We hate the intrusive phone calls. We don’t like it when strangers with clipboards stop us on the street to “ask a few questions.” Polls and pollsters are everywhere. But polls are important. Companies work so hard for our answers because our opinions are extremely valuable.

Traditionally, conducting a poll was an expensive undertaking.  Modern technology and social media make today’s polls extremely easy.

Conducting a poll on your Web site or blog can shed light on what people really think about what you are offering. A simple poll also can capture information about what your viewers would like to see added or extended on your site.  The answers are not always obvious.

We have found that creating polls on Twitter is great for problem solving. Recently, we had  number of questions about one of our projects. We needed additional insight.  We created and implemented a quick poll and delivered it to a few of our Twitter followers.  The results were profound, clear, and helpful.

If you have light traffic to your Web site, it will take time to produce meaningful poll results. But, if you have a lot of followers, friends, or connections within a social media community, quality results will emerge quickly. Don’t count on a huge number of participants, but keep the poll running long enough to see any possible trends.

Every polltaker must be aware that small samples can be easily skewed.  The type of questions asked and the way they are worded greatly affect the answers.  It is also important to keep the wording as neutral as possible. Also make note that a large part of your audience within your community is often of similar mind, opinion or demographic.  This can weigh on the results.

Don’t abuse your friends and followers with polls every day. Use them for your most important questions. Also note that other members of your community create valuable polls, too.  The results are usually available to everyone, so take advantage of the information.

One of the main goals of social networking is to develop a community of people around your company who care about who you are or what your company represents.

Some people call them tribes. I flinch every time I hear that word because it’s a contrived use of the word developed by Seth Godin. I love Seth Godin; I think he is a genius. I’ve just refused, from day one, to hop on that train.  The word community works fine for me.

Meanwhile, back to my regularly scheduled rant.

The goal is not to sell to your community.  Your goal is to educate. In most cases community members are already fans, customers or supporters of you, your product or service. They are already sold. Don’t drive them away with a hard sell.

Just like networking offline, you are better served to educate the people you meet.  Share your story. Listen to their stories. Become a community connector. Offer the information that will help them find quality referrals for you.

Givers gain: It means the more you give, the more people will want to give back to you.  Your job is to train your community and spend the rest of the time supporting them.