How to Use Text-to-Vote & Create SMS Polls?

Did you know that 98% of text messages are read within minutes? Short Message Service (SMS) polling is an excellent way to engage your audience, whether you're running a political campaign, gathering customer feedback, or hosting live events. Compared to email, which has merely only 22% open rates.

In this article, we are going to tell you about how you can create and use TXTimpact’s SMS Polling to gather consumer feedback, research, competitive intelligence and demand forecasting data by leveraging the power of text polls. So let's get into it!

What is a text poll, and why should you use them?

Text polls, also known as SMS polls, are a type of survey conducted by businesses through text messaging. They allow companies to quickly and easily gather customer feedback or opinions by sending a question or a series of questions via SMS.

Participants can respond to the poll by texting back either a numerical option or a verbal answer to the question being asked.

Why should you consider using text message polls?

Here are some of the Benefits of SMS-based polls for businesses:

Understand Customer Opinions – SMS polls help you gather valuable feedback on your brand, products, or services, allowing you to improve them based on customer needs.

High Engagement – Most text messages are read within minutes, making SMS polls perfect for quick responses in time-sensitive campaigns or important decisions.

Simple to Use – No apps or accounts are needed—any phone with texting can participate, making it easy for more people to respond.

Instant Results – Get real-time feedback as customers can quickly open, answer, and send their responses within minutes. This eliminates long waiting times for insights.

Budget-Friendly – SMS polling is more affordable than traditional surveys, enabling businesses to reach large audiences without high costs.

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Text to Vote: How to create text polls using TXTImpact

To begin the process, you can use TXTImpact’s SMS polling or Text-to-Vote service, a reliable text messaging platform that makes running SMS polls and text-to-vote campaigns effortless.

With just a few pre-planned questions and a contact list, you can quickly set up and launch a mobile poll. TXTImpact’s user-friendly SMS voting tools enable businesses across various industries—such as Political campaigns, Retail, Healthcare, Fitness, Real Estate, and more—to engage their audience and collect valuable feedback with ease.

Whether you’re looking to gauge customer opinions, gather votes, or conduct surveys, TXTImpact simplifies the entire process for you.
All you have to do is just follow these steps to set up an SMS poll and you are ready to go.

Here is a Comprehensive Tutorial video on how to Set up a Text-to-Vote or SMS polling Campaign on TXTImpact:

Or you can follow the Easy Steps given below:

Step 1: Log In to Your TXTImpact Account

Go to the TXTImpact login page and sign in to your account.
If you don’t have an account, Signup for Free. (15-day Free trial, no credit card required)

Step 2: Access the Dashboard

After logging in, you will land on your account dashboard.

Step 3: Navigate to Polling and Survey Section

Scroll down to Polling and Survey options.
Click on Text-2-Vote to create your SMS poll.

Step 4: Configure Your Poll

Part 1: Basic Poll Setup

Select the shortcode and SMS account for the poll.
Enter a campaign name and choose a keyword for participants to text.
Define response options (e.g., A, B, C, or 1, 2, 3).
- Example: For a singing contest, options could be:
- Option 1: Michael Jackson
- Option 2: Whitney Houston
Set the start and end date/time for the poll.

Part 2: Additional Poll Settings

Maximum Votes Allowed – Set how many times a person can vote (0 for unlimited, 1 for a single vote, etc.).
Re-Entry Duration – Define the waiting period before a voter can vote again (0 for one-time voting).
Restrict Votes – Limit voting to a specific audience by selecting a lead list.
Voting Question – Write an engaging question to encourage participation.
Voting Response – Set up an automated message for participants after they vote.

Part 3: Customize System Messages

Set up pre-populated messages for:

Invalid Response – Message when a participant enters an incorrect option.
Voting Ended – Notification when the poll has closed.
Voting Not Started – Message for participants who try to vote too early.
Restricted Voting – Message for users who are not allowed to vote.
Help Message – Information on how to participate.
Opt-Out Message – Option for users to stop receiving messages.

