As a social media manager, one of the most common questions I get asked is if you can post a carousel organically on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The short answer is yes, you absolutely can post carousels without having to pay for advertising. In this article, we’ll dive into what exactly a carousel post is, the benefits of using carousels for organic posting, and some best practices to keep in mind when creating your own carousels.
What is a Carousel Post?
A carousel post refers to a post that contains multiple images or pieces of content that users can horizontally scroll or swipe through. On Facebook and Instagram, carousels can contain 2-10 images or videos that followers view by swiping left or right. Some key features of carousel posts:
- They contain more than one piece of content (image, video, etc.)
- The content is displayed in a horizontal scroll format
- Users swipe left/right to view the different content
- Each piece of media may have an individual link or caption
Carousels allow you to share more content while taking up the equivalent real estate of one post. They also create a more dynamic, interactive experience for your audience compared to a single image or video.
Benefits of Using Carousels for Organic Posts
Posting carousels organically has a number of advantages over single image/video posts:
Showcase More Content
The main benefit of carousels is the ability to share multiple photos, videos, stories, etc. in one post. For example, you could:
- Highlight 5-10 product photos
- Share a collection of user-generated content
- Showcase photos from an event
- Display multiple graphics/quotes
You’re no longer limited to a single image or video like you are with a regular post.
Increase Engagement
Carousels tend to be more eye-catching and interactive than static posts. The scrolling motion grabs the viewer’s attention and gives them an incentive to engage further. As users swipe through the carousel, it keeps them engaged longer than a single image would. This increased engagement often translates to more reactions, comments, and shares.
Better Storytelling
Carousels allow you to tell a story visually across multiple slides. For example, you could showcase:
- The step-by-step process behind a recipe
- A timeline of events at a conference
- The journey a product takes from creation to customer
Thescrollable format of a carousel provides a natural way to showcase a progression or narrative.
Showcase Different Link Destinations
Each image or video in a carousel can link out to a different destination. For instance, you may link each slide to:
- A different product category or page on your website
- Unique landing pages for each offer or promotion
- Helpful resources related to each carousel item
You can essentially create a menu of clickable options within a single post.
Improved Link Clicks
According to research from TrackMaven, carousel posts see 2-3X more link clicks compared to regular image posts. The scrolling format allows you to prominently display multiple clickable images or CTAs within a small space. The increased link visibility tends to translate into increased link clicks.
Take Up Less Feed Space
Carousels condense multiple images and content into the equivalent space of one post. This helps prevent your feed from becoming cluttered or overwhelmed. Followers see fewer posts overall but still get lots of valuable content in a compact format.
Best Practices for Organic Carousel Posts
When creating carousels for your organic social media posts, keep these best practices in mind:
Choose a Visual Theme
Pick a consistent visual theme, color scheme, or style for your carousel. This creates a cohesive look and feel as users scroll through. For example, showcase:
- Product photos on a matching background
- Event photos edited in the same filter
- Company graphics in the same color palette
Keep Text Short
Avoid overloading your carousel with long blocks of text. Images and short captions in the 5-15 word range work best. You want the visuals to shine.
Limit It to 2-5 Slides
Research suggests engagement starts dropping after 5 slides. Stick to 2-5 images or videos to optimize for completion rate.
Put Key Content First
Lead with your hero image or video slide first. Follow with supplementary images. You want to hook followers right away with your most eye-catching visual.
Use Clear CTAs
Make sure any calls-to-action in your carousel are easy to spot and understand at a glance. Drive clicks by using crisp, contrasting colors and simple directives like “Shop now.”
Link to Specific Landing Pages
Send each carousel slide to a targeted landing page for optimal conversions. For example, link product photos to their category or purchase pages.
Test What Works
Analyze the performance of your carousel posts over time. Pay attention to engagement, clicks, and conversions to see which types of carousels resonate best with your audience.
Example Carousel Posts
To give you an idea of effective organic carousels, here are a few examples from top brands:
Spotlighting Products
Glossier uses product carousels to showcase new item launches. The bold imagery shows the details of each product against a branded background:
Promoting Content
HuffPost shares carousels highlighting a series of articles to get readers to click through to their content:
Event Recap
Charity: Water recaps events via image carousels to showcase the experience for followers who couldn’t attend:
Behind-the-Scenes
Everlane gives followers a BTS look at their production process through simple photo carousels:
Carousel Post Stats
A few interesting statistics on carousel performance:
| Metric | Stat |
|---|---|
| Engagement Rate | 2-3x higher than regular posts |
| Link Clicks | 2-3x higher than regular posts |
| Ideal Length | 2-5 slides |
As you can see from the data, carousels consistently outperform regular image and video posts across key engagement metrics like reactions, comments, and clicks.
Tools to Create Carousels
You don’t need fancy design skills to put together stunning carousels. Here are some easy tools to create captivating carousels for your brand:
Canva
Canva offers customizable carousel templates for all the major social platforms. Simply drag and drop your visuals into the preset templates and add your branding.
Adobe Spark
Spark has carousel-specific design options including collages and video carousels. Provides plenty of professional templates to choose from.
Buffer
With Buffer’s carousel creator, you can easily build, schedule, and analyze carousel posts across social media all in one dashboard.
SlideDog
SlideDog lets you quickly compile images, videos, and text into a polished carousel. Offers an extensive media library too.
Animoto
Animoto is geared more toward video carousels. Their templates make it simple to piece together professional-quality video slides.
Carousel post ideas
Looking for inspiration on the types of content to share in your carousel posts? Here are some ideas to help spark your creativity:
Product launches
Showcase your newest products with details on features, pricing, availability etc.
Behind-the-scenes
Give followers a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes with fun BTS photos.
Events
Share highlights from events, conferences, webinars, and partner gatherings.
Employee spotlights
Introduce followers to your amazing team members.
Office culture/work perks
Display the fun, humorous side of your workplace culture.
Customer spotlights
Show some love for your customers by featuring their photos.
Tutorials
Create step-by-step tutorial journeys with a carousel.
Quotes/testimonials
Share motivating quotes from thought leaders, happy testimonials from customers etc.
Infographics
Showcase your infographic content in a digestible carousel format.
Collections
Curate carousels around popular products, content themes, influencers etc.
Countdowns
Build anticipation for an upcoming launch or event with a countdown carousel.
Contests
Promote a giveaway, contest or sweepstakes with engaging visuals across slides.
Conclusion
Posting carousels organically is a highly effective way to showcase visual content, tell stories, and grab attention on social media. When created thoughtfully, carousels deliver dramatic improvements across engagement, clicks, and conversions compared to standalone posts.
By picking a visual theme, keeping text minimal, leading with your strongest asset, and linking to targeted landing pages, you can craft compelling carousels that followers will love scrolling through. Test different styles and content types to see what resonates best.
Just remember – carousels are not meant to replace your regular image and video posts altogether. Find a balance between standard posts and carousels to add variety to your organic content strategy. With these best practices in mind, your brand is sure to become a carousel pro in no time!
