Shutterstock/NARAPIROM You can make a poll on Instagram using Stories or group messages.
- It's easy to make a poll on Instagram to gather your followers' thoughts on a particular topic.
- You can make a poll on Instagram using Stories, or you can share a poll with a specific amount of people in a group message using Instagram Direct.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
If you're on Instagram, chances are you love being able to share photos and videos with your followers through posts.
With Instagram Stories, you can share multimedia you don't want posted permanently posted on your feed - Stories expire after 24 hours - and you can also add cool things like gifs, music, and even polls.
Making a poll on Instagram allows you to ask your followers for their input on everything from clothing choices to pizza toppings, or anything else you can think of. You choose the topic and two answer choices, and your followers can vote to voice their opinion.
Here's how to do it on your iPhone or Android.
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How to make a poll on Instagram using Stories
1. On your iPhone or Android's home screen, locate the Instagram icon and tap to open.
2. Swipe left from your home feed to open the Stories screen. Take a photo or video or select one already on your phone by tapping the small picture icon to the left of the lightning bolt at the bottom of your screen.
3. Once your photo or video is chosen, tap the sticky note icon at the top of your screen. This is the third option in from the left and looks like a Post-It note with a smiley face in it.
4. A menu of post additions will launch. Look for the POLL icon and tap it to begin creating your poll.
Jennifer Still/Business Insider Choose "POLL" in Story options.
5. In the "Ask a question…" area, type the question or topic your poll will be about.
6. Set the two options you want your followers to be able to choose from when they answer. Note that YES and NO are the default selections, but you can change either of these by tapping in the respective box and typing your choice.
Jennifer Still/Business Insider
You can type in custom answer choices to your poll.
7. When finished, tap Done in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.
8. To share your poll, tap Your story or Close Friends at the bottom of your screen depending on who you want to see the post. Your poll will then be shared.
Note that you can also share polls via Instagram Direct in a group message. This is a great option if you only want feedback from a small group of people. Here's how to do it.
How to make a poll on Instagram and share it in a group message
1. Open the Instagram app by tapping the icon on your phone's home screen.
2. From your feed, tap the Instagram Direct icon which appears as a small paper plane in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.
3. Start a new group conversation by tapping the + button and choosing the users you wish to add to the conversation.
4. Tap the blue camera icon in the text box and take a photo or video.
5. Once your photo or video is chosen, tap the sticky note icon at the top of your screen. This is the third option in from the left and looks like a Post-It note with a smiley face in it.
6. A menu of post additions will launch. Look for the POLL icon and tap it to begin creating your poll by typing your question in the "Ask a question…" area.
7. Set the two options you want your followers to be able to choose from when they answer. Again, YES and NO are the default selections, but you can change either by tapping in the boxes and typing your choice.
8. Press Send at the bottom of your screen to send your poll to your group.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
How to go live on Instagram, to broadcast video in real time to your followers
How to ask a question to your followers using Instagram Stories
How to repost an Instagram Story that you've been tagged in to your own Story
How to edit an Instagram post to change the caption, tag people, add a location, or edit the 'alt text'
