Why you should create Instagram carousels 

By Karina Samuel
David Arkin Consulting

Multi-photo posts are turning out to be game-changer on Instagram and many publishers are starting to reap the benefits from.

There’s something about the carousel format that keeps readers scrolling and scrolling, which makes it a perfect tool for publisher engagement.

So, how can you use them to amp up your own Instagram engagement? Whether you’re a seasoned Instagrammer or just starting out, understanding the ins and outs of carousel posts could really give your content strategy that extra edge. 

Hootsuite’s team found that carousels can get you 1.4 times more reach and 3.1 times more engagement than your average post. 

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what makes these carousel posts so compelling.

Making a carousel post is pretty simple. Just pick your photos or videos — up to 10 —and upload them in one batch. You can mix it up with different types of content, like photos, videos, or graphics. 

Instagram carousels  allow you take your followers on a little journey, like showing the steps of a recipe, the before and after of a makeover, or different angles of a new product. 

Here are five things to consider when building carousels:

1. Lead with a Visual Hook

Start your carousel with an image that captures attention and sets the tone for the other images in your post. For news publishers, this could be a striking photo from a news event, a captivating behind-the-scenes shot, or an engaging graphic that teases the story’s highlights.

 

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2. Maintain a Cohesive Narrative

Ensure each slide contributes to a unified story or theme. This could mean aligning images to sequentially explain the facts of a news story, or using a consistent color scheme or graphic style for slides presenting different aspects of an investigative piece.

3. Engage with Captions

Utilize the caption space for storytelling or providing context. In a news carousel, each caption can offer insights, background information, or a journalistic perspective that complements the visual content. Captions don’t need to be short the way they do in a printed product. Feel free to write a hundred words or so and really tell the story.

4. Blend Different Media Formats

Incorporate a mix of photos, videos, and infographics. For instance, follow a headline graphic with in-depth photos or video clips from the story, and conclude with an informative infographic summarizing key points.

 

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David Arkin Consulting specializes in Intsagram strategies for news publishers. Reach out to us at david@davidarkinconsulting.com to hear how we can help you today.