A carousel post refers to a social media post that contains multiple images or videos that users can horizontally scroll or swipe through. Carousel posts allow users to include more visual content than a single image or video post, creating an engaging, high-impact format. Carousel posts are commonly used on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
When are carousel posts used?
Carousel posts are often used when a user wants to:
- Showcase multiple products
- Feature different images from an event or photoshoot
- Share a progression or step-by-step process
- Tell a story with a series of visuals
- Promote multiple pieces of content or offers in one post
For ecommerce brands, carousel posts provide the opportunity to showcase new arrivals, popular products or outfits, product comparisons, or products available in multiple colors or patterns. For influencers and photographers, carousel posts allow them to share multiple images from travel destinations, events, or photoshoots within one post.
Benefits of using carousel posts
There are several key benefits to using carousel posts:
- Increased engagement – Research shows carousel posts drive 2-3X more engagement than single image posts. The swipe effect creates an interactive, immersive experience that keeps users engaged.
- More reach – Carousel posts stand out in the social media feed, catching users’ eyes as they scroll. This increased visibility leads to more impressions and reach.
- Drives clicks – Each image in a carousel acts as a teaser to capture attention. Brands see increased clicks through to websites, blogs, or product pages after users engage with carousel posts.
- Storytelling capability – Carousels allow brands to tell visual stories, showcase a progression, or curate a collection of related images. This provides more context and depth.
- Promote multiple products – Retail brands can highlight new arrivals, best-sellers, or complementary pieces through a catalog-style carousel post.
Best practices for carousel posts
To create effective, high-performing carousel posts, follow these best practices:
- Use 3-5 images or videos in your carousel. Too many can overwhelm users.
- Select visuals that flow together and tell a cohesive story.
- Optimize images for each platform’s specifications.
- Make the first image eye-catching and relevant to your caption.
- Use captions to provide context and encourage engagement.
- Leverage captions to direct users to click through or take action.
- Analyze performance data to identify your highest converting carousel posts.
- Test different image combinations, captions, and CTAs to improve results.
Ideal carousel content for different platforms
While carousels can be leveraged across social platforms, keep these platform-specific best practices in mind:
- Short, snackable carousels (3-5 images or videos) perform best.
- Lifestyle imagery and behind-the-scenes content engage Facebook audiences.
- Link to blogs, websites, and product pages to drive traffic.
- Use Instagram carousels to share collections, showcase products, or tell stories.
- Leverage the swipe up feature to drive traffic to external sites.
- Utilize Instagram carousels in Stories to link out to products, blogs, etc.
- Combine images, GIFs, and videos to make engaging Twitter carousels.
- Use captions to spark conversations and engage your audience.
- Link to relevant websites, articles, or product pages.
- Education and business focused carousels perform well on LinkedIn.
- Share company news, product updates, and workplace culture images.
- Utilize your caption to summarize key information.
How to create carousel posts
The process for creating carousel posts is simple and generally the same across social platforms:
- Select the images or videos you want to include in the order you want them to appear.
- Upload the visual content into the carousel post composer.
- Customize the look and feel of each slide as needed (filters, cropping, etc.)
- Add your caption copy and optimize it for SEO.
- Insert a call-to-action to drive traffic or conversions.
- Preview how the carousel will look before posting.
- Analyze performance and engage with comments from followers.
On Instagram, you can create carousels by selecting “Select Multiple” when creating a post. On Facebook, use the carousel format option in the post composer. On Twitter, search for the carousel icon when composing a Tweet. Customize and sequence your visual content before posting your carousel across platforms.
Measuring carousel post performance
Analyzing your carousel posts’ performance is key to improving engagement and results over time. Look at these metrics when assessing effectiveness:
- Impressions
- Reach
- Engagements (likes, shares, comments, etc.)
- Swipe-through rate
- Clicks/taps
- Conversions
- Save rate
Dig into the data around individual images in your carousel. Which images drive the most engagement? Which seem to resonate best with your audience? Use these insights to refine your visual content approach.
You can also A/B test different elements – like image order, call-to-action, captions – to determine what moves the needle with your followers. Let the data guide your ongoing carousel strategy.
Platform | Ideal Carousel Length | Ideal Content Type |
---|---|---|
3-5 images/videos | Behind-the-scenes, lifestyle imagery | |
3-5 images | Collections, products, stories | |
2-4 images/GIFs/videos | Trending topics, current events, conversations | |
3-5 images | Company culture, workplace, industry news |
Conclusion
Carousel posts provide a dynamic, engaging format for brands to connect with their audience. By leveraging the power of visual storytelling and swipe interaction, carousels grab attention in the competitive social media landscape. Tactically using carousel posts as part of an overall content strategy can lead to increased reach, engagement, clicks, and conversions across platforms.
To maximize results, brands should follow best practices tailored to each platform – like ideal image counts, relevant content themes, and strategic calls-to-action. Analyzing performance data provides key insights to refine carousel content over time. When used strategically, carousel posts give brands an impactful way to achieve their social media marketing objectives.