Do you want to know a secret?

A tweet this morning got me out of bed, dressed and driving through school zone traffic for something I could have had in my own kitchen. It looked something like this:

Now, there are several things that are compelling about the message. First—and most obvious—it’s getting something free. Sure, it’s just a $1.65 cup of coffee, but there are no strings attached. Walk in to any 7-Eleven store, fill your cup, show the clerk, walk out.

Second, I got to express my opinion about something. The promotion is part of a longer “7-Election” campaign that the company runs during the presidential race every four years. There are red cups for Romney, blue cups for Obama and green cups for Independents/Undecided/Etc. According to the press page, the “unabashedly and unscientific poll has correctly predicted the presidential election for the past three election cycles – 2000, 2004 and 2008.” When my friend Patrick reported on his Facebook page that blue cups were winning at the local store, my “tribe” affiliation with the Red team got me moving. As author Seth Godin tells us in “Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us,” it’s our nature to make a difference for something we’re passionate about, even if that’s assuring our candidate a lead in the coffee cup count.

Finally, the 7-Eleven deal drew me in because it’s insider information. There was nothing at the bricks-and-mortar store that said coffee was free. I felt I was “in the know” about the giveaway—and that FEELING overrode the fact that everyone who grabbed a large cup got it free at the register, whether they were aware of the deal or not. As Steve Lee at QuickSilver Interactive Group told a group of us Wednesday night, one of the best ways to engage your social media followers is to tell them secrets. Pull them in to your confidence. Make them a part of something cool and interesting. It draws in new followers—and, more importantly—keeps them coming back for more.

If you follow Sprinkles cupcake stores on Twitter, for example, you’ll occasionally get a password for a free cupcake with purchase. Today, if you told the counter staff “Neapolitan” between 10am and noon, they’d give you a free Neapolitan-flavored cupcake with the purchase of any other cupcake. It’s a sweet deal for someone like me, who loves cupcakes, but it’s also a good deal for Sprinkles. It sells cupcakes (I have to BUY one to get my “free” one), builds brand loyalty, and generates a positive buzz about the national chain.

It also helps me build my personal communities. I quickly shared both the coffee and cupcake deals with my friends and followers. In turn, they often share similar ones with me. It’s how I know that my favorite local restaurant, Celebration, always has fried okra and jalapeno gravy available, even though neither is on the menu. And I know that J Crew and Banana Republic give 20% in-store discounts to students with any school ID. Learning these things from my friends subtly strengthens our connections and pulls us back to social media again and again—a model that any corporation or non-profit organization justifiably strives to duplicate.

Now let’s do a little community building with each other. I’ve shared my secrets with you. What inside scoop can you share with me? Post them in the comments box below or tweet it to me @anneharding91. Can’t wait to hear what you know!