Does your blog or website possess the characteristics of a “sleeping giant”? Meaning you’ve poured your all into making it media rich, chocked it full of killer content, and still … you’re just not seeing sufficient signs of a vibrant community?

Well, one way you might arouse the ogre in your cyberspace is by programming more interactivity. Create more ways for your target audience to actually engage with your message… Start thinking “participation marketing.”

There are a number of ways to immerse site visitors in your brand, in what you stand for. One great example is the “Freak Your Mind” campaign A&E created for its Criss Angel MindFreak show a few years back. Site users provided a friend’s name, phone number and email address; A&E sent them a video in which Criss Angel performed a mind-bending magic trick: The friend, then, had officially been “freaked.” The viral value at the core made this a huge success.

If you don’t have an A&E level budget, you can still think outside-the-box and activate distinctive activities involving your site. In fact, any attempt you make to personalize your marketing can become a buzz-builder for your brand. Just make the potential pay-off (i.e., THE PRIZE) worth people’s while.

Gain inspiration from these ideas:

• Use social media more frequently to run promotions, but give it an engaging spin to meet your community-building goals. Eligibility to win would require leaving a comment on your blog and/or subscribing to it. Commit to doing this regularly to build a name and trigger buzz.
• Hit YouTube in search of talent who can create a slick, WOW-level video presentation that’s instructional for your target audience. Cite useable tips and insights; wrap them around a contest you’re running. Require a blog comment to qualify for your prize.
• Invite developers to bid on creating a cool tool your audience can really use. Embed on your site and promote it around a few that have been around a while, meaning they’ve worked very well as branding hallmarks for their owners:
  • The free brainstorming tool at Bubbl.us,
  • The free keyword density tool at SEObook.com, and
  • The free, brandable tool bars at Conduit.com.

There are all kinds of ways to make your site more interactive, but the single most important ingredient to success is making your offer valuable. Plan to invest time and money in development. Do your homework to help ensure you’re crafting a home-run. When you’re ready, promote it as a break-through and give it the official launch treatment. Build a serious campaign around it, pushing it via every tool from AdWords and press releases to social media and local media interviews. Before long, you’re “sleeping giant” of a website will be wide awake with a sizeable, loyal following.