How to Create a Poll on Facebook Story

Creating a poll in your Facebook Story is an extremely effective way to spark conversation, get instant feedback, and make your audience feel like they're part of your brand. This guide walks you through exactly how to create a poll, gives you a ton of creative ideas on how to use them, and explains why this simple feature can be a game-changer for your engagement.

So, Why Should You Use Polls in Your Facebook Stories?

In a world of passive scrolling, anything that gets a follower to stop and tap their screen is a major win. Polls are more than just a fun sticker, they are a simple, powerful tool for any creator or business. Here’s why you should start using them regularly:

• It Skyrockets Engagement: Every vote on your poll is a direct interaction. To social media algorithms, these taps are valuable signals that people are actively engaging with your content. This can lead to your Stories being shown to more people and can even give your other content a bit of a boost.
• You Gain Instant Audience Insights: Forget sending out long surveys. Want to know which product your customers prefer? Curious about what kind of content they want to see next? A quick poll gives you real-time data directly from the people who matter most. It’s like running a mini focus group that takes you ten seconds to set up.
• It Builds a Stronger Community: By asking for your audience's opinion, you’re telling them that you value what they have to say. This simple act turns passive followers into active participants. They feel heard, included, and more connected to your brand’s journey, which is exactly how you build a loyal community.
• It Shows Your Human Side: Brands that are too polished or corporate can feel distant. A playful "This or That" poll or a funny question humanizes your brand, showing off a more relatable and approachable personality. It reminds people that there’s a real person behind the screen.

How to Create a Poll on Your Facebook Story: Step-by-Step

Ready to create your first poll? The process is straightforward and only takes a minute. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Get Your Story Started

Open the Facebook app on your phone. On the main feed, tap the blue circle with the plus sign and your profile picture that says “Create Story.” This takes you to the Story creation interface.

Step 2: Choose Your Background

Your poll needs something to sit on. You can snap a new photo or video, choose one from your phone’s camera roll, use a graphic you’ve already designed, or just select a simple colored background by tapping the "Text" or "Boomerang" option and choosing a color.

Step 3: Open the Sticker Menu

Once your background image or video is in place, look at the icons on the right side of your screen. Tap the sticker icon, which looks like a square smiley face. This will open up a tray filled with all of Facebook's interactive and decorative stickers.

Step 4: Select the “Poll” Sticker

In the sticker tray, you’ll see an option labeled “POLL.” Tap it. A poll widget will appear on top of your photo or video.

Step 5: Write Your Question and Options

The sticker will prompt you to “Ask a question…” Tap that text and type in your poll question. Below the question, you’ll see two default options: YES and NO. You can keep these, or you can tap on each one to write your own custom answers. Keep the answers short and sweet for the best results.

For example, instead of just "YES / NO," you could change them to:

• Coffee / Tea
• This Design / That Design
• Love it! / Not for me

Step 6: Position and Customize the Poll

Once you’ve written your question and answers, you can move the poll sticker around the screen. Simply press and hold it, then drag it to your desired location. You can also pinch to resize it, making it bigger or smaller. Pro tip: make sure it doesn’t cover up any important parts of your background image!

Step 7: Add Any Finishing Touches

Before you post, feel free to add other elements to your Story. You can add text, tag people, include GIFs, or draw on the screen using the brush tools. A well-designed Story makes your poll even more inviting.

Step 8: Share Your Story

When you're happy with how it looks, tap the blue “Share” button at the bottom right. Your Story, complete with its interactive poll, is now live for your followers to see and engage with for the next 24 hours.

Viewing and Understanding Your Poll Results

Putting a poll out there is only half the battle. The real magic is in seeing how people responded. To check your results, simply view your own live Story. Near the bottom left, you’ll see the "Viewers" icon. Tap this or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

On this screen, you’ll see a percentage breakdown of the votes for each option, as well as a list of exactly who voted for which choice. This data is only available while your Story is live (for 24 hours), so if you want to save it for later analysis, be sure to take a screenshot!

Beyond "Yes or No": Smart Ways to Use Facebook Story Polls

Now that you know how to create a poll, let's talk strategy. Don't limit yourself to boring questions. Here are some creative and strategic ways brands and creators can use polls to their advantage.

Ask for Content Direction

Feeling stuck in a content rut? Let your audience co-create with you. A poll is the perfect way to figure out what they actually want to see from you next.
Examples:

• “What topic should I cover in next week's video? A) SEO Basics or B) Instagram Hacks”
• “Should tomorrow's post be… A) A tutorial or B) Behind the scenes”

Conduct Mini Market Research

Thinking about launching a new product, service, or design? Use a quick poll to get instant validation or feedback from the people who might actually buy it.
Examples:

• (With a photo of two designs) “Which new t-shirt are you loving more? Left Design or Right Design”
• “Help us name our new coffee blend! A) Sunrise Roast or B) Kickstart Blend”

Quiz Your Audience and Educate Them

Turn engagement into an educational moment. Ask a trivia question related to your industry or niche. It’s fun for your audience and subtly positions you as an expert.
Examples:

• "True or False: A blog post is 53x more likely to rank on Google if it has a video."
• "Did you know coconut oil can be used for… A) Just cooking or B) Cooking AND skincare"

Drive "This or That" Style Engagement

Low-stakes, personal questions are fantastic for building community. They are easy to answer and help your audience feel a sense of connection with you and other followers.
Examples:

• “What’s your work style? A) Organized desk chaos or B) Super minimalist”
• “Weekend vibe check: A) Cozy night in or B) Adventuring out”

Build Hype for an Upcoming Launch

Hint at something big on the horizon and let your audience speculate. This creates a sense of curiosity and gets people invested before the official announcement.
Examples:

• "We've got something exciting dropping next Friday... Any guesses? A) A huge sale or B) A brand new product”
• "Are you ready for our summer collection? A) Can't wait! or B) I was born ready!”

Tips for Making Your Polls Unskippable

Creating a poll is easy, but creating a *great* poll takes a little bit of thought. Here are a few tips to maximize your engagement.

• Keep it Simple: Your question should be easy to understand, and the options should be clear. If people have to think too hard, they'll just skip to the next Story.
• Use Strong Visuals: Don't just slap a poll on a plain background. Use a high-quality photo, a compelling video, or a branded graphic to capture attention.
• Follow Up on the Results: This is the part most people forget! After your poll ends, share the results with your audience in a new Story. You could post a screenshot and say, “Wow, 78% of you prefer the Sunrise Roast! We're listening.” This closes the loop and validates their participation, making them more likely to vote again in the future.
• Don't Be Afraid of Emojis: Emojis can add personality and clarity to your poll options. Instead of text, you could even ask a question and have two different emojis as the answers.
• Use Polls Strategically: If every single Story you post has a poll, they’ll lose their impact. Use them when you have a genuine question or a great idea for interaction, but don't overdo it.

Final Thoughts

Creating a poll on your Facebook Story is a simple yet incredibly effective way to increase engagement, gather quick feedback, and build a stronger connection with your audience. By moving beyond basic questions and using polls strategically, you can turn your Stories from a passive viewing experience into an active and rewarding conversation.

In my experience, the toughest part of social media isn't just making one poll or one engaging Story, it’s being consistent with that level of content day after day. At Postbase, we built our platform with a visual calendar that’s designed first for modern formats like Stories and Reels. Planning your interactive posts in advance - like when you’ll run polls or Q&As - helps organize the chaos and turns something that feels reactive into a predictable system for growing your brand.