How to Do Surveys on Facebook

Asking your audience what they think is one of the fastest ways to get valuable feedback, stir up conversations, and make your followers feel like part of your brand’s story. Facebook provides several built-in tools to do just that, and learning how to use them effectively can transform your page from a simple broadcast medium into a thriving community. This guide will walk you through the different ways to create surveys and polls on Facebook, share best practices for getting great responses, and help you choose the right method for your goals.

Why Create a Survey on Facebook?

Before getting into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." Running surveys or polls isn't just a gimmick, it’s a smart marketing strategy with tangible benefits. When you ask your audience questions, you open the door to genuine interaction and priceless insights.

Get Instant Audience Feedback

Wondering which product feature to build next? Curious about what kind of content your audience wants to see more of? Instead of guessing, you can just ask. A quick poll can validate an idea or point you in a completely new direction, saving you time and resources by basing decisions on real data, not assumptions.

Boost Engagement and Reach

Interactive content like polls naturally encourages participation. Every vote and comment is a signal to Facebook's algorithm that your content is interesting, which can increase its visibility in your followers' feeds. A single poll that sparks a lively debate in the comments can generate more reach than a dozen standard posts.

Conduct Quick Market Research

Formal market research can be expensive and time-consuming. While a Facebook survey won't replace a comprehensive study, it’s an amazingly effective way to get a pulse on your market. You can test new branding ideas, gauge interest in a potential service, or find out what pain points your audience is currently facing - all for free.

Make Your Audience Feel Heard

When you ask for your community's opinion and show that you're listening, you build loyalty. People love sharing their thoughts, and involving them in your brand’s decisions makes them feel valued. This transforms passive followers into an active, invested community that cares about your success.

The Official (and Unofficial) Ways to Survey Your Facebook Audience

Facebook doesn't have a single, one-size-fits-all "survey" tool. Instead, it offers a handful of different features that can be used to ask questions and gather feedback. Knowing which one to use depends on the type of question you're asking and the depth of insight you need.

Method 1: Using the Built-in Facebook Poll Feature

This is the simplest and most direct way to ask a multiple-choice question on your Facebook Page, in a Group, or in an Event. It's perfect for quick, straightforward questions where you want a clear winner.

How to Create a Poll in a Facebook Post:

• Step 1: Start a new post on your Facebook Page. In the "What's on your mind?" box, click the three horizontal dots (...) to see all post options.
• Step 2: Select "Poll" from the list of options.
• Step 3: Type your question into the main text box. For example, "What topic should we cover in our next blog post?"
• Step 4: Fill in the poll options. You have to provide at least two. You can add more by clicking "+ Add Option." You can also make your options more engaging by clicking the image or GIF icons to add visuals to each choice.
• Step 5: Set the duration for your poll. You can choose from 1 day, 1 week, never, or a custom end date and time. For most pages, 1 day or 1 week is plenty of time to gather responses.
• Step 6: Click "Post." Your poll is now live, and you can watch the votes come in real time!

Best for: Settling debates (Pineapple on pizza?), choosing between two product designs, or deciding on your next piece of content.

Method 2: The "Questions" Sticker in Stories and Reels

If you're looking for open-ended replies instead of votes, the "Questions" sticker in Facebook Stories and Reels is your go-to tool. It allows you to pose a question or a prompt, and your viewers can type their own unique answers. It’s less of a survey and more of a conversation starter.

How to Use the Questions Sticker:

• Step 1: Open the Facebook app and start creating a Story or a Reel.
• Step 2: After you've taken a photo, recorded a video, or selected one from your gallery, tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen.
• Step 3: Select the "Questions" sticker from the options.
• Step 4: The sticker will default to "Ask me a question," but you can tap the text to type your own prompt. For example: "What's the #1 challenge you're facing with [your industry] right now?" or "What are your favorite features in our app?"
• Step 5: Place the sticker wherever you want it on your screen and share your Story or Reel.
• Step 6: You can view the replies by opening your Story/Reel and swiping up. You can then tap on a reply to share it (anonymously) to your Story with your own comment or answer, which creates a fun, public Q&,A session.

Best for: Hosting "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) sessions, sourcing user-generated content, and gathering qualitative feedback or detailed suggestions.

