Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of Q2 2021. The platform allows users to connect with friends and family, join interest-based groups, promote businesses, share photos and videos, and much more. One feature that Facebook lacks compared to other social networks is the ability for users to create and participate in polls directly within the platform. This has left many users wondering why there is no dedicated poll option on Facebook.
The History of Polls on Facebook
Facebook did not always lack a poll feature. In fact, between 2007 and 2009, the platform allowed users to create and respond to simple yes/no and multiple choice polls. Polls were treated similarly to status updates, appearing in the News Feed and on user profiles. However, Facebook removed the native poll feature in 2009, citing low user engagement.
At the time, less than 1% of status updates were polls, indicating they were not a heavily utilized feature. Facebook product manager Justin Osofsky stated that polls did not allow for meaningful connections between friends on the platform. With Facebook focusing its efforts on features that brought people together, polls were no longer aligned with their product roadmap.
Workarounds for Creating Polls on Facebook
While native polls no longer exist, crafty Facebook users have come up with workarounds to create polls and survey friends. Some popular methods include:
Uploading poll images
Users can use free poll and survey tools to create polls, then upload the poll image to Facebook as a photo. Friends can then comment their vote under the poll image. While not as seamless as a native poll, this allows basic poll functionality.
Facebook Notes polls
The Notes feature on Facebook allows users to write blog-like posts. Polls and surveys can be created within Notes using checkboxes, radio buttons or multiple choice questions. These polls live within the Note but can be shared to the News Feed to collect votes.
Facebook apps
Several third-party Facebook apps like Poll Maker, MyPoll, and Quibblo allow users to create polls that can be shared on Facebook. Friends can vote within the poll without leaving Facebook. However, many users don’t want to use third-party apps due to privacy concerns.
Facebook Groups
Within Facebook Groups, users have the option to create polls in the Group. This allows for easy polling among group members. However, the poll is limited to the group and is not shareable to personal profiles.
Facebook Live polling
Page owners can add polls to Facebook Live broadcasts to engage viewers. Fans can vote in real-time and results are displayed to the broadcaster. This works well for influencers and businesses seeking quick feedback during live content.
Why Doesn’t Facebook Have a Native Poll Feature?
With so many workaround options, why doesn’t Facebook bring back polls as an official feature? There are a few key reasons polling capabilities may not be a priority for the platform.
Polls don’t encourage meaningful connections
Facebook’s core mission is to bring people closer together. Features like News Feed, Stories, and Groups revolve around sharing personal life updates, reacting to content, and joining like-minded communities. Polls are primarily used to survey opinions, which doesn’t foster connections between friends.
Polls could spread misinformation
Facebook has faced immense scrutiny for its role in spreading misinformation leading up to elections. Introducing polls risks further misuse to manipulate public opinion and voting behavior. Regulating poll content would pose additional moderation challenges.
Polls don’t drive ad revenue
Facebook earns revenue primarily through advertising. Features that increase user engagement and data collection support ad targeting. Standalone polls likely don’t improve metrics tied to Facebook’s bottom line. The company prefers to invest in features that add value for advertisers.
Existing features meet polling needs
As mentioned, Facebook already has workaround options for users who want to create polls. Building a native polling feature would require significant development resources for questionable payoff. Facebook may see the existing options as “good enough” compared to other features on their roadmap.
Shift in product strategy
Facebook’s product direction has shifted in recent years. Instead of building as many features as possible into their core app, they are acquiring and developing separate specialized services like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Polls and surveys may be better suited as a standalone app rather than crammed into the increasingly cluttered Facebook experience.
The Future of Polling on Facebook
While polls may not warrant their own feature, Facebook is exploring new formats that facilitate polling and surveys. Some recent developments include:
Questions stickers in Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories allow users to overlay creative stickers on photos and videos. One sticker option is a fill-in-the-blank question or statement. Friends can respond to the Story with their thoughts, opinions, or advice – delivering poll-like feedback.
Live broadcast polls
As mentioned earlier, Pages can conduct polls during live broadcasts. Facebook is enhancing live polling capabilities for more professional and structured polling. Broadcast polls may replace standalone poll posts for some use cases.
AR and VR polling
Facebook is investing heavily in augmented and virtual reality. These platforms allow interactive, immersive experiences that could revolutionize polling and market research. Facebook is developing AR/VR tools that could let users participate in polls and surveys in a digital world.
Integrating with Facebook Workplace
Workplace by Facebook provides collaboration tools for enterprises. Workplace offers advanced polling and survey options not available on the core Facebook platform. Facebook may eventually connect Workplace capabilities to consumer profiles.
Conclusion
In summary, Facebook discontinued polls years ago because they didn’t align with their vision for meaningful connections and content sharing. User demand for polling still exists, but introducing an official poll feature poses risks that likely outweigh potential benefits. Facebook is exploring new formats like Stories and live video that facilitate polling without requiring a separate tool. But for now, users will have to rely on third-party apps and creative workarounds to conduct polls on the social network. The core Facebook experience will continue focusing on features that bring people together rather than tools for broadcast opinions and surveys.