If you’ve ever succumbed to the clickability of interactive social media content, then you already see the value of Instagram polls. Not only is clicking a poll prompt oddly satisfying, whether they’re on Reels, Stories, etc., but Instagram polls are great at increasing engagement, collecting audience feedback, and boosting interaction.
However, it’s one thing to understand the inner workings of Instagram polls and their benefits, but another to implement them. If you’ve ever wondered how to do a poll on Instagram, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll cover what Instagram polls are, why they matter, a step-by-step guide for creating an Instagram poll of your own, and some great ways for your brand’s page to use them.
Contents
- What is an Instagram poll?
- Where can you create polls on Instagram?
- How to create an Instagram poll step-by-step
- Best Instagram poll ideas for businesses
- Instagram poll tips and best practices
- Instagram poll FAQs
What is an Instagram poll?
Before we get into how to create a poll on Instagram, it helps to know what it is. An Instagram poll is an interactive feature that’s available for Stories, Reels, traditional feed posts, and group chats. It lets you pose a question, and anyone who sees it can respond.
Instagram polls are effective because of how simple they are. They don’t demand a lot of time or attention from your audience, and they appear in the app where your followers are already scrolling through.
Instagram polls are a low-friction way to engage more deeply with the people who already follow your account. While other Instagram content can be passively consumed, a poll invites your followers to engage. It’s like the difference between watching a television show—a one-way, passive experience—and sitting front row at a comedy show where the performer speaks with the audience. You’re going to be a lot more attentive to the comedian who might roast you as part of their act than you will to the actors on your TV screen.
35% of marketers identify polls and quizzes as an effective form of interactive content.
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Where can you create polls on Instagram?
Over the years, Instagram has expanded where and how you can incorporate polls. Whether you want a poll that will disappear or one that will stick around on your content, or even one that allows you to ask a smaller group for feedback, there’s an option for you.
No matter what type of poll you choose, they’re all designed to drive audience engagement. While scrolling through social media is often a passive (sometimes mindless) experience, a poll or other interactive elements can cause users to pause and interact.
Instagram Story polls
If you want to include a poll in your Instagram Story, you can use stickers to do it.
There are several stickers you can add to your content to solicit feedback from your audience.
- The poll sticker allows you to share a question and provide multiple-choice responses for your audience to select from.
- The emoji slider sticker allows you to choose an emoji (heart eyes, fire, angry face, and screaming emoji, among others) that your audience can place along a sliding scale in reaction to an accompanying question.
- The question sticker invites your followers to offer an open-ended response to a question you pose.
Instagram Reel polls
When you create an Instagram Reel, you have the option to add an accompanying poll. After you’ve recorded the video, you’ll move on to the step where you can write a caption. On that page, you can also add a custom poll, where you can write your own question and set of multiple-choice responses.
Because a Reel lives on your Instagram page once it’s published, you have the option to leave the poll live for only the first three days or keep it open indefinitely.
Instagram group chat polls
If you’d like to ask a smaller group for feedback, head into your Instagram DMs and start up a group chat. In the menu next to the message bar, you can select “poll” from the options under the plus sign.
From there, you can create a custom question and answers for group members to respond to.
Instagram main feed post polls
As with Instagram Reels, you have similar functionality available to you on your main feed posts.
When you’re prompted to create a caption for your image, you can opt to include a poll. And since your main feed posts don’t disappear—unlike Stories, which have a shelf life of 24 hours—you can keep the poll live indefinitely or have it close three days after posting.
How to create an Instagram poll step-by-step
How you create an Instagram poll will depend on where you want to share it. Sharing a poll in Stories differs from adding one to your Reel or main feed post. We’ll break down how to do polls of all shapes and sizes here.
Step 1: Make your Instagram poll plan and write your question
Before you even open the app, think about why you want to use the Instagram poll feature. What question do you want to ask your audience? What business or marketing goal does it serve? And which type of Instagram poll is best suited to what you’re trying to achieve?
Once you’ve decided on the type of Instagram poll you want to create, draft your question. If you’re writing a poll for an Instagram sticker, keep in mind that the poll sticker limits you to fewer than 50 characters for each of the question and answer. Polls in the captions of a main feed post or Reel are less restrictive.
Step 2: Open the Instagram app and navigate to your post type
Next, head to Instagram and click the plus sign in the upper right corner of your app. At the bottom of the screen, you can choose what type of content you’d like to post: a post, story, reel, or live. Navigate to the type of post you want, then choose the media you wish to accompany your poll.
