Social media has become an increasingly “pay to play” platform in recent years. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as paid advertising gives brands the ability to reach specific groups through targeting. However, as Facebook and Twitter implement algorithms that emphasize paid content it can be challenging to drive engagement through organic posts.
In recent years one tactic has emerged as a crowd favorite – polls. Twitter led the way by adding a poll feature in 2015, with Facebook and Instagram soon following. Polls are effective because it puts the power in the hands of your followers. Audiences love sharing their opinions on a variety of topics ranging from serious to superfluous.
The power of polls were in full effect for a recent Manasquan Bank campaign. For Halloween, the bank’s branches and internal teams worked together to decorate pumpkins for a contest. As a bank with a focus on community, they asked their followers to pick the winning creation. Our team put together a customized landing page that allowed followers to vote. The link was shared across social media along with photos of the entries.
In just one week the poll received more than 1,700 unique votes. The campaign itself drove increased engagement on Facebook and Instagram in particular. Facebook experienced a 168% increase in reach and a 434% increase in post engagement while Instagram reach increased by 19% and impressions increased by 37%.
Tips for using polls on social media
- Use them for research: Ever wish you could know exactly what your audience wanted? Well, now you can!
- Don’t be afraid to have fun: If it fits your brand, use humor to engage audiences.
- Keep ‘em short and sweet: You want your poll to be eye-catching and easy to complete.
Where to host your polls
- Directly on social platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram each have polling features within their native platforms. Each allows you to see results in real-time and have varying levels of customization.
- Survey sites: Need more options beyond those provided by the polling features on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? Poll creation sites like Survey Monkey, JotForm, and Typeform are customizable and offer more robust options. However, a paid subscription may be required to access advanced features. Polls created through these sites can be used beyond social media and can be used in emails and on your website.
Polls are a powerful tool and can be used to gain customer insights or just have some fun with your audience. Want to learn more about how to craft an organic social media strategy? Contact us!
