Hi there! Are you interested in learning how to create fun, useful polls for your Slack channels? As a data analyst who relies on Slack to collaborate with colleagues every day, I‘ve become an expert on maximizing Slack polling features to boost team engagement.
In this comprehensive tutorial, I‘ll showcase step-by-step how to set up polls in Slack using emoji reactions or installed apps. You don‘t need any technical expertise to follow along! I‘ll provide tips to craft effective poll questions, customize voting options, analyze results, and troubleshoot issues based on my years of experience.
By the end, you‘ll be able to quickly implement polls to gather instant feedback, gauge team preferences, facilitate decisions, or just increase participation with some friendly competition! Let‘s dive in…
Why Polling Matters for Digital Collaboration
Before we get to the how-to steps, let‘s briefly overview why polls can be so valuable:
| Key Poll Benefits | Examples |
| Gather instant feedback | "On a scale of 1-10, how useful was this training?" |
| Gauge team preferences | "Which logo design do you prefer?" |
| Facilitate group decisions | "Which deadline works best for this project?" |
| Fun team building | "What is Tom‘s least favorite candy?" |
According to a 2022 study by Miro, teams that regularly seek input through tools like polling report 37% higher engagement scores. And ChannelEngine found that polls can boost social engagement by over 5X on average!
So don‘t be afraid to incorporate light-hearted polls along with more functional ones. Variety keeps things lively!
Now let‘s jump into step-by-step instructions for the two methods to create polls…
Method #1: Emoji Polls
The easiest way to poll Slack members requires no new tools—only the emoji keyboard built into Slack already.
Here‘s how to create an emoji poll from scratch in under 5 minutes:
Step 1) Compose Your Poll Question
Click into the channel where you want the poll. Type out your question, making sure it‘s neutral and unambiguous.
For example:
Which deadline works best for completing the pricing analysis – Mon or Weds?
Step 2) Add Your Answer Options as Emojis
Click the emoji icon to open the menu. Browse for relevant icons that map to each answer option in your question. You want easily distinguishable emojis.
For my sample, I added a 📅 calendar emoji for Monday and a 📝 notepad emoji for Wednesday.
Pro tip: You can also add letter or number emoji as choices, like A, B, C or 1, 2, 3.
Step 3) Send Your Poll to the Channel
Double check everything looks good, then send your poll question to the channel. The emojis will appear as reactions colleagues can click to cast their vote.
You can pin or star the poll message so it remains at the top as people vote.
Step 4) Track Results
Give people adequate time to weigh in on the poll, at least 24 hours. The click counts on the emoji will display the results. You can also hover over each emoji to see who voted which way.
Then share back the final verdict once the poll is complete!
And that‘s all it takes—simple emoji reactions create an instant poll usable anywhere in Slack without added tools or permissions. Pretty handy! 👏
However… what if you want advanced features? Let‘s explore method #2…
Method #2: Poll Apps
The Slack App Directory contains dozens of purpose-built polling apps with extra options like:
- Anonymous voting
- Multiple choice questions
- Block voting windows
- Setting vacation overrides
- Detailed analytics
- Repeating polls
Poll apps do require installing permissions and a bit more setup. But you gain a ton of useful functionality.
Let‘s walk through a poll app example using a popular choice called Polly:
Step 1) Visit the Slack App Directory
Click on your Slack workspace name > Apps > Manage Apps. This opens the Slack App Directory.
Step 2) Browse Poll Apps
Use the search bar to find options. I typed in "poll" which returned over 50 apps!
Apps display details like reviews, pricing plans, and features to compare. Click into any for more info.
I opted for Polly based on the 4.9-star average rating and free plan meeting my polling needs.
Step 3) Install Your Chosen Poll App
From the app page, click "Add to Slack". This begins the installation process including linking permissions.
Important note: Some apps require admin approval on a workspace before adding. Check with your workspace owner if you encounter access issues.
Step 4) Set Up the App
Once installed, you can configure options under its name on your side panel. For Polly, I created a quick answer poll directly in my #Research channel with this command:
/polly "Favorite product feature?" "Ease of use" "Customization" 
The poll instantly appeared for my colleagues to vote on!
Apps like Polly make it really simple to get started. But most also allow creating more advanced poll types and options.
For example, did you know Polly has 40+ question settings including:
- Anonymous responses
- Allow/block write-in options
- Limit votes per person
- Set open/close dates
- And more
So explore all those bonus features once you have the basics down!
Pro Poll Tips from a Slack Expert
Now that you know how to create polls through emoji or apps, let me offer some pro advice to run them effectively:
| 📌 Avoid biased wording | Use neutral language:does/is this ___, which/what___ |
| ⏱️ Set an appropriate voting window | 24 hrs minimum, 72 hrs ideal for more responses |
| 💬 Follow up afterwards | Summarize results, facilitate next steps from them |
| 🎉 Vary fun and functional polls | Trivia, preferences, team decisions, performance feedback… |
| 👥 Include the wider team | Don‘t just poll managers or executives |
These best practices will lead to more useful, engaging polling that boosts transparency and collaboration.
I‘d also suggest tracking poll stats over time like:
- Average participation rate
- Breakdown by departments
- Feature preference correlations
This allows spotting trends and feedback loops to enhance your Slack community.
For example, your #Design department may regularly ignore or downvote #Marketing questions. Analytics shine a light on those tidy insights for improving everyone‘s experience.
Now that we‘ve covered the basics, let‘s explore a quick history of polling…
The Evolution of Polling Technology
Polling and surveys have a surprisingly long history – dating back millennia! Here are some highlights on key developments:
| Era | Polling Milestones |
| Ancient Polling | Straw polls and public assemblies date back to ancient Greece |
| Newspaper Polling | Print papers begin including ballot box surveys in 1820s |
| Scientific Sampling | Gallup and Roper develop robust sampling methods in 1930s |
| Digital Transformation | Internet and mobile shift polling online over 2000s |
| Poll Aggregation | Statisticians like Nate Silver combine polls for forecasting |
| Embedded Polling | Apps like Slack integrate polls seamlessly 2010s+ |
A few key trends in polling‘s evolution are adopting scientific random sampling, continual improvements in accessibility/speed, and now embedding quick feedback tools organically into platforms people use regularly.
Who knows what the future may hold for even easier, more advanced polling capabilities through AI-analysis or brain-computer interfaces! 🤯
But for now, I hope you feel equipped to immediately boost engagement among your Slack community using polls.
Let‘s Recap…
We covered how to quickly create polls through emoji reactions or third-party apps. Both options work directly within Slack channels to gather instant feedback.
I provided pro tips for formulating neutral questions, allowing adequate voting durations, varying poll types to keep things fresh, and using results effectively.
You also learned a brief historical overview of how polling has progressed over thousands of years towards the seamless experience within Slack today.
Feel free to reference this guide anytime you want to spice up conversations and bring opinions out into the open through easy Slack polls.
Happy polling! 🗳️
