WebProNews

Very interesting, though I've never seen polls be a real draw.

Dr. Amy Jo Kim has some interesting things to say on her social architect blog and in her ground-breaking cult-classic book. Her initial research I believe was keeping people interested in video games but it has translated well into helping social sites attract new users and keep old ones.

In her book, she recommends things like:

* Allowing people to collect things (stars, fans, comments, banners)
* Allowing people to build an easily identifiable reputation (popularity ratings, verified email icon, fan counts)
* Allowing people to reach different levels (featured writer, columnist, readers' choice writer, experts, star levels)
* Allowing people to compete with others to try to do better (hall of fame with popularity ratings)
* Allowing people to connect with each other (contact icon, comments, fan clubs, online now indicator)

The reason I like to read HuffingtonPost is because of the comments - it makes it feel so much more community based AND the comments are refreshed quite quickly.

Indeed, polls, images/videos and contents are the most popular factors that can get more viewers into your site/s. Always keep in mind the "Three I's" to encourage more viewers -- interactive, interesting and informative.