How To: Creating Polls

Let's settle things for once and for all with a poll!


Our post creator tool has tons of cool features, but one of our favourites to use is the ability to make a poll! Got something you need an opinion on? Or perhaps you just want to see what the general OU Students popular think? Our poll creator tool makes answering both of these questions super simple. Let's take a look at how to make one!


  1. 1 Click 'Submit a post', then choose 'Polls'


    The first thing you need to do is simply click the 'Submit a post' button, which you can find in the top right (on desktop), or by clicking the three lines on the top left and scrolling down until you see the 'Submit a post' button (on mobile/tablet). After that, you just need to click on 'Polls' and you'll be taken straight to the poll creator page!


  2. 2 Choose a Thumbnail, Category and some Tags


    The poll creator tool might look a little overwhelming at first, but it's actually super simple. It is important that before you do anything, however, that you brush up on the Guidelines (found here) just so your poll doesn't break any rules!

    With that out of the way, it's time to choose a thumbnail. You can use any image you have the rights to use (e.g. any photo or graphic you've taken or made yourself). If you're stuck for ideas, however, consider checking out our 'Adding great graphics' page for tips and tricks on choosing the perfect thumbnail, including links to sites where you can browse through thousands of copyright free images to use!

    After choosing a thumbnail, you'll then want to choose a relevant category relating to what your poll is about (you can find a list of categories here) and a few relevant tags to help users find your poll easier. We've compiled a handy list of the most popular tags here.


  3. 3 Add your Question


    Now, for the fun bit - adding the question you want people to vote on, and choosing the answers/options they can choose (we'll cover that in the next step)! Your question can be just about anything at all (as long as it isn't inappropriate or breaks our guidelines), so you can truly get creative here. If you need some inspiration, you can find a great example of a poll done by Kate Dungate found here.

    To add a question, simply type it into the 'Question' box. You'll then want to choose a fitting thumbnail for your poll. Remember: you can use any image or graphic you have the rights to (e.g. any photo or graphic you've taken or made yourself). If you're stuck for ideas, however, consider checking out our 'Adding great graphics' page for tips and tricks on choosing the perfect thumbnail, including links to sites where you can browse through thousands of copyright free images to use!

    Finally, the last box is to write a description for your poll! This is the place to explain what your poll is all about. 


  4. 4 Adding your Answers/Poll Options


    The last thing you need to do now is add in the answers/poll options people will vote in. First, choose the format you want your answers to look like: you can choose between attaching an image with text, or just having your answers as text in a list-like format. Please note that if you decide to attach an image, you must add a source URL to it in the relevant box.

    To add another answer, simply click the big 'Add Answer' button! If you wish to ask another question, that's no problem either - just hit the 'Add question' button.  


  5. 5 Save Draft, Preview, and...Publish!


    So you've added a title, made a thumbnail, chosen your question for people to vote on, and created the answers/poll options - that means you're done! If you're happy with how your quiz looks, you can go straight ahead and publish it. Otherwise, we recommend clicking 'Save' at regular intervals while you make your changes. You can also preview your post by hitting the 'Preview' button.


Poll-call...

Congratulations! You've just made your first poll! Don't forget to share it about to your friends so they can answer it. Should you need any additional help while creating your poll, please don't hesitate to contact us at oustudents-magazine[at]open.ac.uk. 

We look forward to seeing your questions!



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