Increase Reader Engagement with Interactive Online Polls
Ask questions. Start conversations. Keep readers coming back.
Community newspapers have always been the center of local conversation.
Surf New Media’s Polls feature helps bring those conversations online by allowing publishers to quickly create interactive polls that encourage readers to participate, share opinions, and engage with local issues.
Whether you’re asking readers about local elections, high school sports, community events, or just for fun, polls create another reason for visitors to return to your website.
Easy to Create
Creating a poll takes only a few minutes.
Simply:
- Enter your question
- Add answer choices
- Choose a start date
- Set an end date (optional)
- Publish
Your poll is immediately available on your website.
No programming or technical knowledge required.
Unlimited Poll Questions
Create polls about virtually any topic, including:
- Local elections
- School referendums
- High school sports
- Community events
- Weather
- Local businesses
- Restaurant favorites
- City improvements
- Entertainment
- Holiday traditions
Or simply ask fun weekly questions that keep readers engaged.
Display Polls Anywhere
Polls can appear throughout your website, including:
- Homepage
- Sidebar
- Article pages
- Section pages
- Sports section
- Community calendar
- Mobile layouts
Place polls where they’ll receive the most visibility.
Real-Time Results
Readers enjoy seeing how others voted.
Results can update automatically after each vote, creating an interactive experience that encourages repeat visits and ongoing participation.
Mobile Friendly
Polls are fully responsive and work beautifully on:
- Desktop computers
- Tablets
- Smartphones
Readers can vote wherever they are.
Encourage Community Participation
Polls help readers feel connected to their community.
Ask questions such as:
- Should the city build a new park?
- Who will win Friday night’s football game?
- Which summer festival is your favorite?
- How prepared are you for hurricane season?
- What’s the biggest issue facing our community?
Simple questions often generate significant reader interest.
Schedule Polls
Plan polls in advance.
Schedule them for:
- Elections
- School events
- Sports seasons
- Holidays
- Community festivals
- Special sections
Polls can automatically start and end based on dates you choose.
Archive Previous Polls
Keep a history of past polls and results.
Archived polls can provide interesting snapshots of community opinion over time while giving readers another reason to explore your website.
Built Into Surf CMS
Polls integrate seamlessly with other Surf CMS features, including:
- Homepage widgets
- Publish Everywhere
- Mobile layouts
- Newsletter promotion
- AI-generated social media posts
- Responsive templates
Everything works together from one easy-to-use platform.
Benefits
Surf New Media’s Polls feature helps your newspaper:
- Increase reader engagement
- Encourage repeat visits
- Build community interaction
- Keep readers on your website longer
- Create fresh homepage content
- Support social media sharing
- Generate discussion
- Increase website activity
Perfect for Community Newspapers
Community newspapers thrive on local conversations.
Polls provide an easy way to involve readers while gathering opinions about the topics that matter most to your community.
They’re quick to create, fun to participate in, and help strengthen the relationship between your newspaper and its readers.
Turn Readers Into Participants
Your readers don’t just want to consume local news—they want to be part of the conversation.
Surf New Media’s Polls feature gives your newspaper a simple, engaging way to encourage participation, spark discussion, and strengthen community connections.
Create interactive polls in minutes and discover how easy it is to keep readers coming back for more.
Schedule a Free Demo to see how Surf New Media’s Polls feature helps community newspapers increase engagement and build stronger relationships with their readers.