Social media continues to make headlines as B2B marketers 2nd most used network rolls out another update that may shake up some digital marketing strategies. If you haven’t heard the news, Twitter introduced their newest feature last Wednesday, Polls, as a new way to engage with followers. We are breaking down the details of this update below.

What are Twitter Polls?

According to the official announcement on Twitter’s blog:

For poll creators, it’s a new way to engage with Twitter’s massive audience and understand exactly what people think. For those participating, it’s a very easy way to make your voice heard.

When you’re in need of a second opinion, whether it is deciding which new lunch spot to try out or what color to add to your next project, you can now easily gather votes from your audience with a simple click of a button. While conducting polls through Twitter isn’t a completely new concept to the Twitter world…

Twitter updates 2015

This new update appears to provide a better and simpler experience for both creators and participants.

b2b twitter marketing

How Do Twitter Polls Work?

Unlike Twitter Cards, polls are a native feature that allows you to embed the poll right in your tweets at no cost. You’ll know you have access to polling when you compose a new tweet and see the poll icon come up:

Twitter

  • You have two options to provide for answer selection.
  • Polls last for 24 hours and include how much time is left to vote.
  • When the poll is over, the original tweet will be automatically updated with results.
  • Results can be viewed publicly, but participants remain private.

Can B2B’s Benefit From Twitter Polls?

Yes! Twitter polls can be used by B2Bs to increase engagements with your brand as well as gain better insight into the interests of their audience. However, because each participant and their unique answer choice remains private, B2B marketers should be cautious of the type of questions they ask and not to use the results for data purposes. For example, B2B’s can encourage followers to engage with your brand by including them in a project by asking something like: which design concept they like most.