Why carousels are one of the most effective social media formats today for publishers

Carousels remain one of my favorite social media tactics, and for publishers they work especially well because they align with the type of content you create and the formats you already use.

What is a carousel? It’s typically made up of several slides in a single post and features a combination of visuals and text on each one. They basically allow you to summarize a story across multiple slides, using each one to explain something different about your story. They are used on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

I love this format because it helps publishers who have already done a good job of creating a format that is engaging (think lists, Q&As) and distribute it in a different, but really effective way.

I’m going to spend today’s newsletter talking about how you can make carousels work for your media company.

1. What do you need in a carousel?

You need a template and you should pay close attention to how engaging your cover slide is. You need an image that tells the story and a headline that sets up what the user is going to find in the carousel.

Each slide should have a clear takeaway for the reader. You want to make sure that enough information has been provided on each slide but these also need to be quick and to the point. Make sure that each slide has a “swipe” CTA built in so you get the reader to get to the next slide. I’d shoot for a carousel between 4-6 slides.

You don’t want to load up a slide with a ton of text. I’d have a headline and the two-three sentences. But make the sentences short.

2. What content works best for a carousel?

Think of using carousels for anything that might have multiple points to cover or places to send people.

Here are a few good examples:

• Things to do this weekend or month lists
• Enterprise stories and investigative packages
• Best of lists (restaurants, attractions)
• Summer camp lists or top-rated schools
• Election guides and breaking down issues
• City council or school board meeting breakdowns

3. What are the metrics to focus on?

Because there’s more information to see in a carousel than in a traditional post or really more than what’s in a 30-second Reel, you are likely to retain more of your audience’s attention through using them on a social media platform.

This means that your audience will spend more time with your content on platforms that really favor this kind of content. In theory, that should be good for how your content gets prioritized in the algorithm. 

In terms of the actual metrics, you’ll see more views for this content as well as saves as many may come back later to read them or use them in their life in some way. Saves and shares really build loyalty so this is a great metric to focus on.

4. Do they match how readers consume news?

We know that readers like it when we explain and break down information in an effort to simplify an issue. That’s why lists and alternative story formats are so popular and engaging with our audience.

You can use that same thinking with carousels, using formats like this to move readers through slides:

• Bullet points
• Key takeaways
• Step-by-step details
• FAQs

This approach allows you to serve your audience in a different way than a traditional story, but it is still storytelling, just in a format that helps you deliver information more concisely. 

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