Brands need to make the most of Instagram polls to learn what their audience wants. This could even help you see that your whole profile needs a refresh. You have to keep your followers and fans happy to continue growing. The snsflow.com team has put together this guide to Insta polls and how to make the most of them.

What Are Instagram Polls?

Polls let you ask questions with up to four options. These can be basic Yes/No questions or quite literally anything else that you think of. This can be the key to getting opinions straight from your online audience. Instagram is always changing this feature — it originally only had two-option polls.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of sharing content without even knowing if it works. Polls might help you figure out what your profile’s missing. You could ask them what they like about your content, for example. Instant feedback like this is key to adapting your strategy.

Polls give your audiences a way to guide your content. This even helps them feel more engaged with your account. Knowing how to make a poll on Instagram may make a massive difference to your profile. Neglecting polls is also a big risk; you won’t have a clue what your fans want.

How To Do a Poll on Instagram Story Posts

Putting together a great poll also means knowing how to make an IG story post. You’ll also have to figure out which poll type works best for what you’re looking for. Here’s a simple guide on how to do a poll on Instagram Story posts.

1. Create a Story

Click your profile icon in the top left of Instagram’s feed. This brings you to the Story page. Press Camera to take a picture or video, or click Photo to upload one from your gallery. This can even just be a simple background in your brand’s color scheme.

2. Pick a Poll

Click the smiling sticker icon near the top of the screen. Press Poll if you just want to ask your followers a question with two to four possible answers. You can alternatively choose a sliding-scale icon. This poll lets people rate their feelings on an item or photo by dragging an emoji slider.

3. Share the Post

Add your question or scale poll and place it near the Story’s middle. This makes sure people see and answer it. Click Your Story at the bottom left to share it. You can also click Close Friends to only share it with the people you want.

4. Check the Results

Look at the poll after 24 hours (when the Story expires) and use the info however you want. This could show you that people like a certain type of content over others, for example.

Finding Ideas for Your Polls

Your followers won’t do all the work for you. You need to find the question (and answer options) that give your account room to grow. Good poll ideas will show you what people prefer, perhaps through a “Would you rather?” question.

Yes/No questions aren’t a bad choice — but they don’t give you much to work with. Real-time feedback only matters if it gives you a new direction to go in. Try to add as much detail as you can to the poll answers. However, still make them broad enough to fit Insta’s four-choice limit.

Here are some simple yet effective poll questions that could help you:

• When do you check Instagram?
• Are you ready for our big reveal?
• What topic do you want to hear more about?
• Which one should be our new profile picture?

Are you coming to our IG live later?

The Benefits of IG Polls

Your polls do so much more than give you answers to burning questions. They could unlock an even deeper link with your fans and buyers, for example. Here are just some of the ways that polls on Instagram can boost your account:

• Engagement: Polls ask your fans to do more than just click through your Stories. They’ll give followers a chance to really shape your content (and whole profile) going forward.
• Audience segments: Polling your target audience also helps you learn more about your followers. You can figure out their priorities and how different sets of them have different preferences.
• Smarter spending: These polls arguably act as market research for your account. You’ll learn where and how to spend your money after 24 hours of asking the right questions.
• New opportunities: You can use polls to see where you’re falling short. Knowing how to do a poll on your Instagram story will highlight new directions to focus on.
• Rapport building: A poll shows you’re open to feedback and want to learn more. This could inspire more people to trust your brand because they can tell you care.
• A way to have fun: Your polls don’t always have to be serious ones about getting feedback. You could just ask to learn more about your fans while sharing your less formal side!

Can Others See Who Voted on Your Instagram Poll?

People usually can’t see other voters on your poll. However, they’ll see the percentage of votes that each option gets. This keeps every user anonymous — except to the Story’s creator. If you set up an IG poll, you can see every voter and their option.

Others will only see this info if you choose to share it, for example, by screenshotting it and posting it on your Instagram story. It’s best to keep this to yourself if you don’t make it clear that you plan on sharing. Your followers might otherwise think it’s entirely anonymous.

Knowing how to share poll results on Instagram means doing so ethically. There’s a reason why IG’s built-in sharing feature only shows the percentages. Don’t risk ruining the trust you have with your followers as quickly as you build it up.

How To Make a Poll on Instagram That Works

There are some other invisible rules you need to follow when making a poll on Instagram. You’re only going to get the best results by perfecting your polls. Here are some tips for sharing a great IG poll:

• Target your niche: Broad polls are great for getting broad answers. But you need to mix these with questions that are about your brand and its main services.
• Pick the best sticker: The basic poll sticker isn’t always the best choice. It could help to use a Q&A that lets followers elaborate on their opinions.
• Post often: Rival IQ reports that active brands share 20 Stories a month. You won’t need to hit this target — but it gives you more opportunities to connect.
• Remind your fans: You could use polls to remind people about an upcoming product or post. This makes them much more likely to keep up with the launch.
• Use the right tone: Variety is key in learning how to make a poll on Instagram. Choose the tone of voice that fits each poll you make.
• Post when people are online: Add polls to your Story when more people will see them. This makes it more likely that your followers will vote.
• Use the results: Your polls can’t just be a fire-and-forget way of getting engagement. It’s important that you make the most of them and the insights they give.

How To Share Poll Results on Instagram

Your polls will automatically end after the Story expires (or if you delete it). You can then go back to your story archive and view it again. Swipe up at the bottom to see every vote and a Share Results button. Press this to generate a new Story that shows the general split. But can others see who voted on your Instagram poll? No, this doesn’t show who voted for what.

It’s actually also possible to share the results before the poll’s over. Simply slide up on the Story while it’s active to see the voters. Click on Share Results to show people how the vote is going. However, you’ll get the best (and most accurate!) numbers if you wait. Even so, you might want to give regular updates — especially if it’s a close call.

Experiment with Instagram polls to get the full picture of what your audience wants from your IG brand. snsflow.com can link you up with lots of organic followers who give honest answers to your polls.

Our team’s account boosts will help your engagement while giving you lots of new followers who last. Try snsflow.com today, and you’ll get the audience you’ve been dreaming of.