Doing polls on LinkedIn can be a great way to engage your network and get feedback. However, LinkedIn’s native polling feature does not allow you to include images or photos in the poll questions or answers. So can you do a picture poll on LinkedIn? The short answer is no, not directly through LinkedIn’s poll option.
LinkedIn’s Native Poll Feature
LinkedIn introduced polls in 2020 as a new interactive feature for users to create multiple choice questions and get feedback from their connections. Polls show up in both the desktop feed and mobile app. Users can create polls with up to 4 choices and share them to their connections. The poll creator can see real time results showing how people are voting. Polls drive engagement as people vote and discuss the questions.
However, there are some key limitations with LinkedIn’s native polling feature:
- No option to include images/photos in the poll question or choices
- Maximum of 4 choices
- Polls only visible to 1st degree connections
- No advanced analytics on poll results
So if you want to do an image-based poll, the native LinkedIn poll feature will not meet this need. But there are a few creative workarounds using other LinkedIn features or third party tools.
Workaround Options for Picture Polls on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Status Update with Images
One option is to create a status update post that includes images and questions the captions. For example:
Which option do you prefer? Comment 1 for Option 1, 2 for Option 2.
While this doesn’t have the poll formatting, it allows you to share images and get feedback through comments. You can ask people to comment with the number of their choice. The downside is that this requires more effort for people to vote and doesn’t aggregate results easily.
LinkedIn Carousel Posts
With LinkedIn’s carousel post format, you can add up to 10 images and captions. Similar to the status update option, you can ask a question in the main post and have people vote with comment numbers:
Which new product feature do you find most useful? Let me know in the comments!
Option 1
Option 2
The carousel post allows you to display more options in an image-friendly format. But it still lacks poll aggregation features.
LinkedIn Articles with Images and Polls
When creating long-form articles on LinkedIn, you have the ability to include both images and embedded polls. Tools like SurveyMonkey and Typeform allow you to easily create polls and embed them into articles. You can add captions to the images to create visual options and then link to the poll for users to officially vote.
This provides more flexibility for image-based polls. However, the downside is that users have to click through to the poll rather than voting directly on the post.
Third Party Survey Tools
For full featured image polls, third party survey tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Google Forms are your best option. You can create a visually engaging poll experience with multiple images, questions, and custom design options. Then post a link to the survey on LinkedIn and drive people to it.
This likely creates the best experience for image polls. The limitations are that users have to click through to the external site and you don’t get the native integration and notifications of a LinkedIn poll.
Best Practices for Picture Polls
If you do opt to use images and poll questions on LinkedIn, here are some best practices:
- Keep the question short and clear
- Limit the number of choices to 3-5 options
- Use high quality, relevant images
- Make sure the images are easy to see and distinguish
- Check that your images meet LinkedIn’s image guidelines
- Allow people to elaborate on their choice through open-ended comments
- Thank people for voting and share results
The Pros and Cons of Picture Polls
Picture polls can be more engaging and visual than text-based polls. But there are also some downsides to keep in mind:
Potential Pros
- More visual and eye-catching format
- Images can convey certain options better than text descriptions
- Reduces misinterpretation of options when users can see images
- Offers a more interactive experience
- Can be easier to digest than blocks of text
Potential Cons
- Limits number of options due to image sizes
- Images may not always work for conceptual options
- Requires more effort to create images and visuals
- Can’t tap into LinkedIn’s built-in poll features and analytics
- Have to use workarounds that require more user effort to vote
Conclusion
While LinkedIn’s native polls don’t support images, there are creative ways to make picture polls work on LinkedIn using status updates, carousel posts, embedded surveys, and third party tools. Just keep in mind the pros and cons. With the right context, picture polls can be more engaging and interactive for your LinkedIn connections. But simple text-based polls may be easier depending on your specific needs. Test out different formats and see what resonates best with your audience.