By Mehab Qureshi
The world of social media is constantly evolving, presenting new opportunities for users and brands to connect and engage with their audiences. While the focus has traditionally been on ephemeral content like stories and reels, a new trend is emerging: poll-based apps. These platforms, allow users to create and participate in surveys and quizzes, are gaining traction among a diverse audience, spanning from teens to working professionals.
On platforms like Instagram and Twitter, users often find themselves in a passive role, consuming content without much opportunity for engagement or interaction. This dynamic has led some critics to argue that social media can be isolating and even harmful to mental health. Poll-based apps, on the other hand, seek to turn this model on its head by creating a more participatory experience.
“Today, we look at all social media platforms where opinions are being shared by influencers, and the rest of us are only pressing the like button. We feel that GenZs are the most opinionated, but they are easily disregarded for being casual. And we feel that these people need a voice,” said Ish Goel, co-founder and CEO of Hunch, a poll-based app.
Hunch boasts about 70,000+ users and 650,000 total votes in the last four months. But, why polls? Goel explains that polls offer a certain amount of curiosity. “So for example, if I present a poll to you, and if that poll is about a topic, which let’s say you are interested in, so inherently, the first thought that you will have in your mind is that I want to know what others think about this topic. Right? And that curiosity gap puts you in a position where you want to answer the…you end up answering the poll, and you get an immediate feedback,” he informs.
The co-founder of Hunch explains that they have removed the like button from their platform and instead want users to share their opinion by choosing one of the two, three, or four poll options. This change brings structure and detail to the underlying post, and they call each vote a ‘hunch’. The top performing polls on their platform receive anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 hunches, while a new creator can expect around 100 to 150 hunches for their first poll.
Goel believes that polls generate more value than likes because they offer a better understanding of what people are thinking, which ties back to the concept of the wisdom of crowds. Hunch differentiates itself from other polling apps by seeing polls as just the beginning. “For us, polls solve a curiosity gap, and we add social elements on top of them to create a more vibrant user experience. Our comments section, for example, creates a sense of community among our users.”
In the coming months, Hunch plans to add more social elements to the app to take it further towards the social aspect and away from the media aspect. “Our aim is to create an app that is more social than media-oriented, unlike existing ones such as Instagram. We believe that the meaning of media will become meaningless with the advent of AI, and our solution will become even more relevant as it emphasises strong social connections,” said Goel.
The Hunch app does not collect personally identifiable information (PII) as it is an “optionally anonymous app.” When users sign up, a randomly generated username is assigned to them, which can be changed later. While some users choose to reveal their real names, approximately 70-80% of users prefer to remain anonymous, as per Goel.
GAINING GROUND
Poll-based apps are gaining traction among users seeking a more participatory social media experience
Hunch gathers opinions from Gen Z, has 70,000+ users and 650,000 total votes in the past 4 months
Polls provide a more valuable means of understanding community opinions than likes
Plans to add social elements to create a more social-oriented solution that lays emphasis on strong connections