Method 3: Running a Live Poll During a Facebook Video

Going live offers a fantastic opportunity for real-time interaction. During a Facebook Live broadcast, you can publish a poll directly within the video stream, allowing viewers to vote and see the results instantly. This is a powerful way to keep your audience engaged and actively participating throughout your broadcast.

How to Create a Poll in Facebook Live:

• Step 1: Begin a Live video from your Facebook Page.
• Step 2: Once you're live, look for the interactive features in your broadcast tools. Tap on the "Polls" icon (it often looks like a small bar graph).
• Step 3: A window will appear where you can type your question and add the poll options.
• Step 4: Once you're ready, publish the poll. It will pop up on the screen for your viewers, who can tap to vote.
• Step 5: You can see the results in real-time and even share them on screen. Use the results to guide the conversation or tailor the content of your Live video on the fly.

Best for: Increasing viewer retention during live streams, making presentations more interactive, and getting immediate feedback while you're actively engaging with your audience.

Method 4: The Low-Tech "Comment to Vote" Post

Sometimes, the simplest methods are the most effective for driving engagement. An unofficial "survey" method is to create an image post and ask users to vote in the comments using words, emojis, or reactions. This bypasses the formal poll feature and focuses on generating conversations.

How It Works:

Create a graphic that shows the different options you want people to choose from. For example, two different logo concepts side-by-side or four potential product colors.

Your post caption could be something like:

"Help us decide! Which new mug design is your favorite?
☕ Vote 'A' for the geometric pattern
❤️ Vote 'B' for the handwritten quote

Let us know which one you'd rather sip your morning coffee from in the comments!"

While tallying is manual, this method is excellent for the algorithm because it drives a high volume of comments, signaling to Facebook that your post is fostering a strong community discussion. The effort to type a comment is slightly higher than just clicking a poll option, which means the people who respond are often more invested.

Best for: Maximizing post engagement, sparking discussions, and getting qualitative feedback in the comment section.

Method 5: Linking to an External Survey for Deeper Insights

When a simple multiple-choice poll isn't enough, you need to turn to external tools. If you need to ask multiple questions, use different formats (like rating scales or long-form answers), or guarantee anonymity, creating a survey with a dedicated tool and sharing the link on Facebook is the best approach.

Popular External Survey Tools:

• Google Forms: Free, easy to use, and integrates perfectly with Google Sheets for analysis.
• SurveyMonkey: Offers more advanced features, question types, and analytics on its paid plans.
• Typeform: Known for its beautiful, conversational interface that can lead to higher completion rates.

How to Share It on Facebook:

Create a compelling Facebook post that explains why you want people's feedback and what's in it for them. Link directly to your survey. Your caption should be clear and persuasive.

Example Caption: "We're developing a new [product/service] and want to build it for YOU. Your honest feedback in this 3-minute survey will directly shape its future. To say thanks, everyone who completes it will get a 20% off coupon for their next purchase! 🙏 [Insert Survey Link Here]"

Best for: In-depth market research, detailed customer satisfaction feedback, and collecting sensitive or complex information.

Tips for Creating Facebook Surveys That People Actually Answer

Just because you build it doesn't mean they'll come. Here are a few best practices to increase your survey's participation rate.

• Keep It Short and Simple: On social media, attention spans are short. A one-question poll is easy to answer while scrolling. If you're using an external tool, keep the survey to 5 minutes or less.
• Make It Visual: Whenever possible, use an eye-catching image, GIF, or video. In a Facebook Poll, using image options instead of text options is far more engaging.
• Ask Engaging Questions: Frame your question in a fun or personal way. Instead of "What is your preferred product feature?", try "Which of these features would make your life WAY easier?"
• Time It Right: Post your survey when your audience is most likely to be online. Check your Facebook Page Insights to find your peak hours.
• Share the Results: People are curious! After your poll ends, create a follow-up post announcing the winner and thanking everyone for participating. This closes the loop and shows your audience you're really listening, making them more likely to vote again in the future.

Running engaging content like polls and surveys is an outstanding way to connect with your community, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. An excellent social media strategy also needs seamless planning, scheduling, and analysis. We designed Postbase to handle all of that without the chaos. It’s a clean, modern way to see your entire content plan on a visual calendar, schedule all your posts (including videos and Stories) reliably, and track what’s actually working, so you can spend less time juggling tabs and more time creating content your audience loves.