How do you send someone a file online without their email address? Surprisingly, there are at least nine different sites that can answer that question for you.From presentations to mp3s to documents to zip files and anything else, they can now be sent via Twitter. This really opens up the use of Twitter from a simple communication tool to a new way to share large amounts of information.

1. Free Twitter
Polling Applications
A review of seven online apps
09.11.10
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2. If you’re using Twitter for your business, at some
point you’re probably going to want to
understand how your followers feel about your
brand, service or product. Polling is an excellent
way to get a quick understanding of how people
feel. It’s also a great way to run a contest, get
demographic information on your followers, or
get a rating on an idea. There are several sites
that do just this. Their features range from only
one service to a wide variety of services, some
charging a slight service fee.
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3. Overview
Criteria
I sat down with my co-workers and created a wish-list of qualities that we as marketing people want in a
Twitter polling service. Of course, all the apps have to be free and require no downloadable client.
Beyond that, we wanted to be able to:
have an easy-to-use interface
get the hang of it quickly
have a unique url
use analytics
use multiple types of polls
insert images
brand polls
make them visually interesting
tag keywords
categorize topics
leave a message
embed on our site
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FREE TWITTER POLLING APPS
Have an easy-to-use interface
Get the hang of it quickly
Have a unique url
Use analytics
Use multiple types of polls
Insert images
Brand polls
$
Make them visually
interesting
Tag keywords
Categorize topics
Leave a comment $ Not for free
No
Embed on our site Yes
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5. Polls.tw Application Interface:
Pros
Easy to use
Creates a poll that can be easily used
by and shared with others
Cons
It only creates one type of poll:
multiple choice. All the other sites do
the same thing but offer a lot more
features.
Rating
©2009
5

6. Poll Your Followers Application Interface:
Pros
Easy to use for short multiple choice
polls
Cons
Outside of posting a poll, it has no
other functions
You can’t leave any feedback or find
out who voted in your poll. This is
another site that needs a few more
features to make it worth your while.
Rating
©2009
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7. Twttrstrm Application Interface:
Pros
Easy to set up
Lense aspect is unique to Squidoo
Creates an incredible resource around
your questions
Cons
It’s a mess
Looking at examples from other more
established polls, it’s a hodgepodge of
information that can be very difficult
to sort through
Rating
©2009
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8. StrawPoll Application Interface:
Pros
Of the single feature sites, I like this
one the best. It’s very simple to use.
Visually appealing and allows you to
see the tweets surrounding your poll.
Cons
It’s usefulness is limited since there is
just the one type of question that only
allows for two answer options.
The site feels like more of a gimmick
than something that a business
would seriously use.
Rating
©2009
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9. SocialToo Application Interface:
Pros
Simple interface
Lots of nice add-on features
Cons
You have to pay for the add-ons
It’s not the most attractive layout
Rating
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10. Twtpoll Application Interface:
Pros
Lots of question types
Has a clean and simple look
Easy to spread your poll around
Cons
Branding must be paid for and lacks
keyword tags
Rating
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11. Poll Everywhere Application Interface:
Pros
Instant stats gathered from phones
make it an ideal audience polling tool
It also generates professional reports
Cons
Price tag not worth paying if you just
want to send your poll out through
Twitter or other social media channels
Rating
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12. CONCLUSION
While there are some sites that are easy to use, one
trick ponies, it’s worth putting a little extra effort into
your polls with the sites that offer more functionality.
Twtpoll edges out Twttrstrm as it provides nearly all
the features we wanted while still being simple to use
and visually appealing.
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13. Links
Read the entire review on our blog
blog.theduffyagency.com/
Check out Twitter Tuesday for new Twitter tips and reviews every week.
The Duffy Agency website
www.theduffyagency.com
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