LinkedIn polls have become an increasingly popular way for companies and influencers to engage their audiences and gather feedback. But do these polls actually work? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of using polls on LinkedIn.
The Pros of LinkedIn Polls
Here are some of the main benefits of using polls on LinkedIn:
- They are easy to create. LinkedIn’s native polling feature makes it simple for any user to create a poll in just a few clicks.
- They drive engagement. Polls get attention and can help increase overall engagement on your posts as people vote and share the poll.
- They provide quick feedback. You can use polls to quickly gather opinions, feedback, and insights from your target audience.
- They start conversations. An interesting poll question can spark lively debates and discussions in the comments section.
- They generate leads. Polls attract attention and bring new visitors to your LinkedIn page who can turn into leads.
In summary, the ease of use, high engagement, and lead generation potential make LinkedIn polls a potential asset for brands looking to connect with their audiences.
The Cons of LinkedIn Polls
However, there are also some limitations to keep in mind when using polls on LinkedIn:
- Limited poll options. You can only include up to 4 poll answer options on LinkedIn.
- Self-selecting respondents. The poll results represent the opinions of those who opt to participate, not your entire audience.
- Influenced voting. Since voting is public, early votes can influence later voters.
- Post reach limits. LinkedIn caps the organic reach of posts containing polls.
- Can’t target polls. You can’t target polls to specific audience segments like you can with ads.
In summary, factors like limited options, reach, and targeting make LinkedIn polls best suited for quick feedback vs statistically accurate data collection.
Types of LinkedIn Poll Questions
Here are some of the most popular types of poll questions to consider:
- Product feedback polls: “What feature would you most like to see added to our product?”
- Content polls: “What type of content should we create more of?”
- Brand awareness polls: “Were you familiar with our brand before today?”
- Event interest polls: “Would you attend a virtual event on this topic?”
- Industry polls: “What is your #1 challenge when it comes to [topic]?”
Tailor your poll questions to align with your goals, whether that’s gathering product feedback, driving event registrations, or better understanding your audience.
Tips for Creating Effective LinkedIn Polls
Follow these best practices when creating polls for LinkedIn:
- Keep poll questions short, simple, and specific.
- Avoid yes/no questions. Present multiple choice options instead.
- Test different phrasing options to see what resonates best.
- Only include the minimum number of options needed.
- Consider using images or video to make your polls more engaging.
- Promote your polls through status updates, LinkedIn Groups, and ads.
Well-designed polls that spark discussion can gain great visibility and response rates on LinkedIn.
Poll Frequency Best Practices
When it comes to poll frequency, a good rule of thumb is quality over quantity. Here are some best practices:
- Limit polls to 1-2 per week. Too many polls may cause audience fatigue.
- Vary your content format. Mix polls with articles, videos, events etc.
- Consider the volume of content you share overall. If you post frequently, keep polls occasional.
- Monitor engagement. Increase/decrease poll frequency based on response rates.
Test poll cadences and see what works best for keeping your audience engaged without overwhelming them.
Driving Poll Responses
Here are some proven tactics for getting more votes on your LinkedIn polls:
- Post at optimal times. Morning and lunch hours during weekdays tend to see highest LinkedIn engagement.
- Use intriguing but neutral poll options that appeal to multiple viewpoints.
- Leverage notifications and reminders. Comment on your poll post with “@name Check out my latest poll!”
- Offer an incentive for voting like a free downloadable resource or discount code.
- Promote your poll across channels like email and social media.
Promoting your polls and incentivizing participation can help generate more votes and feedback from your audience.
Analyzing LinkedIn Poll Results
LinkedIn provides basic analytics on votes and comments for your polls. For deeper analysis, consider:
- Monitoring total votes over time to see when response rate peaked.
- Comparing the number of votes to overall post reach.
- Looking at viewer demographics like job role and industry.
- Reading poll comments to identify themes and sentiments.
- Comparing results across multiple polls on a similar topic.
Regularly analyzing your poll performance can help refine your polling strategy over time.
Poll Examples and Ideas
Here are some creative examples and ideas to inspire your next LinkedIn poll:
- “Which social media platform do you find most valuable for connecting with your audience?”
- “How likely are you to recommend our product to colleagues?” [Scale of 0-10]
- “What most motivates you in your work?” [Multiple choice options]
- Image poll with photos of different office designs: “Which office environment would you prefer?”
Get creative with visual polls, ranking scales, and interactive elements to take your polls to the next level.
Tools for Creating LinkedIn Polls
While LinkedIn has a built-in polling option, here are some popular third-party tools as well:
- SurveyMonkey. Create unlimited polls and surveys that integrate directly into LinkedIn.
- PollDaddy. Visually engaging poll and survey templates to share on LinkedIn.
- Typeform. Build interactive, stylish polls optimized for mobile.
- SurveySparrow. User-friendly surveys with real-time poll insights.
Consider exploring dedicated survey tools to create more advanced polls, questionnaires, and quizzes for LinkedIn.
Poll Ideas for Different Goals
The poll types you choose should align with your specific goals on LinkedIn. Some examples:
Goal | Poll Idea |
---|---|
Generate Leads | “Download our product guide and enter to win a free 1-year subscription!” |
Market Research | “Rank the importance of these product features from 1-5.” |
Event Promotion | “Will you be attending our upcoming webinar on [topic]?” |
Audience Engagement | “Do you prefer short educational videos or detailed blog content?” |
Reputation Management | “On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our services?” |
Aligning your poll strategy with business goals will make it easier to demonstrate the value of polling on LinkedIn.
Poll Don’ts to Avoid
While polls can be highly effective, there are also some pitfalls to avoid:
- Don’t ask overly salesy questions like “Ready to buy now?”
- Avoid overly broad or vague questions.
- Don’t include too many poll options.
- Don’t post repetitive polls on the same topic.
- Avoid controversial topics that could alienate your audience.
Keep your poll questions focused, specific, and thoughtful to encourage quality responses.
Conclusion
In summary, polls can be a highly valuable tactic for engaging audiences and gathering feedback on LinkedIn. But high-quality poll design and promotion remain key to getting accurate and actionable results.
Test different polling strategies, analyze the results, and continue refining your approach. When done right, polling provides a quick and easy way to gain tangible insights to inform your LinkedIn strategy.