This Article Is For:

• All users who have access to one/all of the following: pages, blogs, contests, and sidebars
• This is applicable to: All themes

Having a poll on your website allows you to better understand your community and the types of content they enjoy, which will initiate conversation and engagement. Polls are also an excellent tool for content generation providing information and results, which can be used to create future blogs, social posts etc.

To add the 'Poll Element' to a page, blog, contest or sidebar follow the steps below:

1. Go to your page, blog, contest or sidebar
2. Enter the title in the title field
3. In the Drag-And-Drop Editor, click the Add Widget button
4. Select the Poll widget from the grid selection window
5. Set up the poll’s settings:
   1. Widget Title : This is the name of the element showing in the Drag-And-Drop Editor. It will not be displayed on the website
   2. Display Title : Select "Yes" if you want to display a title, otherwise select "No".
   3. Poll Group Or Poll : Select a specific poll from the drop-down menu to display, or select a 'Poll Group'. Please note that when adding a 'Poll Group' to a page, blog, sidebar etc that it will only display 1 poll from that group at a time. It will rotate randomly through the polls, every time the page is refreshed. Only polls that are currently active can be displayed.
   4. Results Label Format : When poll results are displayed, the results label appears below the progress bar for each poll option. Choose one of the following poll results options:
      1. Percentage :This is the automatic default unless changed. Will display votes in a percentage. (ex. Yes=49%, No=51%)
      2. Number Of Votes : This will display the actual number of votes. (ex.Yes=5, No=4)
      3. None : Will not display votes or percentages, will just display the poll and options.
   5. Display 'Show Results' Button : Using the drop-down, choose 'Yes' or 'No'. Selecting 'No' hides the button so that results cannot be seen prior to vote submission.
   6. Minimum Column Width (for Polls with Media Answers) : In pixels. Use 0 (zero) for 1 column display. Minimum width determines the number of columns that can appear in the available content area or mobile screen width. e.g. If set to 300, the content displays in 2 columns in a 700px area and in 1 column on a 320px wide mobile screen.
   7. Extra Class Name : Add a class name to refer to in your CSS file if you wish to style a particular content element differently.
6. Click the Save Changes button
7. Click the Save button

If you would prefer not to use our Poll Widget there are some free options available. Below is a list of ones we have tried with the SoCast Platform:

1. Easy Polls : https://www.easypolls.net
   1. Easy Polls offers a free version (you just need to signup)
   2. Has the ability to add Youtube videos
   3. Allows you to size the poll, with a maximum width of 600px
   4. Offers both website and mobile previews
   5. Offers customizations such as background colors
   6. Offers ability to embed into website, or send via Facebook, Twitter, email etc
   7. Once you have created and customized your widget, you can then copy and paste the embed code using our 'Raw HTML' widget
      
      
   
   
2. Poll Daddy : http://polldaddy.com
   1. Poll Daddy offers a free version with signup and is integrated with Wordpress
   2. Has ability to create a basic poll within minutes
   3. Offers color scheme features and width options (with an upgrade)
   4. Offers ability to embed via javascript, or share via direct Link, Wordpress, or email
   5. Offers option for viewing results