In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of Carousel Posts, delve into formatting tips, showcase impressive examples, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to create a carousel post on Instagram to help you craft engaging and visually appealing carousels.
Let’s dive in!
What are Carousel Posts?
Instead of uploading just one image or video, users can select up to 10 media items (photos or videos) to include in a single post that followers can swipe through horizontally.
Carousel Posts allows users to share multiple photos or videos in a single post. Each photo or video is showcased one after the other, and users can swipe left or right to view all the content of the post.
In a new update Instagram now allows users to add music to their carousel post.
Thanks to this a new post style is trending now, in which people post a carousel with a song and it tells a story that unfolds as followers swipe through the carousel, or the music acts as background music for their story or funny posts.
Why Should You Make Carousel Posts?
Posting carousels on Instagram can offer several benefits for everyone.
- Tell a Story:
Carousel Posts let you to tell a cohesive story by sharing a sequence of images or videos. This is particularly effective for personal brands, content creators, and businesses looking to convey a narrative, showcase a process, or highlight different aspects of their products or services. - Increased Engagement:
The interactive nature of Carousel Posts encourages users to swipe through and engage with multiple pieces of content within a single post. This can lead to higher engagement rates compared to single-image or single-video posts. - Showcase Products and Features:
Businesses can use carousel posts to showcase a range of products or highlight various features of a single product in a more comprehensive manner. This can be useful for product launches, promotions, or educational content. - Educational Content:
Content creators and businesses can use carousels to create step-by-step tutorials, informative slideshows, or educational sequences. This format is effective for breaking down complex information into easily digestible parts. - Time-Saving:
Instead of creating separate posts for each piece of content, Carousel Posts allow you to share multiple images or videos in one go. This can be time-saving and help maintain a cohesive visual theme on your Instagram profile. - Drive Traffic:
For businesses, Carousel Posts can be used strategically to drive traffic to a website, blog, or other external links. Each slide can include a call-to-action or additional information with a link, encouraging followers to explore further. - Memorable Content:
Carousels have the potential to create more memorable and impactful content. By presenting a series of related images or videos, you can leave a lasting impression on your audience.
Examples of Incredible Carousel Posts
1 .Fortelabsco
For simple and informative carousel posts you should check out Tiago Forte‘s Instagram profile.
2. Jongordon11
See this as an example of how you can promote your resource with the help of an Instagram carousel post.
3. thesenuka
Leave it to Senuka to show us the impact of a simple design and a catchy headline on carousel post.
Harry’s posts show us how important visuals and placement is for making effective and informative Instagram carousel posts.
Getting Started with Your Carousel Post
Assuming this is your first time creating your carousel post, take some time to plan the overall theme or narrative you want to convey. Consider the following:
1. Decide on Your Story:
What message or narrative do you want to communicate with your carousel post? Whether it’s a product showcase, behind-the-scenes look, or a step-by-step guide, having a clear theme will guide your content creation.
2. Content Flow:
Arrange your images or videos in a logical sequence. Think about how each piece contributes to the overall story. Consider factors like chronology, visual appeal, and maintaining viewer interest.
3. Consistent Style:
Maintain a consistent visual style throughout the carousel. This could include using similar filters, color schemes, or framing techniques for a cohesive and polished look.
Formatting Tips
- Choose your Visual:
You could either include images or short videos, or even a mix of images and videos to add variety and keep your audience engaged. Videos can provide a more immersive experience, while images are great for showcasing specific moments or details. - High-Quality Content:
Ensure that each image or video is of high quality and aligns with your brand or personal aesthetic. Clear, well-composed visuals enhance the overall impact of your carousel. - Aspect Ratios:
Be mindful of aspect ratios to ensure a seamless transition between images and videos. Instagram’s square, portrait, and landscape options provide flexibility, but consistency in aspect ratios contributes to a smoother viewing experience.
Carousel Templates
Don’t have the time to make a carousel from scratch? or don’t have a design in mind?
Just use a carousel template.
Contentdrips has an incredible template collection as well as premium exclusive templates that only you can save and use.
Here are a few trending Instagram carousel template designs:
How To Create A Carousel Post On Instagram
For Instagram you’ll need your carousel in the image format, i.e. PNG or JPG.
With Contentdrips you can get both PDFs and PNGs.
For PNGs Contentdrips collects your slides and puts them neatly in a zip file. So make sure to extract that zip file before going to upload your carousel.
- Now you have your carousel, go to your Instagram click on the ‘Create‘ button.
- It’ll then ask you to add your content, click ‘select from computer’ and add your carousel slides.
- Sometimes Instagram jumbles up the slides so make sure they are in order.
- Also If your carousel is in the 4:5 format, portrait format i.e. 1080×1350, them make sure to select original from the sizing option.
Click on ‘Next’, skip through the adjustments and filters part and click on ‘Next’ again.
This’ll take you to the caption section, Here you can add tags, alt text, location, turn off commenting, hide/show like and view count and add the caption to your post.
When you’re done press ‘share‘ and that’s it.
Additional Tips for Making Effective Carousel Posts:
- It’s important to mention “Swipe Left” on the first slide. You can do it through text or even icon/element that conveys that.
- First slide is really important. Talk about benefits or end results. It should make people want to ‘swipe left’ to the next slide.
- Add numberings or “reading time” to your carousel. This helps more people consume your content. For numberings format like` “001” or “2 out 10”. For reading format it could be something like “2 mins read” etc.
- Add visuals in between first & second slide of your carousel. That grabs people attention. This could be your image or any image. If its a person. Remove its background using tools like remove.bg
- Add your branding on every slide at corner. This could be your social media handle (’@garyvee’) or your profile picture.
- Regarding the typography, use two font families. One for heading and one for text paragraphs. Keep that consistency through out the carousel.
- Lastly, Keep your text aligned to the left if it exceeds more than four lines.
Instagram’s Carousel Posts provide a dynamic and engaging way to share stories, showcase products, and create memorable content.
Don’t hesitate to explore the diverse templates offered by Contentdrips, and follow our step-by-step guide to create engaging carousel posts that captivate your followers.
