more about Ron, visit his bio section on the A&W web site.