Leveraging User Polls in Instagram Stories

Ask any marketer or social media expert the key metric for Instagram growth, and the majority's answer would be engagement. People on social media, Instagram in particular, love to engage. If the content is worth their time and attention, they would love to engage with it. As one of the most popular content forms, Instagram Stories can rake in significant engagement, provided they are of good quality.

A juicy story that prompts the audience to respond or interact can bring in more engagement than any other content form. If you want to spice up your Instagram Stories and engage with your followers in a more interactive way, then consider using Instagram polls in your stories. If you have not been doing so yet, it is time to jump on this fun and effective feature that can do wonders for your engagement and overall brand strategy.

Follow along to learn how you can leverage polls on Instagram to boost your content, build relationships with the audience, and improve your business outcomes.

What are Instagram Polls?

Instagram Polls are a smart feature within Instagram Stories that enable you to ask your followers a question and give them different responses—two in most cases. It is a simple yet effective tool to make your Stories more interactive and engaging. 

The best part is that polls provide you with immediate, real-time feedback. Whether you are looking for opinions on a new product, gauging interest for some upcoming content, or just having fun with your audience, polls give you a simple way to involve your followers directly in the conversation and learn their opinions.

Why does it matter, you may ask? It is because engagement on Instagram is highly essential for increasing visibility and growing your following. The more engaged your audience is, the more Instagram's algorithm will push your content to the Explore page. This, in turn, will help you reach potential followers and even customers. 

Why are Polls So Engaging? 

Polls work very well, and for good reason! When you run a poll, you are basically inviting your audience to interact directly with you. In a world where passive scrolling is the inherent feature of most social media platforms, this kind of direct interaction creates a sense of participation and makes people feel valued. Everyone loves the opportunity to voice their opinion easily and quickly—and polls can make that happen. 

If you think about it, there is also a psychological factor at play! Polls cater to the human need for instant gratification. In just a few seconds, people can express their preferences and immediately see how their answers compare with others. It is like a game, and who does not enjoy a bit of fun?

How Do Instagram Polls Help Boost Your Reach and Engagement?

Using polls in your Insta Stories can dramatically increase your engagement, which is highly important for your content's visibility. Engagement is gauged by the likes, comments, and shares for your posts and, yes, the interaction you get on these polls. When you post a poll, you are not only getting votes but also encouraging followers to spend more time interacting with your stories. Instagram sees that your content is engaging which then signals the algorithm that it is worth showing to people—hence, increased visibility. 

Here is how Instagram Polls can significantly enhance your content strategy:

Increased Time Spent on Stories

People love to engage with interactive content. Polls encourage users to spend more time on your Stories, and the more time they spend, the better it is for your reach.

Two-way Conversations

Polls invite your followers to share their thoughts and opinions. This creates a sense of participation and community and can help build stronger relationships with your audience. 

Valuable Feedback

Polls offer direct insights into your audience's preferences and interests. Whether you are testing out a new idea or looking for feedback on a product, polls offer you a quick way to understand your followers’ desires.

Some Creative Ways to Use Polls in Your Instagram Stories

Ever since the Instagram Polls were introduced, businesses and influencers have been coming up with unique and creative ways to incorporate them in Instagram Stories. Here are some creative ways to use polls in your Instagram Stories to maximize your engagement:

Ask Fun and Relatable Questions

Not everything has to be serious, and people on social media are usually looking for fun content. Sometimes, the best way to engage your audience is through humor or some lighthearted content. For instance, you can ask your followers things like "Coffee or tea?" or “Which outfit should I wear today?”. Polls like these are simple and relatable and they will get your followers to participate without overthinking it. 

Try to keep your questions fun, creative, and connected to your audience's interests. Also, do not forget to add GIFs or emojis where appropriate—they can make your polls more visually appealing. 

Ask Your Audience About Content Preference

If you are unsure about what content to create next or are out of ideas, you can always ask your followers directly. Using polls for this purpose makes it more interesting and helps you out in case you are hesitant to ask. 

Polls can be a great way to gather insights on the type of posts, themes, or products that your audience prefers. For instance, you could ask, “Do you want to see more behind-the-scenes content or makeup or product tutorials?". When you involve your followers in the decision-making process, you make them feel heard, and you are likely to produce content that they will engage with more. 

Show Your Products

Do you want to get some buzz around a new product? Use Instagram Polls to show off your products or services in a fun and engaging way. For instance, if you are launching a new clothing line, you can create polls to compare two different styles or colors. Many brands and influencers use polls with the questions "This or that." Ask your followers which one they prefer, and you will not only get to engage them but also get a sense of what will be liked more by the audience. For instance, "Which dress is your favorite: A or B?" A simple question like this can make your followers feel like they are a valuable part of the process.

