Using polls in webinars: Engage your audience (the right way)
Discover how to use polls in webinars to improve attendee interaction, gather key feedback about your audience, and stop attendees from zoning out.
![Webinar polls](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fz5lnnff9ntbg%2F3xTqCZ2pHwBIGMOXrgfYAw%2Fe8312a955c40d3042b5782d34a87b7b1%2Fwebinar-polls.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Contents
Introduction
In webinars - engagement is key to success.
Polls are a powerful tool to create interaction - offering real-time insights and feeding an open vibe where the audience suddenly play an important part of the webinar.
This guide explores how to effectively integrate polls into your webinars, ensuring a top experience for attendees and valuable data for you as a host.
What is a poll in a webinar?
A poll is an interactive feature used during webinars to either activate attendees, or gather their opinions or feedback in real-time.
![What is a poll in a webinar? What is a poll in a webinar?](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fz5lnnff9ntbg%2F52YSN6UidV64wlahU36A99%2Fdea15705cb63b7963f5d694ba58b3f70%2Fwhat-is-a-poll-webinars.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Why use polls in webinars?
Polls serve multiple purposes in webinars. Here are 4 of the key reasons to run polls:
Engagement: They break the monotony of a one-way communication, keeping the audience engaged and focused - make them feel part of the webinar!
Feedback: Polls give immediate feedback on whether the audience understands you and is interested.
Data Collection: Poll results offer insights that you can put into content and bring into product development.
Personalization: Tailor the content based on the poll responses. This way you make the webinar relevant to the attendees and keep things crispy.
How to run webinar polls like a top host (3 steps)
This is how you run polls like the best. In 3 steps - before, during, and after the webinar.
Pre-Webinar Planning:
Identify Goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your polls (e.g., gauge knowledge, collect opinions).
Design Questions: Create clear, concise questions relevant to your topic and audience.
During the Webinar:
Timing: Introduce polls at strategic points to maintain interest and gather pertinent information.
Explanation: Briefly explain the purpose of each poll and how to participate.
Interaction: Encourage participation by responding to poll results in real-time.
Post-Webinar Analysis:
Review Results: Analyze the data to understand audience preferences and adjust future strategies.
Share Insights: Use poll outcomes in follow-up communications to reinforce key points and build relationships.
The 4 best practices for engaging polls
Relevance: Ensure each poll question directly relates to the webinar’s content (and the audience attending).
Simplicity: Use simple language. Limit options to avoid overwhelming participants. Only have free text options where you need to.
Diversity: Mix question types (multiple choice, free text, rating scales) to maintain interest. More on polls types below.
Timing: Every 15 min is typically a good aim to include interaction (as focus dips). This could be launching a poll. Space out your polls to keep energy high, without interrupting the flow.
Two types of polls in Univid
Poll type 1: Multiple choice
The multiple-choice polls in Univid have pre-defined alternatives that the host configures - and the attendees can choose from. The host can always see the results - but can choose to show the results (anonymously) to the attendees, or keep the results hidden for hosts only.
![Multiple choice polls - Interactive Webinar Multiple choice polls - Interactive Webinar](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fz5lnnff9ntbg%2F2yGIJGZduKW7ZhXICq6rSv%2F15aa2defe6ce1ee0d303e19c6d6c2af0%2Fwebinar-polls-multiple-choice.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Example of a multiple choice poll in Univid - with results shown
Poll type 2: Free-text poll
The free-text polls in Univid allow the attendees to input their own answers - perfect for collecting more in-depth answers or get some variety. You can also decide to show the answers for the audience, or keep it hidden to use it as a feedback tool. For example: What's the topic we should do our next webinar on? What did you think of today's webinar?
![Free-text polls - Interactive webinars Free-text polls - Interactive webinars](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fz5lnnff9ntbg%2F7LYokFQIYgY0aS9FHBGRgQ%2F28296dd9ab76af6c46cb691ebc291c56%2Fwebinar-polls-free-text.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Example of a free-text poll in Univid - with results shown
Try the polls out yourself - by creating a webinar for free below 👇
Conclusion
Polls are a vital component of successful webinars, offering a way to deeper engagement and valuable insights into your target audience.
By planning, executing, and analyzing polls effectively - you can enhance the webinar experience and drive meaningful outcomes for your company and audience.
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