You suffer from a dilemma in this moment. You wish to know whether you should take a trip to Tokyo, Japan or Seoul, South Korea. After all, you saved up your salary and planned a trip through out the year. Now that you have graduated from your high school, you deserve a different experience in your life. So, now that you have found equally tempting travel packages for both your short-listed destinations, you run to your sister’s room. The predictable and short conversations goes like this- You: “Hey, I’m indecisive about taking a trip to Seoul or…”, to this your sister replies “Why don’t you take a little trip somewhere which does not include my room?”. Well, that’s the end of it. That was it, your decision is up to you now. We all know how siblings can be. Now, if you are someone who wishes to get a little help in making the right decision, that is completely acceptable. However, you might need additional help in finding out the best way to make the right decision with the help of people around you. Now, you do have the option of asking around for choosing one answer for you, it can involve a lot of mathematics and trust us, you just might not want to do that. So, why don’t you let your social media do all your calculations for you? You do not need to count who voted for which answer, take out an average and the percentages, the polls will give you all the details. In that case then, we would like to introduce you, your life’s new friend, Instagram polls and how to use Instagram polls in your stories!
Instagram is one of the most popular and trending social media applications of today. Instagram began its functions back in 2010 with only twelve employees! When in 2012 Facebook, Inc. bought the shares of Instagram, this application extended its basis. Instagram now has more and more users registering to experience the world of this unique application. So, how does Instagram function? For starters, Instagram is not one of your simple go to application for sending out Instant messages to people around the world (the ones you know and the ones you do not!). Instagram consists of a different form of communication; it’s almost symbolic. Instagram allows its users to explore and express themselves using media files; mainly pictures and videos. Just like that, Instagram does not include “adding friends” and “accepting friend requests”. Instead, Instagram includes following the other Instagram accounts you are interested in and gaining followers who wish to access the content you post. Now, Instagram has allowed its users to send out personal messages to other Instagram users in addition to liking and commenting on their posts. With that, Instagram also introduced posting stories. What are these stories exactly? Instagram users can share how they spent their day with videos or pictures. These can also include sending out a shout out, sneak peaks, important announcements and so on. These stories will only last for 24 hours, after which they will be deleted. Isn’t that interesting?
While Instagram allows all the above mentioned features to be used by Instagram users in addition to others, Instagram gives its users to use polls. But exactly is an Instagram poll? Instagram has introduced a new feature that makes decision making easy for Instagram users. Basically, these polls allow you to ask questions with mainly two options to select the answer from. In their blog, Instagram also introduced poll stickers for Instagram’s story. Now you can access two features at the same time! With this new update, whether it’s your outfit that has confused you or whether you are unsure about where to go for dinner with your friends, these two option Instagram polls let others vote for the best option. Before we move on, users should note that Instagram polls can only be used in their stories.
So far, Instagram has no announced polls separately. Other than that, if you have not been able to use this new feature, the only fix for that is updating your Instagram application in your mobile phone or tablet. In order to update your application, you will simply open Play Store if you are an Android user or the Apple Store if you are an iPhone user. Search for Instagram in the search bar. When your application window opens, it will notify you if you require a new update. Once you let it update your Instagram, you should be able to post Instagram polls in your stories!
How will you use Instagram polls in your stories?
Consider this, its a new year and you are really looking for a change. Well, the best way to feel like a new you is by changing your hair. 2017 was long hair with an ombre. But, 2018 is going to be risky. You feel like dying your hair a color that will be the complete opposite of what you would normally go for. Now, you begin browsing the internet for various Balayage hair dyes. Now that you have surged the internet for hours, you settle for an ash Balayage. But right before you are about to give it a shot, you see a complete hair dye in rose gold. Well, that tempts you. And, that right there is how you became a confused personality. You spend day and night thinking about which of the two options would look best on you. At the same time, you begin to get scared of bleaching your hair completely. You go talk to one of your friends who recently bleached her hair. Because you have already treated your hair for numerous times, your friend informs you that you are at a greater risk of losing hair due to the damage. However, your other friend assures you that your hair are going to be completely fine. Well, this whole hair and a new year new you fiasco is taking all of your concentration. But wait, do not just give up yet, because at times popular votes and popular opinions can come from a lot of people who have gone through the same experiences. This is the right time for you to turn to Instagram polls then. Are you wondering how to use Instagram polls in your stories then? Well we shall begin right about now!
Now that you have picked out the two best options for your hair color fiasco, all you have to do is launch Instagram in your mobile phone. Begin to take a picture or record a video of anything. It could be of your laptop screen with the two hair styles on it or it could be you sipping on some Starbucks all confused. Now that you have taken a picture or recorded a video story, before uploading and sharing it with your Instagram users, you will add the Instagram poll. How will you do that though? It’s easy, simple. All you have to do is swipe up on your Instagram story and click on Polls to select it besides the hashtags. Once done, you will type your question. In this case, your question would be “I’m changing my hair, which one is the best?”. Now that you have typed the question, you will include the two options. Simply type “Ash Balayage” and then type “Rose Gold” when you click on the options. If you wish to change one or both the options, tap on them again and change before posting your 24-hour time frame story. All you have to do now is simply post your Instagram story to use Instagram polls in your stories.
Once you have used Instagram polls in your stories, you will be able to notice the following:
- How many individuals viewed your story with their Instagram profile names.
- How many individuals voted for one option and how many voted for the other.
- Instagram also allows you to see which Instagram user voted for which option. In that case, if its someone from your Instagram followers that you admire, it would help you get even more confidence about the popular opinion. This also means that your votes are not anonymous. Then, it can also backfire and decrease your Instagram poll votes!
- Instagram only allows you to post one poll per story. This means that you cannot post more than one poll a day.
- Instagram followers are also able to view which one of your two options is getting the most votes!
Your Instagram polls in your stories are only available for 24 hours. This means that your polls will not be eligible and they will expire afterwards. So, it’s always better to keep a check on them. What if you got a lot more votes for one of the options than the others and because you got busy in your day, you were unable to check the poll answers. Now that you have remembered, you check your poll and its gone. With that you also lost track of your poll votes. So, keep a check on your polls every now and then. With that we wish you happy Instagram poll-ing!
Meghan 
Michelle