Ever since their release , Twitter polls are taking the Twitterverse by storm. The traditional ways of taking a poll, whether it be tracking replies, using hashtags, or asking your followers to retweet for one option or favorite for the other is now part of history.
What exactly are Twitter polls?
This new feature allows any Twitter user, whether it’s a personal or business account, to ask their followers’ opinion on just about anything. “Did the ref make the right call?” “Who would make a better president, Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton?” “Should I eat cake for dinner?” Any two-option questions can be answered anonymously within a 24-hour period with a Twitter poll! After 24 hours, the option to vote in the poll disappears, but the results remain public for all to see. The best part? If you participate in any Twitter poll, how you voted is not shared publically.
How can this help my business?
Twitter polls open up many new and exciting doors for businesses. People love to know that their voices are heard, and Twitter polls allow for a more participatory experience for your consumers. When used creatively, this simple yet effective tool can help use social media to drive in more business (as if you needed another reason to invest in social media). Below are just a few ways to get your followers engaged with Twitter polls:
- Let your followers choose their discounts
If you’re trying to figure out the perfect holiday sale to help drive business, what better way than asking your customers directly? Choose two items you would be okay with discounting, and then see which option gets the higher number of votes. You’d be surprised at how excited people will get when they see their vote mean something.
- Figure out what contest you should run
Looking to reward your dedicated followers with a contest or giveaway? You may think your contest idea will have everyone entering, but your customers may think otherwise. Instead of receiving no entries and scrapping the contest (trust me, it will hurt your pride), ask your followers what kind of contest they would be more likely to participate in!
Have a killer giveaway in mind already? Use a Twitter poll to see what prizes your followers are interested in winning!
- Let your followers pick how you deliver content
As a brand in the 21st century, it’s not only your job to create a product that people love, but it’s also your responsibility to be an expert in your industry. Keeping potential and existing customers engaged is a crucial component of selling them your product. What better way to keep them interested than by asking what type of content they want to see?
If you’re going to take the time out to create content, you’re going to want people to look at it. For example, I could have created a Twitter poll to get the most out of this blog:
- Market research
Looking to get a better understanding of your followers? Use a Twitter poll! This new feature is an awesome (and time efficient) way to grab opinions from a snapshot of your target market. These polls are also a great way to see if your current campaigns are reaching your audience. If you ask your followers if they have seen your new campaign and more people answer no than they answer yes, it’s probably a good idea to rethink your approach.
- Have fun with it!
You’re trying to stay with the times and you want to create the perfect first Twitter poll for your company. So you think… and you think…. and hours later, you still don’t know what to poll about. Step outside of the box and have fun with it! Not everything you do on social media needs to be directly related to your business. By showing your company has a personality and a good sense of humor, you will see your engagement and brand awareness go through the roof.
Seriously, did anyone know who Norm Kelly was before this tweet?
So there’s only one question left…
Hint: There’s only one correct answer if you want to stay relevant.