Facebook Cookbook

Test-Driving Ideas with Facebook Polls

Problem

I think I have an amazing idea for a Facebook app or a feature, but I want to test it out before I go and build the whole thing.

Solution

Facebook Polls offers a cost-effective way to get some real-time feedback on an idea before you invest a lot of time and effort. You can find out more about Polls at http://www.facebook.com/business/?polls, and you can jump straight into creating a new Poll at https://secure.facebook.com/add_poll.php (Figure 2-3).

Figure 2-3. Create a New Poll, step 1

Polls consist of a short question and up to five multiple-choice options. You can filter your audience by one of Interests, Location, Age, or Sex in order to shrink your audience and get an answer faster, or you can just leave it open to anyone.

The second step (Figure 2-4) is all about the Benjamins: paying for your Poll.

Figure 2-4. Create a New Poll, step 2

The top of this screen gives a preview, the middle lets you configure how much you want to spend, and the bottom (omitted in the screenshot) gathers your credit card information. You’ll note in the middle section that you pay a $1 insertion fee and can then select either $0.25 or $0.50 per response (with estimated runtimes of 24 or 48 hours, respectively), as well as a maximum number of responses. You may ...