Drops and polls: questions with a timer

Your link is always open, but people only think to use it when you remind them. Drops and polls give them a reason to come back now.

What a Drop is

A Drop is a question that takes over your link for a set time. While it runs, everyone who opens your link sees your Drop's question instead of your usual prompt. When time's up, your link goes back to normal.

You write the question yourself, in up to 80 characters, and choose how long it runs:

• 1 hour
• 6 hours
• 24 hours, with Plus
• a whole weekend, with Creator Pro

On the free plan you can run three Drops a week.

What a poll is

A poll is a question with two to four answers, open for a set time like a Drop. Anyone with your link can vote once, with no account needed.

Votes are counted, never shown one by one, and a vote can't be traced back to the person who cast it. When the poll ends you see the results, and you can share them to your story as an image.

Results and comments

When you start a poll you choose two more things:

• Whether voters see the results. With this on, people see the live count as soon as they've voted, which keeps them coming back to check. With it off, only you see them until you share them.
• Whether voters can comment. With this on, people can add an anonymous message after voting. Each comment arrives in your inbox as its own conversation, so you can reply.

Comments turn a quick vote into a real conversation. "Should I cut my hair?" gets you a count; with comments on, it also gets you "Yes, and go shorter than you think."

Drop ideas that work

The best Drops are specific, a little personal, and easy to answer in one line:

• "What's one thing you'd change about me? Be nice."
• "Rate my last post out of 10."
• "What song reminds you of me?"
• "Tell me a secret you've never told anyone."
• "What did you think of me when we first met?"
• "Recommend me something to watch this weekend."
• "Ask me anything about my exams. I'll answer the best ones."
• "Who's the funniest person in our group? Don't say me."

Short Drops get more answers. "Tell me something" is too open; "Tell me the worst advice you've ever been given" gives people somewhere to start.

Poll ideas

• "Jollof: Ghana or Nigeria?"
• "Should I cut my hair? Yes / No / Only a little"
• "Best night for the next hangout? Friday / Saturday / Sunday"
• "Which photo for my profile? First / Second / Third"

Polls are good for decisions and silly debates, and they're a gentle way into your link for people who wouldn't write a whole message.

Getting the most from them

• Post the Drop the moment it starts. Answers come fastest right after people see it, so put it in your story straight away.
• Pick the length for your audience. An hour suits a story your friends will see tonight. Six hours or a day suits people across time zones.
• Share the best answers. It shows people you actually read them, and the next Drop does better.
• Don't overdo it. A Drop every day starts to feel like noise. Two or three a week keeps it fun.

Staying in control

Everything that comes in through a Drop arrives in your inbox like any other message, with the same controls: reply, react, share, block, report or delete. You can end a poll early, and delete one once it's closed.