If you’re adding a poll to a group chat, head to your DMs and open the chat you want to query.
Step 3: Add the poll to your Instagram content
If you’re creating a Story with a poll, select the sticker button from the options on the upper right side of your screen. Once you’ve opened the sticker tray, search for “poll” or the other type of sticker you’d like to use, like the emoji slider or questions sticker.
If you’re adding a poll to a Reel or main feed post, select the media you’d like to use in the post. Hit next to navigate to the caption page. There, you have the option to select the “poll” button below the caption space.
To add a poll to your group chat, hit the “plus” symbol and select “poll.”
Step 4: Type in your poll question and answers
Take the copy you’ve drafted previously and pop it into the poll format. Polls are most effective when you stick to one question and keep the tone conversational.
If you find yourself unable to ask your question in the limited characters available, you can add a separate text box to your Story or continue your question in the regular caption area of your post.
Then, add your customized answers. You can create up to four answer options for each question.
Step 5: Share your Instagram poll
Once your poll is fully formatted, it’s time to publish it. Hit the share button and watch your content go out to your followers!
Remember that Stories only last for 24 hours, so you’ll have final results from your poll by the next day. If you opt to put a poll in your feed post, you can choose to have it close after three days or remain open indefinitely.
Step 6: View Instagram poll results
Once your poll is live, you can start monitoring the results. Anyone who weighs in will automatically see the percentage of votes that each response has gotten—though the public can’t see who else took part in the poll or how individuals voted, they can see this general breakdown.
You, however, can see a bit more information on the backend. The account that created the poll sees details including the total number of votes, a percentage breakdown of votes for each answer, and even who voted for what. If you shared your poll in a sticker, you can tap on the sticker or swipe up in your Stories to see the poll details. If it’s in a caption, you can open the caption and click on the number of responses to see who’s participated.
Best Instagram poll ideas for businesses
So what kinds of polls should you create for your Instagram account? As with any marketing tactic, before settling on the specifics, look to your broader business and marketing goals. If you’re looking to drive sales of a specific product, create polls to support that. Want to drive sign-ups for your upcoming event? Design poll questions that spark curiosity about the gathering. These specific Instagram poll ideas can get you started.
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Product feedback polls
Don’t leave yourself to guess how your audience feels about your products or services. Instead, use the Instagram poll feature to ask customers directly for feedback.
Because polls allow you to incorporate custom responses, you can ask detailed questions that allow you to test options with followers. If you’re a dog grooming business looking to expand your offerings, ask your followers if they’d prefer you add a dog walking service, obedience classes, dog-sitting, or none of the above.
This-or-that polls
These polls can be a great way to narrow down your options, particularly if you’re deciding between two potential types of product offerings or want to dial in on something specific about your audience.
A coffee shop working on its holiday drink menu might ask followers to choose between an eggnog or gingerbread latte flavor. If it’s an even split, they might launch both! If one flavor gets no votes, they might omit it from the menu altogether.
Event or holiday polls
Hosting an event or getting ready for a major holiday can be high stakes for small businesses. A lot of time and budget are devoted to big events, so you want to set yourself up for success.
Polling your audience ahead of a big event or the holiday season can give you valuable information that helps you plan and spend more wisely. Let’s say you’re throwing a party around your new product launch. Should you host a late-night dance fest or book a sunset cruise around the harbor? Ask your audience which they’d prefer!
Market research polls
Hiring an outside firm to do formal market research can be costly. Instagram polls allow you to do your own informal version of the process. Use your platform to ask followers for feedback on your business.
Whether you want to understand a problem you solve for, how they feel about your latest product, or what they think about your in-store experience, you can ask for thoughts via a poll.
Lead generation polls
Instagram polls can even provide a path to lead generation. This tactic works well for service-based businesses, which can ask followers about the pain point they solve.
A cleaning business might post a photo of a tidy living room with the question, “Wish your house looked like this?” Those followers who answer, “Yes, please come clean for me!” are potential leads.
Content planning polls
Marketers know that coming up with new content can be challenging, particularly on social media, which requires a constant stream of new posts from your brand.
Instead of guessing what your followers want to see, ask them with a poll. Solicit feedback about the content they’d prefer you post and allow their responses to inform your calendar process.
Instagram poll best practices
The question isn’t only how to make a poll on Instagram. It’s how to make a great poll on Instagram—one that generates lots of attention and engagement. To create one of those, follow these five Instagram poll tips.
1. Keep polls short
No one wants to feel like they’re taking the SATs when they’re scrolling social media. Keep your poll short and light.
