Instagram Carousels are the perfect way to show off your work, products, or services. But if you want people to actually engage with them, you need to make sure they’re interesting and eye-catching.
In this blog post, we’ll show you how to create Instagram carousels that your audience will love!
Are Carousels Relevant in 2022? In the age of reels taking over Instagram, users may be left wondering if there is even any value in static image content.
In short, yes there is!
Aia Adriano, the director of social media at Complex, says that carousel use "increases engagement and time spent on the post simply because there's more to consume." The simple fact that there is more information to be absorbed will increase the time spent by your followers, but it's still important to produce quality carousels.
Honestly, there are endless ways to utilize carousels, but let's talk through a few popular ones that are being used right now.
Introducing Your Product A carousel post is a great way to showcase products. Imagine the following scenario: you recently launched a new design for your fashion brand and need to promote it. Instead of being limited to just one picture at a time, you can post a whole series of photographs showing different angles and design elements of your product.
Seeing a product displayed so thoroughly does two things; it gives your customers a better idea of what the product is and it adds more credibility to your product since viewers will feel they "know" the product better. Both of these will increase sales and exposure.
No matter the service or product, the carousel provides an excellent opportunity to inform your audience as to why they should purchase it!
Comparative Posts Side-by-side posts have been a staple on social media since the beginning of time. They are great when needing to compare two images.
Comparisons such as before and afters, product comparisons, and even differences in quality can be showcased using carousels. Famous technology YouTubers like MKBHD and MrWhoseTheBoss have used carousels to conduct their "Best Camera in a Smartphone" Awards.
Another common niche to use in a comparative side-by-side is health and fitness. Health influencers and gurus use side-by-side posts to show the before and after the progress of clients or themselves.
We love an inspiring post. Definitely worth giving it a shot.
"Dumping" Photos with Confidence Dumping is when someone posts a lot of pictures on social media to represent what has been going on in their life.
With so many people embracing the concept of spam accounts, the carousel also comes into play.
Dump up to ten photos and update your fans on how your life's been.
Recently went on vacation and don’t want to sort through and categorize pictures? Photo dump. Have endless photos of your dog? Photo dumb.
If you have an engaged following, they’re going to love the overload of content.
Tell Your Brand Story Most influencers have a following made up of people that are interested in real-life, grounded, behind-the-scenes content. Followers want to see the raw behind the glam. Using carousels to share the difficulties along with the victories will make your community feel like they are seeing your most authentic self.
Sharing pictures of your behind-the-scenes, the process you go through to take photos, or even screenshots of DMs from members of your community are all great ways to tell your personal brand story. It gives your brand a sense of connection.
Nostalgic or old pictures can also be posted. What did your setup look like on day one compared to now? Where were you shooting content previously?
Share the journey. The possibilities are endless!
Use to Communicate Social and Cultural Messages You’ve probably seen posts like this: "5 tips to a healthier morning routine," followed by five slides each giving you a practical tip to put in place. These "self-help" styles of carousels are extremely popular and a great idea to add to your page if relevant to your niche.
Use a platform like Canva, to make your intro slide, and five tip slides with all the knowledge you have to share. Upload them, and you will effectively communicate your stance to the community in a single, coherent post.
Tell a Captivating Story Emotional connections spark interest. What's the “why” behind your brand? Share it with your following in a carousel “story time.” This not only gives people a deeper understanding of you but also the opportunity to learn all about the things you share in common.
Don’t have a long enough “story” to share? Consider compiling a couple of interesting thoughts you might have on a topic. A popular way to do this is to share recent Tweets you’ve uploaded, but you can always use a platform like Canva to create an aesthetic image containing your ideas.
Panoramic Carousel This has to be one of the most obvious yet least-used techniques to showcase panoramic images, broken into parts and uploaded as a carousel. People get to swipe to experience the full beauty of whatever is uploaded.
Instagram Carousels to Drive Engagement So, there you have it. Foolproof methods to make the most of Instagram’s carousel feature and drive traffic or engagement your way. If you want more tips on how to use this powerful tool, be sure to check out The Brand Partnership Bible. It is a comprehensive guide that covers all aspects of social media marketing, including using carousels for your brand. Purchase or book now and become an expert in no time!
