When Instagram rolled out its stories feature last year it received a lot of criticism, even being branded as a cheesy snapchat copy cat. But with over 200 million people a day using Instagram Stories (according to Instagram) it has become an important marketing tool and it should really feature in your social media strategy. Instagram has been constantly upgrading its Stories feature with additional options such as face filters, stickers and the ability to add links, but the newest shiniest update is its poll feature.
You may mumble “Ok, I will put out a few stories if I must, but why should I bother using polls?”
1. Engage with your audience
Polls create a chance for you to engage with your audience, connecting your brand and your followers. They are a great way to make your customers feel as if their opinion is important to you. Using polls is also a great way to spark engagement and initiate conversations.
2.Content creation
Not only does using a poll create variety it also gives you a chance to double your social media content! For each poll not only do you have the original poll post, you can also create another post showcasing the results! Bingo! Two for one posts!
3. Free Feedback
Utilise the chance to receive free feedback! Companies pay thousands to get opinions on their businesses and products. With Instagram Stories you can ask your customers directly for their feedback. If someone has made the effort to follow you on social media they are likely to care about your company! These people are likely to provide honest feedback, and as a bonus it is free.
4. Gain customer feedback in real-time
Use the insight into your customers preferences and behaviours to influence and inspire promotions and marketing plans. If you know that your customers prefer a certain product you can put an offer on it to draw more people in! If people haven’t heard of a product in your range you can focus your efforts on publicising it! You can gain insights on current affairs in an instant, and even find out which technology your customers use to interact with your brand. Do people want to book a table online instead of calling? Find out! Should you develop an Android app or an Apple one? Find out! The possibilities are endless.
I hope that after reading this post you are ready and raring to go and post your first poll on Instagram.
Read my next blog post to see How to use the Poll feature on Instagram Stories and I will also throw in a few tips and tricks to make your polls more successful!
Drea MacMillan 