A poll is the lowest effort thing you can ask someone to do on Instagram, which is exactly why it works. One tap, no typing, no exposure. The polls that fail are the ones that make the tap feel pointless, usually because both options are obviously the same or the answer changes nothing.
Two rules cover most of it. Give people a real choice, and use the result for something, even if that something is just replying to the people who voted.
Fun and easy
- Tea or coffee
- Beach or mountains
- Early bird or night owl
- Sweet or savory breakfast
- Aisle or window
- Film at home or cinema
- Cook or takeaway tonight
- Summer or autumn
Would you rather
- No phone for a week or no coffee for a month
- Always cold or always slightly too hot
- Front row or backstage
- Live by the sea or in the mountains
- Free flights or free hotels
- Read minds or be invisible
Opinion and debate
- Pineapple on pizza, settle it
- Is a hot dog a sandwich
- Do you make your bed every day
- Socks on or off in bed
- Is cereal breakfast or a snack
- Should you tip for a coffee
- Shower in the morning or at night
For business research
- Which of these two colors should we make
- Would you buy this at this size or a bigger one
- Do you prefer weekday or weekend classes
- Should we open earlier or close later
- Delivery or collection
- Is the current packaging clear or confusing
- Would you rather have more choice or lower prices
Content planning
- More tutorials or more behind the scenes
- Long videos or short ones
- Do you want the recipe written out
- Should I do a Q and A this week
- More of this series or something new
- Do you read the captions
Checking understanding
- Did that explanation make sense
- Was that too fast
- Do you want part two
- Have you tried this before
- Is this something you already knew
Personal and relatable
- Am I overreacting
- Do I need this, yes or absolutely
- Should I cut my hair
- Is it too early for Christmas music
- Do I finish this series or start a new one
- Should I go out tonight or stay in
Seasonal and timely
- Real tree or fake tree
- Are you watching the match
- Have you started your Christmas shopping
- Summer holiday booked or not yet
- Is it too early for the heating
- New year resolutions, yes or no
Two options for creators
- Post the outtakes or keep them private
- Do a live this week or not
- Reels or carousels for this topic
- Longer captions or shorter ones
Food and drink
- Crisps or chocolate
- Roast or curry
- Cook at home or eat out tonight
- Sparkling or still
- Breakfast or brunch
How to pick one
Ask something where both answers are genuinely plausible, because a poll with an obvious winner gets fewer votes than one people have to think about for a second. Keep the wording to a handful of words, since long poll text shrinks on screen and gets skipped. Use the result: reply to voters, post the split afterwards, or actually make the product they picked, because audiences learn quickly whether their taps matter. For business accounts, ask the questions whose answers change a decision you are already facing rather than generic engagement bait. And follow a poll with a question sticker if you want the reasoning, since polls give you the what and never the why. If your polls keep circling the same three topics, the content pillar generator will surface the ones you are ignoring. If you want a longer prompt list to work from, the Instagram post ideas generator produces plenty.