No matter how many followers you have, encouraging engagement on any social platform can be tricky. That’s why Twitter polls are a handy tool to keep in your back pocket. They’re super interactive, easy to create, and fun to take part in.
A Twitter poll can help you learn more about what your audience thinks, wants, and how they behave. And the more you know about your audience, the easier it is to determine what you should be doing for your brand.
In this guide, we’ll teach you what Twitter polls are and how to use them to connect with your audience.
What is a Twitter poll?
A Twitter poll allows you to pose a question to your audience in a Tweet with four response options (but you can choose only two or three if you like).
Polls on Twitter make it easy for people to share their opinion. No directing them to another page, asking them to fill out a form, or taking up valuable time. Voting only takes a second or two—at most.
Both have been discontinued, but which was more iconic?
— Denny’s (@DennysDiner) May 10, 2022
And unlike traditional surveys, there’s no waiting for results. Users see results instantly. They can also retweet your poll to others, spreading it organically.
Where do you think audiences are more likely to go to follow or research brands/products? 👀 (Find out in our #Digital2022 Q2 report!)
— Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite) April 21, 2022
How to create a poll on Twitter
It’s super easy to create Twitter polls. Once you’ve decided on your question and potential answers, it will only take a minute or two. Really. We promise.
Start a Tweet
Click the blue Tweet button on the left navigation menu on the desktop. Or tap the create Tweet logo in the top right corner of the mobile app — just like you would for any Tweet.
Start your poll
Click or tap the Add poll option in the dialog that pops up.
Add your poll question
Ask the question you want an answer for. You can use up to the max character count (280) in your poll question. So add some relevant hashtags, @mentions, and links.
When it comes to language, treat polls like your tweets—keep them short, clear, and fun.
Choose your poll options
Now it’s time to give your audience some choices. Add your first response option into the Choice 1 box and your second into the Choice 2 box. You can click + Add a choice to add additional options to your poll if you want.
Your poll must have two options (it’s not much of a vote otherwise) and can include up to four options.
You can use up to 25 characters for each option. That includes emoji, symbols and punctuation, so feel free to play around a little—it’s your Twitter poll.
Set your poll length
By default, Twitter polls last one day. You change the duration of your poll by clicking 1 day and changing the days, hours and minutes. The minimum length of a poll is five minutes, and the maximum is seven days.
Post your poll
If you’re happy with your selections, click Tweet to publish the poll. Now it’s time to wait for the responses to roll in!
How to use Twitter polls to boost engagement (ideas + examples)
Twitter’s user count is expected to grow upwards of 329 million in 2022. If you want to connect with those people, start using Twitter polls as part of your marketing strategy to stand out from the crowd.
Here are 11 ideas to engage (and maybe enrage) your followers. After all, engagement is a key ranking signal to the Twitter algorithm. Use polls to create some life for your brand and go from boring to captivating in no time.
Listen and learn
Listening is the best way to build a personal relationship. The same rule applies to social media. When you ask your followers to chime in on a decision, they’ll feel heard.
Karla Cosmetics asks its followers what product they’d like to see them create next.
What product do you want to see us create next? 🌿✨🌈👀
— Karla Cosmetics (@karlacosmetics) May 6, 2022
Build anticipation
Hype up your customers before product launches and updates with a quick poll. Ask them what they’re most excited about, like Android does in this Poll.
BIG news made for an even BIGGER Day 1. Which #Android update are you most excited to use? #GoogleIO
— Android (@Android) May 11, 2022
Settle age-old debates
Some rivalries are as old as time.
Half of your followers might side with one camp while the other half supports the rival. Settle the debate once and for all with a poll on Twitter.
McDonald’s asks followers to choose between two of their iconic breakfast dishes. With over 71,000 votes, there’s only a 0.6% difference in the poll results, showing what a hot topic it is.
lets settle this
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) September 21, 2021
Nintendo boosts its engagement by namedropping classic Mario characters in this Twitter poll. Who would you rather pass the ball to? (In this case, we’re voting Neither — Yoshi all the way)
Which teammate would you rather pass the ball to?
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 27, 2022
Only one sauce on game day? Perish the thought! Heinz forces followers to choose in this Twitter poll that does double-duty by reinforcing ketchup’s popularity.
You can only choose one to take with you on game day. Which will you obtain?
— Heinz US (@HeinzTweets) February 12, 2022
Get silly
Twitter polls aren’t lengthy customer feedback surveys –– they’re short and sweet informal questions. They’re perfect for having some fun and showing your brand’s sense of humor.
Being funny in your Twitter polls shows your brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. So go ahead and let loose.
Domino’s Pizza often shows its playful side with a fun poll designed to put a smile on customers’ faces.
GUESS WHAT. 49% off all online pizza orders from 4-9pm thru 11/14 when you carryout with Domino’s Carside Delivery®! What are you getting?
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) November 8, 2021
Here, Subway asks people to think about the lengths they’d be prepared to go to pick up a forgotten sauce. 37 light-years, anyone?
You ordered a side of Sweet Onion Teriyaki Sauce but left it at the checkout counter. How far could you be and still go back to get it?
— Subway® (@SUBWAY) May 26, 2022
Get feedback
Launched a new product range? Start a poll to find out what your followers think of it!
A Twitter poll is a quick and easy way to get your audience’s immediate feedback.
Krispy Kreme uses Twitter to find out which seasonal flavor their audience likes best.
Which doughnut from our Spring Minis Collection is your favorite? 🐣🍩🌼🍓🍰🍫
— Krispy Kreme (@krispykreme) April 15, 2022
Calvin Klein keeps it simple and asks followers about their favorite scents.