Conduct Quick Feedback Surveys

Instagram Polls are also a great way to gather feedback on things like product preferences or customer satisfaction. If you want to improve your products and services, it is important to learn how the audience perceives you. But people also find it hard at times to give long reviews or fill out long survey forms. 

So, instead of bombarding your followers with long surveys, you can create a poll to ask questions like, "Did you like our latest post?" or "Would you like to buy this product again?" This quick form of feedback can help you adjust your content strategy or offerings without making your audience feel overwhelmed by your need for feedback.

Generate Buzz Around an Event or Promotion

Polls are an excellent way to generate excitement around an upcoming event, sale, or promotion. For instance, you can ask, “Who is ready for our Christmas sale?” or “What is your favorite deal in our Black Friday Specials?” 

Creating polls about an upcoming event also helps you gauge interest levels so you can plan accordingly. Also, it can help you spread the word. If an onlooker was not previously aware of the upcoming event, seeing a poll may pique their interest and get them excited about it, too. 

Interactive Quizzes for Extra Fun

A small quiz or trivia can be a great way to break the monotony and refresh the mind. If you want to take your polls to the next level, consider turning them into quizzes. Quizzes are more engaging than simple polls because they enable your audience to test their knowledge or learn something new while they interact with your content.

For instance, if you are a fitness brand, you could ask trivia like, "What is the best time of the day to exercise?" and give your followers options to choose from. Quizzes can be fun, informative, and interactive, all at the same time, and for you, they can bring in a lot of engagement.

How to Create a Poll on Instagram Stories

If you are ready to give Instagram Polls a try, here is a quick guide to get you started.

The first thing you need to do is define the objective for which you want to create the poll. Do you want to gauge the audience's opinion on a new product or campaign? Are you looking for content ideas? Or do you just want to increase your engagement? Once you have a clear idea of why you want to create a poll, you can create the questions accordingly.

When it comes to creating questions for the poll, you must ensure they are clear and can be answered via a simple choice like A or B. 

Now, to make a poll, open Instagram and swipe right to open Stories. Capture or upload a photo or video for your Story and Tap on the sticker icon next (the square smiley face at the top). Now select the "Poll" sticker from the options. Once done, type the questions that you created earlier and customize your answer choices. You can add custom responses or keep it a simple Yes or No option. Now, resize and position your poll to fit your Story design.

Then, post your Story and wait for those responses to start pouring in. You can check your results in real-time by swiping up on your Story to see how the audience is voting.

Optimizing Your Polls for Maximum Engagement

If you want to make the most of your Instagram Polls, it is important to take a few aspects into consideration when designing and posting your polls. 

Designing Your Polls

The polls you design must be an extension of the kind of content your audience is used to seeing on your feed or regular stories. 

You may also want to consider incorporating elements that represent your brand identity and voice. For instance, you could add your brand logo and add the same theme and fonts that you use for your content otherwise. 

Timing your Polls

Timing is very important! You will want to post your polls when your audience is most active to maximize engagement. If you are not sure when your followers are online, Instagram Insights can provide you with data on when your audience is most active.

Another tip is to post your polls at strategic moments, like during peak engagement hours or just before launching a new product. Making sure that your polls are timed correctly will help you ensure maximum interaction and feedback. 

Leveraging Polls Results for Better Content

Once your poll is complete, do not just leave the results hanging. Share them with your audience as soon as you can. This not only shows your followers that you value their input but also encourages them to take part in future polls.

Moreover, the insights you gather from your polls can help shape your content strategy. Use this data to create more refined content according to your audience's preferences so that your audience gets to see what they want. 

For instance, if your poll shows that most of your followers prefer a specific product, consider creating more content around that product. For instance, you can make tutorials, show how it is made, or add customer reviews. Also, use analytics to assess the response and participation in your polls. Use the insights you get to refine your strategy so you can leverage them to the maximum.

Final Thoughts

Instagram Polls are a fun and interactive way to connect with your followers, get insights, and boost your engagement. By leveraging the polls creatively, you can expand your reach and brand's presence, get more insightful feedback, and create a more engaged community around your content.

Whether you are presenting your products, asking for opinions, or merely entertaining your followers, polls are an easy and effective way to get the audience to interact. So, start using Instagram Polls today strategically and experience a significant spike in your engagement.