How to make Instagram Carousel Posts Work For Your Brand.
Instagram Reels might be the hot trend, but don’t let carousel posts fool you. According to figures (and experience), carousel-style posts are thriving on the platform. They’re actually one of the most engaging formats for user experience! This could be to do with the temptation to swipe left (dating sites we’re thanking you here), this especially helps when brands are using engaging and persuasive language that actually makes us want to read more.
In this guide, we’ll explain what a carousel post is and how to use it effectively to boost your engagement on Instagram.
So What is a Carousel Post?
An Instagram carousel post is when you post more than one photo or video to your feed. Users can view the post by swiping left on the post and each post can contain up to 10 media items. One of the advantages of using this format is that the algorithm will carry on showing your content throughout the day to your followers, at different times, by using various images/videos from the post. This is a great way to stay at the top of your audience’s feeds and boost your engagement - thank you Instagram!
Size Requirements for Carousel Posts
Make sure your content is optimised for Instagram by following the below sizing requirements.
Square (1:1)
Vertical (4:5)
Horizontal (4:5)
So now you know what a carousel post is, you might be asking “but what should we post? How do I boost my engagement with this format?”…
First of all your content should always be authentic. Your followers will immediately know if you’re posting for the sake of posting. Not only will this zap your time and energy, but it will also make you dislike the platform. Have you ever heard of the saying Use Social Media, Don’t Let it Use You? This is exactly what will happen if you don’t plan your posts and post authentic content, social media will use you. So now we’ve cleared up how and why you should post, now I will give 8 examples of what you should post on carousel posts on Instagram, to boost your engagement.
Photo Dumps
Do you remember when Facebook was all of the rage and you’d come home from a night out or a weekend away and quite literally dump 50+ photos on your timeline? Well, this trend has now reached its way to Instagram. Post a few snapshots from your weekend, an event you have been to or even something that inspires you. It’s a personal way to reach your audience and show the personality behind the brand. It’s a way to connect with your audience, without feeling the pressure of having to post perfection. You can also ensure your brand remains consistent by using a cover photo that matches your feed, whilst the other images/videos can be slightly off-piece
Product Reveals
Reveal a new product or collection that has just gone live by showcasing some of the new pieces.
Storytelling
Make sure your first image matches the aesthetic of your feed and then fill the rest of the media with photos/videos that tell a story. This could be when the brand first started, how it started or you could even introduce a new team member or client. Storytelling is a great way to connect with your audience, so be open and honest and your followers will love it.
Customer Testimonials
Ahhhhh, can you remember the days that you would purchase an item from a random online website without Googling the hell out of it beforehand? Mad right? But gone are those days. According to Dixa, 93% of customers will now read online reviews before making a purchase. These are crazy statistics, especially if you’re not one of those businesses that are gathering reviews and sharing them at every opportunity. If you’ve not yet set up Trustpilot or Google Review then please stop what you are doing and go set them up. If you have already got a system in place to gather reviews/testimonials, then use the carousel-style post to shout about them. Use each slide as a new quote/reference/review and show off what amazing customer service your brand has.
Before and After Reveals
Everyone loves a good transformation. If you are in the home-design industry then this one is REALLY for you. Showcase a room before your project has started, in the middle of the process and then the final room. Customers love seeing a positive and well-designed transformation. However, if you are not in the home-design industry you can still make this work for your brand. This process is a great way to show the impact of your product or services, without boringly saying “my product does this”. If you are a beauty brand use this opportunity to show a customer before using the product and then after. If you offer services to B2B’s use this opportunity to show what the companies’ statistics were before you started working with them and after. There are so many ways in which you make this work for your brand but if you are still struggling with ideas, get in touch and let us transform your social media content.
Behind The Scenes
Take this time to show your customers what it takes to be an employee within your company. Maybe this is behind the scenes of a photoshoot, visiting one of the factories, working in customer service or even a day in the office (if you have a dog this always works… people go mad for dogs, especially on take your dog to work day!) Your followers will be curious as to what is happening not on social. We love to know that there are people behind a business, and the more authentic you are, the most your audience will relate and engage with you.
Visual Guide
People love a relatable guide. Short, sweet and straight to the point. Try to be as visual as possible and use short snappy sentences. Your audience will often save your content when you share guides so this is a great way to boost your engagement on the Instagram algorithm wheel. Whether it’s top tips on helping your little ones sleep, to a guide on how to wear the latest pair of trendy jeans, a visual guide is a win-win for Instagram.
Q&A
Ask your audience “What do they want to know?” you can do this easily in your stories and set a date and time when you will answer all (or most) of the questions. From the Q&A, select 7-10 of the best questions and create a visual display of the questions and the answers. You can then pin this to the top of your feed so that your audience and customers can always refer back to it.
Ready to get started on your social media campaign? Let us help you create a social media strategy so that your business stands out from the competition. Remember to use social media, don’t let it use you.
