Are you as obsessed with taking Instagram polls as I am?
They’re a magical combination of easy and fun, and when the feature debuted on Instagram Stories in October 2017 I immediately hopped on the fangirl bandwagon.
I mean, how could I not?
Polls make it insanely easy to share your opinion, provide feedback, and have fun doing it.
So, have you taken advantage of this feature’s popularity with your own audience?
If you’re scratching your head wondering how you could be using Polls to engage your audience, don’t worry.
Here are 15 creative ideas for using polls to boost engagement and grow your business on Instagram.
1. Host a survey
At the beginning of the year, I hosted a survey on my Story to learn more about my audience and what content they're interested in seeing from me, and to validate an idea I had for a new digital product. The results were amazing! I received tons of valuable feedback and even had people direct messaging me to share more information.
If you have a handful of questions you want to ask your followers, share them in Stories!
2. Ask your followers which product they like better
Share images or video of your products and ask your audience which one they like better. Not only will you see which products resonate best with your audience, but you'll also be able to see exactly who chose which option (polling is not anonymous, but only you are able to see the data). This is especially helpful if you want to follow up with those who answered your poll for more information. Just make sure to be respectful of their privacy.
3. Grow your mailing list
Growing your mailing list can take a ton of effort. If you have a great freebie or want to tease your next newsletter, share it with your audience on Stories and simply ask them if they want to be added to your list. You'll be able to see who answered 'yes' and direct message them for their email address.
I used this technique when I was validating my idea for a new digital product and received dozens of email addresses for people who were interested. Then, I was then able to contact them once the product launched!
4. Play a game with your followers
The possibilities are endless with this one! If you need some inspiration, take a look at what @StrangerThingsTV did to promote the second season of Stranger Things. They created a 'Choose Your Own Adventure'-style set of Stories that took followers through difference scenarios with Dustin and Steve and it was a serious hit!
Instagram/StrangerThingsTV via mtv.com
5. Ask what your audience needs the most help with
Want to know your audience's biggest pain points? Just ask them. Knowing exactly what your target audience struggles with is one of the best ways to create content, services, and products that resonate with them and help you grow your business.
Gather valuable insight by asking questions like, "What do you need more help with? _____ or _____" and "Would you rather I shared more info about _____ or _____?" Use this information for things like blog posts, sales pages, services, products, and more.
6. Ask yes/no questions
These types of questions are so easy to share and even easier for your audience to answer. Win-win!
When the Vero hype was still fresh, I hopped on Stories to talk to my followers about what was going on and how they didn't need to create social media profiles for their business on every platform (and to also share that I seriously didn't think the app would last more than a week 🤷🏻). During that chat, I used a Poll sticker to gauge how many people in my audience had signed up for the app so I could gather more insight about how they were reacting to the hype.
7. Gather information and audience data
Odds are that most of your Instagram following is made up of your target audience, right? If you're not sure, use Polls to learn more about your audience. Who are they? Where do they live? What do they love? What are they struggling with? You can then use this information for blog posts, new products or services, social media content, and so much more.
8. Engage in current events and pop culture
Ask your audience fun questions that revolve around what's going on in the world! Just make sure the questions stay on brand for your business. Nothing's weirder than a smoothie shop asking questions about Oscar's Red Carpet fashion.
Source: Adweek
9. See how many people heard about your sale, giveaway, new blog post, etc.
In today's busy world, it's not unlikely that some of your audience may have missed your new post or big announcement. Check in on how many people actually saw your post, entered you giveaway, or took advantage of your sale by asking them.
Because you're able to see how each person responded, you can then reach out to those who missed your announcement and share a link. If direct messaging isn't your jam, or there are way too many people to follow up with, share a screenshot or link in your next Story to ensure that people know where to go to see what they've missed.
10. Have your followers choose your next giveaway prize
Want to host a giveaway but aren't sure what the prize should be? Ask your audience what they want to win! By including your followers in your process and letting them pick the prize, you'll increase excitement and solidify your connection with them even more.
11. Gauge interest
In a new product, idea, series... anything! It's always a good idea to make sure your audience is interested before diving head first into the creative process, so use Polls to help you figure out whether or not it's a good fit.
You can ask questions like:
- Would you be interested in...?
- Should I do...?
- Do you want to see...?
- How do you feel about...?
12. Determine how many of your followers are attending your event
Have an event coming up? Want to know how many of your followers are attending? Simply ask them if they're coming! Another perk: Use this as a way to remind people about the event, too.
13. Ask 'Have you ever?' questions
Trying to figure out if your followers have ever done something? Whether it's for research purposes or just for fun, this is another great way to get to know your audience better.
14. Have your followers pick their favorite
People love sharing about the things they love. Use this to your advantage when trying to learn more about your followers, validating an idea, or thinking of what product to launch next. Give your audience a This or That option and see which one they love most!
15. Ask for an opinion
Have you ever wanted to know what your followers thought about... anything and everything under the sun? Posing simple questions on Polls is an easy way to find out. This idea works for any business on virtually any topic and allows you to learn so much about your audience while still creating engaging content they enjoy.
It's totally up to you how you use Instagram Polls, but I hope these 15 ideas sparked your creativity!
Let me know - are you planning to incorporate polls into your Instagram Stories strategy? Are you already using them to boost engagement with your audience? Share in a comment below!
