In addition to networking, LinkedIn provides several tools and features that members can utilize. One popular feature is the ability to create online polls to survey connections or groups about various topics. Polls allow users to quickly gather opinions and insights from their network. However, creating an effective poll requires some strategy and planning.
Why create a poll on LinkedIn?
There are several reasons why users may want to create polls on LinkedIn:
– Gather feedback: Polls are a simple way to survey your connections and get quick feedback on topics relevant to your industry or business. The real-time results provide instant insights into what your network thinks.
– Conduct market research: With access to your connections and LinkedIn groups, polls enable you to easily conduct market research at no cost. You can gauge interest in new products/services, get input on branding, or test concepts.
– Spark discussion: Well-crafted poll questions can spark lively discussion in your network or LinkedIn groups. People enjoy sharing their opinions and commenting on poll results.
– Build engagement: Polls get your connections involved and drive engagement on your LinkedIn profile or company page. Increased engagement can boost visibility.
– Promote content: Share a link to a new blog post or video and ask a related poll question to generate clicks and views. The poll serves as a call to action.
How to create a LinkedIn poll
Creating a basic poll on LinkedIn is simple and only takes a few steps:
1. Go to the “Write an article” box on your LinkedIn feed. This is where you normally write posts.
2. Click on the “Poll” icon in the editor toolbar. It looks like a bar graph.
3. In the window that pops up, enter your poll question. Limit it to under 250 characters.
4. Below the question, enter your answer choices. You can add up to 20 possible choices.
5. Customize the poll settings like whether it’s anonymous or how long it should run.
6. Click “Post” to publish the poll and share it with your network.
Once shared, your connections can vote and see real-time results. You can check back on the poll at any time to see updated results and which choices are in the lead.
Best practices for creating effective LinkedIn polls
While easy to create, coming up with a compelling poll topic and choices requires a bit more thought. Here are some best practices to create polls that deliver useful insights:
– Keep the poll question simple and focused. Avoid overly broad or vague questions.
– Make the question open-ended (like “Which social media do you prefer?” instead of “Do you like Facebook?”).
– Include 5-7 optimized answer choices. Too many options can dilute results.
– Randomize the answer order to prevent selection bias. Don’t always have the preferred choice first.
– Consider your audience’s knowledge and interests when choosing topics. Ask about relevant issues.
– Use neutral wording to reduce bias. Don’t lead people to pick certain responses.
– Explain why you’re asking the poll question in the accompanying post text. Provide context.
– Target your poll by sharing it with specific people using @mentions in the post or via LinkedIn groups.
– Set an appropriate poll length like 3-5 days. Long enough for responses but not too long.
– Follow up on the poll with additional content like an article analyzing the results.
– Make the poll post visually compelling with images, charts, or videos when possible.
Poll question examples
Here are some example poll questions that are optimized to generate engagement on LinkedIn:
Industry research
– Which social media platform do you find most useful for connecting with professional contacts?
– How important is company culture when evaluating a new job opportunity?
– What’s the top skill you look for when hiring for a technical role?
Content promotion
– [Link to blog post] Which insight from this post resonated most with you?
– [Link to ebook] Would you be interested in downloading our complete guide on [topic]?
– [Link to video] What was your #1 takeaway from our latest product demo?
Product/service feedback
– Which feature is most important to you in a [software, product, or service]?
– How satisfied are you with [Company’s] customer service?
– What type of pricing model do you prefer for [product/service]?
Branding and messaging
– Which of our company values resonate most with you?
– Which tagline do you find most compelling for our rebrand?
– Does our new brand positioning align with your perception of our company?
Best practices for formatting poll posts
Proper formatting for your poll post can also help maximize results:
– Write a compelling title that’s concise but grabs attention
– Use an eye-catching image related to the poll topic
– Provide ample background in the post text about why you’re posing the question
– Call on others explicitly to vote in the poll with language like “Let us know your opinion”
– Share some of your own thoughts to spark discussion
– Keep the post length reasonable (2-3 paragraphs) for maximum sharing
– Post at optimal times when your audience is most active on LinkedIn
– Follow up with a thank you note highlighting top responses
Analyzing and using poll results
The outcomes of your LinkedIn polls provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and opinions. But the information is only useful if properly analyzed and applied.
Here are some tips for making the most of poll results:
– Pay attention to which answers get the most votes as well as distribution of responses
– Note which poll topics and questions elicited the highest engagement
– Look for patterns and themes across responses to draw conclusions
– Compare results to any hypotheses you had prior to the poll
– Break down responses by segment like industry, role, geography if sample size allows
– Share key takeaways with stakeholders across your company
– Allow poll findings to inform decisions in areas like product, marketing, sales and beyond
– Repurpose results into compelling content like case studies, blog posts and presentations
– Discuss next steps with your team for acting upon poll insights
– Circle back with your network on how you plan to use poll feedback
Common mistakes to avoid
While polls seem straightforward, its easy to make mistakes that will sabotage your efforts:
– Asking overly broad questions that lack focus
– Not providing enough answer options or limiting options too much
– Introducing bias into the wording of the question or choices
– Setting the poll length for too short or long a time period
– Failing to explain the context and motivation for the poll
– Not targeting the poll question and sharing to maximize responses
– Using polls too frequently which leads to survey fatigue
– Not thanking participants or following up on the results
– Not analyzing results properly or applying learnings
Poll guidelines per LinkedIn
As with any feature, LinkedIn has guidelines for properly using polls on their platform:
– Polls should be relevant professional topics for your audience
– Avoid controversial political or social issues unrelated to work
– Don’t use polls to spread misinformation or harmful content
– Polls should not be used to promote services or products
– Respect user privacy and keep polls anonymous whenever possible
– Keep poll answer options focused on constructive feedback
– Limit polls to 2-3 per week to avoid overwhelming your audience
Following these guidelines creates positive experiences for your network while generating actionable insights through your polls.
Conclusion
Well-crafted LinkedIn polls provide simple yet powerful market research capabilities. They deliver valuable feedback and insights that can inform business decisions and content strategy. However, creating truly effective polls requires thoughtful planning and optimization. Keep the poll topic tightly focused, format the post for maximum sharing, target the right audiences, properly analyze results and apply the learnings. Avoid common mistakes like introduce bias or asking overly broad questions. With the right strategy and preparation, LinkedIn polls can generate the tangible benefits and engagement every marketer seeks. What insights will your next poll uncover?