Connect to Your Audience with LinkedIn Polls
From the early days of MySpace to apps today such as Instagram and TikTok, one common theme uniting all social media platforms is that, at their core, they were all created to help people connect. And with over 70% of US adults on at least one social media platform as of early 2021, connecting with your audience on these platforms is more important than ever. With features such as Instagram Reels or Facebook Groups, there are plenty of tools available that are designed to help you connect with your audience. One tool I have found most useful when connecting with followers, yet underused is LinkedIn Polls. Polls were originally retired from the platform in 2014 but were brought back in May of 2020. Although the feature has grown in popularity since its return, I still find many clients unaware of this tool. LinkedIn Polls are a great way to engage with your audience and gain valuable data to support your social media strategy.
What are LinkedIn Polls?
To start, what even are LinkedIn Polls? Polls are a way for users to create a simple questionnaire containing one question and 2-4 response options for their followers to select from. They function similar to a Twitter poll, but on LinkedIn, polls can run up to 2 weeks compared to the one week Twitter limit. Once a user has voted on your poll, they will be able to see the percentage of users that selected each response option. However, only the creator of the poll, as well as the group and page admins are able to see who the users are that selected each option. Once you create your poll, there is an option to add more text to accompany the post. This is a great way to add more context to your poll question so your followers can respond appropriately.
Why LinkedIn Polls?
Now that we know what polls are and how to create them, why should you use them?
- LinkedIn Polls are a great way to engage with your audience and find out what type of content they are interested in seeing. Ask questions that will prompt your followers to respond to your poll and elaborate on their responses in the comments. Not only will these insights be helpful when planning your marketing strategy for 2022 and beyond, but polls also give you the ability to engage with your audience in a unique way, giving you the opportunity to show yourself as thought leaders in your industry.
- Are you looking for your followers’ thoughts on content you have been sharing recently? Asking simple questions about topics pertaining to your industry is a great way to get feedback from your audience to see what is resonating.
- Stay on top of trends! LinkedIn Polls are a great way to discuss trending topics in your industry with your followers. You can also see what trends people are getting excited about and which you might want to avoid discussing.
- LinkedIn Polls are a great way to generate leads. As the creator or admin of a poll, you will have access to all of the names of those who participated in your poll and you can see which options they voted for. Make sure to follow up with these users to begin that conversation!
Best Practices for LinkedIn Polls
Interested in using LinkedIn Polls? Make sure to consult these best practices below to get the most out of your polls.
- Make your polls engaging. Easy ways to ensure this is by asking simple, easy-to-read questions with short response options that allow for quick voting. Also make sure the questions you are asking are actionable, encouraging your followers to leave comments.
- Keep your questions short and sweet. The poll questions themselves only allow 30 – 140 characters, so if there is any other context or notes you would like to add, make sure to include that in the copy of your post.
- Don’t just ask a question for the sake of asking a question. What you share in a poll should serve a purpose. You could tie your question into an upcoming talk, ask for feedback on the content you have been sharing, or ask your audience about current trends you might be interested in leveraging in the future.
- When users leave comments on your poll, be quick to respond and start that conversation. You never know which comments might turn into leads.
- While LinkedIn polls are a great way to learn more about your audience, remember it does have some limitations. On LinkedIn’s rules page, they state that they “do not support polls on sensitive data, such as health status, racial or ethnic origin, and political opinion.” You can read more about the poll’s guidelines here.
Ready to Use LinkedIn Polls in your Strategy?
LinkedIn Polls are a highly underrated tool that has the potential to help your company gain valuable insights on your audience and generate meaningful engagement. Looking to use LinkedIn polls in your marketing strategy? Slice is the go-to for all your social media needs! Contact us to see how Slice can help your company implement polls and other engaging features into your strategy.
