What's A Straw Poll? Meaning, Benefits, And The Best Way To Create One!

Straw polls can be done anywhere, anytime, with anyone! That’s the best part about it!

Back in school, our Geography professor used to start everything with a “Quick poll! Pop quiz or watch a Documentary on Earth’s solid crust?” 

And then in university, it was the best way to finalize the brainstormed ideas for group projects! And then, to clarify your political opinions!

Does it end there? Nope! This instant, informal voting mechanism is one of the easiest ways to keep your team engaged (and hooked to their seats!) 

(Oh, and, I have added a free template in case you want to take a quick straw poll!)

But…

What is a Straw Poll?

By definition, a straw poll or straw vote is an unofficial or ad hoc vote. It is an impromptu poll taken to understand popular opinion on a particular topic. 

It can be a quick political poll  to understand where the presidential candidates stand or used in meetings and classrooms to read the room!

For instance, say you plan for a team outing or a team lunch. But where should you go? How do you come to that decision? It’s not that hard actually. All you need to do is take a quick poll- “Fine dine at the Stanz or go continental at the Kitchen?”

Again, there are a lot of aspects to consider! The availability of the team mates, the number of questions that need to be asked! And, above all, to make everyone participate! But a digital workplace has a solution for that! All you need to do is roll out an online straw poll! 

Here’s a quick poll you can use in such cases. It is entirely customizable, so don’t worry—drag and drop a bit, and voila! It is applicable to any situation. 

Team Lunch Poll Template

Preview Template

Use This Template

But, is that all about straw polls? 

Well, just because they are informal, doesn't mean they are invaluable! 

Benefits of a Straw Poll

Before that, here’s something interesting!

A straw poll is most common in a political scenario in the United States. Have you heard about Iowa Straw Polls or the Ames Straw Poll? They are Presidential votes conducted for fundraising. But later, in 2015 they were abolished due to a lack of participants. 

Now, let’s get back to business…

Straw polls help you in many ways. It lets you…

Understand Popular Opinion

Anything impromptu helps you get an authentic idea of public sentiments. People are less stressed in a casual environment rather than in an official interview. You’ll be left with honest feedback and a valuable set of insights! 

Get Real-Time Updates

The best part about a straw poll is the immediate results. You need not wait for the votes to be counted or for the declaration of the results. You get them on the go. 

If you choose to conduct a poll on a busy street, setting up a kiosk would be great! The pedestrians can take the offline poll in just a few seconds. 

Oh and, make sure you take a conversational approach. It's a must! 

You can create one with SurveySparrow and connect a kiosk to the platform. The offline app will help you collect the data even if you are not connected to the internet. 

Collect Accurate Data

You gather the data directly from the individuals. How much more real can it get? Plus, there won't be any risk of abandonment as the questions will be quick and engaging. 

The trick is to make your respondent understand that it’s a no-judgment zone. Also, use a chat-like approach. This will make them feel that they are conversing with you directly but without the hassle of face-to-face interaction! 

Build a Bridge

Yes! A straw poll helps you connect people across different sections. In a corporate environment, it acts as an icebreaker. In an academic setting, teachers can use it to promote gamified learning and in a political scenario it can be used to understand public sentiment. 

In all these instances the focus is on the popular opinion on a topic. 

How to Create a Straw Poll with SurveySparrow

SurveySparrow’s Poll Maker is the easiest and the most affordable way to create a Straw Poll. You can craft an engaging one with the drag-and-drop builder within minutes. 

If you are not in the mood to sit and think about the questions, just enter a prompt and let the AI builder do its magic! 

And, there are 1000+ pre-designed templates that you can pick and customize to your heart’s desire.  

Let me walk you through the process in detail…

Step 1: Log in

Enter your credentials and log in to SurveySparrow. 

Wait, what? You don’t have an account? Not a problem! 

Get started with a 14-day free trial right away. You can always switch to the forever free plan if you like it. 

If you want additional features, the paid plan starts at $19/month.

Step 2: Create

Now, it's time to create a basic outline for your poll. Well, you have two options: 

• Create from scratch and build your poll yourself.
• Customize an existing template. 

(I'd suggest you do the latter if it’s your first time.)

But if you still wish to craft your own, click on (+) New Survey and get started. It's pretty simple! The drag-and-drop builder will take care of you. 

For those who choose to work their way through a template, click on Browse Classic Template and pick the one that suits your needs.

Let’s say you choose to work with the template attached above.

Step 4: Customize

Next up, it’s time to make the template all yours. 

You can add new questions, remove the pre-populated fields, replace them with relevant ones, and even rephrase the existing ones. 

It becomes all the more easy with the AI wing which lets you rephrase, reword, expand, and compress the text. That’s not it! You can change the template’s color, font background image, add videos, audio, or GIFs.

Once that is done it's time to…

Step 5: Share

There are multiple ways to share your poll. You can either send them out via SMS, WhatsApp or any other social media platform. Or connect a kiosk to the platform and collect responses on the go. The choice is yours! 

You’ll not be left stranded at creation. You can analyze the data on the executive dashboard and come to conclusions. 

Wasn’t that easy? If you come across any bottlenecks, feel free to reach out.

Wrap Up!

What’s the wait for? The best way to crack public opinion is an effective poll. Jump right ahead and create your first straw poll the easiest way!

Remember to keep the questions simple and conversational. 

Happy Exploring!

FAQ

1. Why is it called a straw poll?

Ans: It may be a alluding to an old practice where a line of straw would be held up to see the direction of wind- referring to "wind of group opinion." 

2. How is a straw poll conducted?

Ans: It is pretty simple. All you need to do is put out a question to an audience and ask for a quick opinion. It can be conducted in person or online.