Which scent do you love the most?
— calvinklein (@CalvinKlein) June 2, 2022
You can use the feedback you gain to adapt your strategy and shape your next offering.
Be timely
Timing is everything. (Look, sometimes clichés are true!)
Make sure you’re on top of trends and seasonal events and send out a timely poll that fits the moment. Whether there’s a trending news story or a viral piece of pop culture, use Twitter polls to get your audience involved in the conversation.
A week before Halloween, Eventbrite asks Twitter users about the Halloween activity they’re most excited for.
Which #Halloween activity are you most excited about? 🎃🐈⬛
— Eventbrite (@eventbrite) October 22, 2021
Pro tip: Check out our collection of real Halloween social media posts for more Halloween content inspiration.
On Christmas Eve, JetBlue asks followers to share their favorite holiday traditions. Many people travel around the holidays, so the brand connection here feels particularly strong.
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
— JetBlue (@JetBlue) December 24, 2021
Specsavers taps into a classic conversation with a poll asking users about the number of times they’ve heard a certain phrase.
How many times have you heard the words "weather looks nice for the long weekend!" today?
— Specsavers (@Specsavers) April 14, 2022
Polls can be a great way to enter a lively conversation around a trending topic.
Pay attention to events that will speak to your particular audience. You could even create a “holiday” relevant to your brand — if you’re feeling bold.
Or choose from the countless others that already exist.
Play a game
Make it fun for followers to engage with your brand by turning your Twitter poll into a game or a lighthearted quiz.
Instead of endless doom-scrolling, a quiz encourages people to participate. They’re a great way to get users to engage with your brand. People might even retweet the poll to their own followers and drive up your response rate.
The Daily Grind podcast asks people to join in on a game of This or That.
#ThisOrThat Thursday
Let us know what you would rather do 👇🏽
This 👉🏽 spend a week in the wilderness
or
That 👉🏽one night in a haunted house?#DailyGrind #DailyPoll #Podcast— The Daily Grind Podcast ☕️ (@dailygrindpod) March 25, 2022
Finish the sentence
Filling in the blank is often irresistible. Ask your audience to complete a phrase with one of your poll options and wait for your engagement to soar.
Etsy helps followers find the perfect Father’s Day gift by asking them to fill in the blank to describe their father.
Father's Day is one month away and we want to help you find the perfect gift for a dad in your life. Because he's not just any dad he's a…
— Etsy (@Etsy) May 18, 2022
AddThis asks followers to guess how many emails are opened on mobile devices. As a brand that specializes in marketing tools, they likely know that their audience cares about targeting and personalization.
https://twitter.com/addthis/status/1454153457942806531
Ask for opinions
Polls are like a quick Twitter survey of your audience’s opinions. If you’re feeling controversial, you could even hold a political poll on the platform.
The Politics Polls Twitter account often asks users politics and current affairs questions.
Do you think Britain will still have a monarch in 100 years’ time? #Poll
— Politics Polls (@PoliticsPollss) June 1, 2022
Ask for predictions
Big events, like championship games and awards shows, always engage followers. Use a poll to encourage your audience to predict what will happen at those events.
Who’s going to win? What are they going to wear? What will they do next? Think about ways that you can relate your brand to the current conversation.
ESPN posts regular Twitter polls asking their followers to predict which teams or players will have the most success in the NFL.
Which QB will have the most success in the NFL? 🤔
(📍 @CourtyardHotels)
— ESPN (@espn) April 30, 2022
Do market research
Twitter is a great place to learn more about your target audience’s preferences and behavior. Use your polls to figure out what they like about your product or how they use it. You can then use the feedback to inform your offering.
Starbucks asks customers how they plan to use their Rewards during a special week of daily offers.
Calling all Starbucks® Rewards members—it’s Star Days! 📣 We’re celebrating you with a week of daily exclusive offers, from 10/18–10/22. Learn more: https://t.co/K5zQvwXprH
How will you Reward yourself this week?
— Starbucks (@Starbucks) October 18, 2021
Amazon asks customers about the product they’re most likely to forget to add to their cart.
There’s always that one thing you forget to add to cart (Subscribe & Save users get it!) 🛒 What’s yours?
— Amazon (@amazon) May 23, 2022
Frequently asked questions about Twitter polls
Got a burning question about Twitter polls? Check out our top four frequently asked questions.
Are Twitter polls anonymous? Can you see who voted on your Twitter poll?
All Twitter polls are anonymous. No one, not even the poll creator, can see who has voted or what they chose. All you can see is the percentage of votes for each option. You can learn more about your audience through Twitter analytics.
Can you create a poll with pictures on Twitter?
While you can’t add pictures to the same Tweet with the poll, you could add a picture to the same Tweet thread.
Can you buy Twitter poll votes?
Sure, you can buy Twitter poll votes. But that doesn’t mean you should!
If your goal is to grow organically and sustainably, then buying votes (or followers, for that matter) is a bad idea. Paid engagement tells you nothing about your audience, and a flood of activity from bot accounts can harm how Twitter perceives your account.
Can you schedule Twitter polls?
Twitter polls are meant to be highly interactive, so you can’t currently schedule them on Hootsuite or other scheduling platforms. You can schedule other Tweets, though.
Save time managing your Twitter presence by using Hootsuite to schedule Tweets (including video Tweets), reply to comments and DMs, and monitor key performance stats. Try it free today.
Bonus: Get a set of 6 free, customizable Twitter card templates that will make your Twitter chats look professional, unique, and eye-catching.
Download the templates now!