Instagram Introduces New Poll Functionality for News Feed Posts

In its ongoing quest to offer users innovative ways to interact and showcase their content, Instagram has unveiled its latest feature: the ability tointegrate polls directly into the comments section of publications on the news feed and Reels. This marks a significant expansion of Instagram's polling capabilities, previously confined to Stories and other distribution channels.

The initiative was announced in October 2023 by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, marking the start of a test phase to integrate the feature. The main objective behind this move is clear: encourage deeper interaction within communities and facilitate exchanges between friends and content creators.

Traditionally, polls were used in Stories. However, with this new feature, Instagram is looking to revitalise the comments section, already enhanced by the introduction of GIFs in spring 2023. This initiative is part of the wider strategy of Meta, Instagram's parent company, which is deploying similar features on its other platforms such as Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp.

How to add a poll to a post on Instagram :

Create the publication or Reel Start the process by pressing the "+" button at the bottom of the screen to create a new publication or Reel.

Add media : Select the desired media and make any necessary changes.

Survey stage : Under the chosen media, locate the caption section entitled "Write a caption or add a poll". Click on this dialogue box to reveal the "Poll" button.

Writing the question and answer options : By clicking on the "Survey" button, write your question and detail the different response options available.

Publish : Make any final adjustments and press "Share" to publish your publication or Reel. The poll will then appear in the comments section, along with a "Vote" button allowing users to actively participate.

This latest feature introduces a dynamic and interactive dimension to user engagement on Instagram. Whether you're a casual user or a professional account holder, the inclusion of polls offers an exciting avenue to enrich your posts and stimulate interaction within your community.

Contact

Extended Deployment and Implications for Marketing Professionals :

Instagram is gradually rolling out polls for News Feed posts to selected users, similar to the poll sticker used in Stories. This feature allows designers to incorporate simple A/B surveys directly into their captionsThis will enable viewers to respond easily via the Instagram application on their mobile devices.

What's the point?

From a marketing point of view, this functionality is of paramount importance. It simplifies engagement and encourages interactivity, polls act as a catalyst to amplify the reach of publications on the News Feed on Instagram, an increasingly difficult task in the platform's evolving algorithmic landscape.

When users actively participate in polls, they become intrinsically more invested in the content, exploiting the psychological principles of engagement and consistency. Although polls can quickly generate votes, they effectively direct users into comments and discussions, deepening engagement levels. As a result, surveys are used as a gateway to stimulate more responses and interactions.

In an environment where marketing professionals are constantly looking for innovative strategies to improve the visibility of publications on the News Feed in the face of algorithmic changes, the integration of integrated surveys represents a major step forward. By removing barriers to participation, surveys facilitate smooth interaction, ultimately resulting in improved organic reach and increased engagement indicators.

In conclusion, Instagram's introduction of polls for News Feed posts marks a significant change incommitment of usersInstagram, offering both users and marketers a powerful tool to increase interaction, encourage community engagement and improve the visibility of content within the platform's dynamic ecosystem. As this feature continues to roll out to a wider audience, its potential to reshape the content engagement landscape on Instagram remains promising and highly anticipated.