Instagram limits the number of characters you can include in your poll sticker question, so if you need to elaborate, you can add additional text to your Story, but don’t go overboard. No question you’re asking via an Instagram poll should require extensive background information.
2. Pick visuals that make sense with the poll
Whether you’re sharing your poll via Stories or your feed, include images or video that aligns with your question. Don’t overthink it. If you’re polling readers about their favorite new product from your spring line, include photos of each of the options. If you’re asking for input on something that hasn’t happened yet, add a selfie of yourself shrugging or looking inquisitive.
The only thing you shouldn’t do, really, is include no visuals at all. Polls on a dull background are more likely to get swiped right past.
3. Post polls when followers are active
The best time to post on social media is when your followers are more likely to see the content. And to understand when your audience is active, it helps to experiment with sharing content at different times. Watch how engagement metrics fluctuate based on when things go live.
Here are the best times to post on Instagram according to various sources. Weekday mornings and evenings are a busy time on the app. But get to know your audience’s specific browsing habits and adjust accordingly.
Once you’ve zeroed in on a time your followers are active, share your poll at the busy hour to give it a greater shot at getting high engagement.
4. Mine poll results for future content
Polls are great for in-the-moment engagement, but it doesn’t need to end when the voting closes! Some poll questions are worth revisiting or using to inspire future content.
For example, if you’ve asked your followers to vote on their favorite new spring product, you can refer to it as a “fan favorite” when you advertise it on your website, in your email marketing copy, or when you share more about it on social media.
5. Avoid overusing polls
Yes, you can have too much of a good thing. Poll fatigue is real, and when you overuse the poll feature on Instagram, your audience might lose interest. Keep your polling sporadic and your questions fun to maintain high engagement.
Frequently asked questions about Instagram polls
Instagram’s poll functionality has changed over the years, so you may still have questions about the specifics. You’ve come to the right place. Read on to see what many users want to know about Instagram polls.
Why can’t I see poll results?
You might not be looking in the right place! If you shared the poll as a sticker in your Stories, you should see results by clicking on the sticker itself or swiping up at the bottom of the Story. If your poll is in the caption of a post, you can see responses by opening up the caption and clicking on the number of responses.
Why is the poll sticker missing?
If you can’t see the poll sticker right away within the stickers feature on your Stories, try the search bar. Type in “poll” and it should show up.
Why won’t my Instagram poll upload?
If your Instagram poll isn’t uploading, there might be a glitch—either on your device or on the app more broadly. Check your app to see if it’s the latest version. If there’s an update available, download it and see if it fixes the bug. You might also close and reopen your app, then retry.
If it seems like everything’s alright on your phone, check a site like Down Detector to see if Instagram is experiencing outages.
Can you create a poll on Instagram after posting?
You need to include your Instagram poll as you’re creating the post. Whether the poll is in a Story or on a Reel or main feed post, it needs to be drafted before you hit publish.
If you forget to add the poll to your content before it goes live, you can always delete the original post or Story and repost it with the poll.
Can people see who voted on Instagram polls?
The account that created the poll can view the full voting results. That means they can see the account handle for each person who participated and how they voted. However, fellow voters can’t see how you voted, specifically. Once a voter gives their poll response, they can see the percentage of fellow voters who chose each answer, but they can’t see who voted for what.
This is what poll results look like to a user, rather than the account holder.
How long do Instagram polls last?
It depends. When you create an Instagram poll via sticker in your Stories, that poll will disappear after 24 hours. If you launch the poll in the caption of a post or Reel, you can choose to close the poll after three days or leave it open indefinitely.
Can you add more than two options to an Instagram poll?
Yes, Instagram allows you to add up to four possible answers to Instagram poll stickers and in-caption polls.
Do Instagram polls increase engagement?
Absolutely! Interactive content of all stripes regularly boosts engagement. Instagram polls are a relatively low-lift type of interactive content to create that can help you build a deeper connection with followers who respond to your queries.
Are Instagram polls anonymous?
While other account followers and fellow respondents can’t see how you voted on an Instagram poll, the account owner can. Your Instagram profile picture and handle will be visible to the account owner as a respondent to the poll, and they’ll be able to see how you voted.
Try connecting with your followers via Instagram polls today
Instagram polls are an easy and effective way to engage your audience, so try creating a poll on Instagram next time your business’s brand needs a boost. Don’t be afraid to have fun with it, you can do a poll to be funny, turn it into trivia, and more. If you want help maximizing your Instagram strategy, see what our solutions can do for you!
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