Part 4: Save Your Poll

Click the Save Poll button to finalize your poll setup.

Step 5: Track and Analyze Poll Results

Once your poll is live, let TXTImpact's analytics track responses for you.
Click on the POLL RESULTS button (top right corner of the dashboard) to monitor votes and analyze data.

Examples of Text-to-Vote Polls and Common Applications

So, what types of text-to-vote polls work for you, and what are the possibilities? Here they are—check them out!

Businesses Polls:

Companies may use SMS polls to gather feedback from customers, conduct market research, or gather opinions on new products or services.

Research Polls:

Researchers may use SMS polls to gather data for a study or survey.

Personal Polls:

Individuals may use SMS polls to gather opinions or feedback from friends, family, or other groups.

Political Polls:

Political campaigns generally use SMS polls to determine the level of support among voter groups for a candidate or an issue.

Contest Polls:

SMS polls are the go-to polling method for TV shows and competitions.

SMS polls: Outbound vs. Inbound

Generally, SMS polls are categorized into two types:

1. Outbound Polls
An outbound SMS poll is a survey sent to a group of people via text message. Recipients receive a question and can respond by selecting an option or typing their answer.

Example:
"Hello! We hope you're having a great day. We'd love your feedback on our product/service. Would you be willing to take a quick survey?

Please respond YES or NO."

If the recipient replies YES, they receive a series of follow-up questions such as:
- How satisfied are you with our product/service?
- How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?
- What improvements would you like to see?

They may also provide open-ended feedback or enter their contact details for follow-up or a prize drawing.

2. Inbound Polls
An inbound SMS poll is initiated by the recipient, who responds to a message by selecting from a list of options or typing their answer.

Example:
"Thank you for visiting our store today! We'd love to hear about your experience. Please answer the following questions by selecting the appropriate option:"

Was our store clean and well-organized?
- Yes
- No
Was our staff helpful and friendly?
- Yes
- No
How likely are you to shop with us again?
- Very Likely
- Likely
- Unlikely

"Thank you for your feedback! Your responses will help us improve our services. To opt out of future surveys, reply STOP."

Inbound polls can also include open-ended questions or links to longer surveys for more detailed responses.
Both outbound and inbound SMS polls are effective for gathering valuable customer insights quickly and efficiently. They allow businesses to engage large audiences in real time and improve their services based on direct feedback.

Best practices for SMS voting campaigns

Here are some thumb rules to keep in mind when planning a text poll:

Get Permission First – Before sending a text poll, make sure the recipients have agreed to receive messages from you. This helps you stay compliant with regulations and avoid unwanted messages.
Keep It Short and Simple – People are busy, so keep your poll brief and easy to understand. If possible, personalize it to boost response rates. A short and clear poll increases participation and improves engagement.
Give Clear Instructions – Tell participants exactly how to respond to the poll. Let them know their options and how to submit their vote.
Offer an Incentive (Optional) – Encouraging participation with a small reward (like a discount or giveaway) can increase response rates.
Ensure Mobile Compatibility – Some older phones may have trouble receiving or responding to SMS polls. Make sure your poll works across all mobile devices or offers an alternative way to participate.
Protect Privacy – Be clear about how you will use the collected data and keep participants' information confidential. Transparency builds trust.
Analyze and Improve – Once your poll ends, review the results carefully. Use the feedback to improve your products, services, or future polls.

Start Your Survey with TXTImpact’s SMS Polling Feature

TXTImpact’s SMS polling feature makes it easy to create and manage Text polls, Surveys & Texting Trivia, and innovative Text to Screen Voting Systems, ensuring maximum participation and real-time feedback.

Text/SMS marketing is a powerful and cost-effective way to engage your audience. With TXTImpact, you get more than just polling—unlock the full potential of business messaging!

Sign up for a free 15-day trial today (no credit card required) or Book a Demo to see how SMS polling can transform your audience engagement.

Check out the other articles from Txtimpact to turbocharge your SMS marketing efforts:

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