Master Instagram carousels with these 10 engagement tactics

The carousel post (or multiple photos post) feature on Instagram is a great way to make your posts stand out and get more Instagram engagement. This feature can be immensely valuable if you want to tell a story, introduce your brand or product, share your blog post, or highlight an event.

Thus, to help social media marketers make the most of this feature, we’re delighted to claim that ContentStudio users can publish and schedule Instagram carousels directly from the ContentStudio app.

Before we learn to publish carousel posts with ContentStudio, let us know more about Instagram carousels. 

What is an Instagram carousel post?

An Instagram carousel post contains a gallery of up to 10 images, videos, or both that can be viewed by swiping left or right. It is a great way to showcase your products or services on Instagram. It lets you show off multiple items at once and gives followers a better idea about your products and services. 

The best thing about this post type is that it’s easy for followers to navigate through the photos because they’re all in one place. If you’re looking for ways to increase engagement on Instagram, this is a great strategy!

Why should you post carousels on Instagram?

According to a study, the most engaging type of Instagram post is carousel posts, with a 1.92% engagement rate per post. So, yes, Instagram carousel posts do better on Instagram as the Instagram algorithm favors the posts on which the users spend more time. 

A carousel post can attract visitors by providing more information about the topic and helping them better understand your products and services.

People are more likely to scroll through a carousel than click through individual posts because carousels allow them to consume content faster and more efficiently.

• Higher engagement:

Carousel posts allow users to swipe through images or videos, encouraging more interaction with your content. This can lead to higher engagement rates, including likes, comments, and shares.

• Showcase more content:

Carousels allow you to showcase more content in a single post. This is particularly useful for brands that want to showcase a range of products or services or to tell a story that unfolds across multiple slides.

• Versatility:

Carousel posts are versatile. They can share a step-by-step guide, a product range, before-and-after shots, or multiple angles of a single product. This versatility can make your content more interesting and engaging.

• Storytelling:

Carousel posts are great for storytelling. You can use multiple slides to create a narrative or to share more detailed information about a single topic, making your post more engaging and memorable.

• Educate your audience:

Carousel posts are a great way to educate your audience about your products or services. You can use the multiple slides to explain complex concepts in a digestible format or to provide a step-by-step guide or tutorial.

How to publish & schedule Instagram carousels with ContentStudio?

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to post Instagram carousels with the ContentStudio app. 

Step 1:

Go to the ContentStudio dashboard, hover your mouse over Publish, and click Composer. Then click on the social media post. 

Step 2: 

Select the Instagram business profile where you wish to publish the carousel and add images. You can either upload the images or add them via the media library.

Step 3: 

Write a caption for your carousel post or generate it via AI and publish it using one of the publishing options.

This is how the carousel will look on your Instagram profile. 

If you’re not already a user of ContentStudio, then you can get started for free!

Read More: Top 10 Instagram planning apps you must have in 2024

10 ways to use to carousel posts on Instagram [with examples]

There are many ways to utilize an Instagram carousel post. Let’s learn about a few of them. 

1. Showcase your products

If you’re looking for an easy way to showcase your product and give followers a 360-degree view, you can create a carousel post to showcase the best of your product. You can either share photos of your products from different angles or photos of different variants. This helps your customers get a better idea of your product and helps them in their purchase decisions. 

Example:

A great example of showcasing products using carousels is the post below by NIKE.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQb1AgKrnvY/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

2. Highlight an event 

Carousel posts are a great way to share the details of a particular event with your audience. You can easily share multiple images or videos from a particular event in one post, showcasing all the event’s details in just one post. 

Example:

Author Sarah Edmondson regularly utilizes Instagram carousels to share the highlights of her book events. Below is an example of a carousel post about her book signing event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbVoW66PuHC/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

3. Share testimonials

Customer testimonials are powerful and can help potential customers decide to buy a product. Carousels are great for showcasing your customer reviews and testimonials, and they also have the added benefit of being more engaging for your audience. With Instagram carousel posts, you can share multiple customer testimonials in one post. 

Example:

Rubia F Lacerda knows how to utilize Instagram carousel posts to share testimonials. Here’s an example of a testimonial post share shared using Instagram carousels.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CW-ecJwh7wh/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

4. Before & after 

Using Instagram carousels to show before-and-afters is another great idea; everyone loves “Before & After” posts. This post type can be used for almost all niches; whether you’re a makeup artist, painter, interior designer, or professional restorer, you can use Instagram carousels to show your projects before and after.

Example:

Here’s a good example of a Before & After post by Loft du Grand Paris.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbW8sk3s_ih/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

5. Educate your audience

There are many ways to educate your audience about your products or services using carousels. You create a tutorial, a step-by-step guide, or share tips for a specific task related to your niche. Carousels are best to educate your audience because you can easily share more content while keeping your audience engaged. 

Example: 

ContentStudio regularly uses the Instagram carousel posts option to inform our audience about the latest social media marketing trends and practices. Below is an example of using Carousel posts to educate your audience.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYjuRnJMIh6/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

6. Share behind the scenes

Posting behind-the-scenes imagery to your Instagram profile helps build your customers’ trust and gives them a sense of involvement in your brand. Since a carousel post has more than one photo or video, it can be used to share behind-the-scenes moments of your company or your work process.

Example: 

Below is an example of behind-the-scenes from a photoshoot.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbW-uxSr_0U/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

7. Reveal

Another great way to use Instagram carousels is to reveal your products or winners. You can do this with two images: create a build-up in the first image, and the actual reveal can be in the second image.

Example: 

Below is an example of a reveal using a carousel post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIae1KaFJ64/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

8. Share user-generated-content (UGC)

User-generated content has become increasingly popular recently. Carousels can be a perfect way to share multiple user-generated images or videos in a single post. These can be videos or images of your customers trying your products or your clients sharing their experience working with you.

Example: 

Harper Collins shared a beautiful carousel post with user-generated content.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbI4eBMluAo/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

9. Poll or survey

You can conduct a poll or survey and get your customers’ feedback regarding your different products, with each product featured in one of the images in a carousel. You can also feature different variants of your products and ask your customers to choose one in the comments section.

Example: 

Here’s a wonderful example of a carousel post with a poll.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLRchyjrjjn/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

10. Repurposed content

Instagram carousels are great for sharing repurposed content. For example, you can easily convert your blog article into beautiful graphical images and share them as carousels.

Example: 

Here’s how we do it at ContentStudio. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZMkUwBjLLp/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

We hope you know better how to grow your Instagram with carousel posts. Publish your carousel posts easily with ContentStudio and make your Instagram feed more engaging. 

Also explore: Facebook Carousel posts

Conclusion

Instagram carousel posts offer a dynamic and engaging way to connect with your audience. Implementing these 10 strategies can significantly boost engagement rates and foster a more interactive community.

Remember, the key to successful social media marketing lies in understanding your audience’s preferences and delivering content that resonates with them. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of content, captions, hashtags, and posting times to see what works best for your brand.

FAQs

How many photos or videos can I include in an Instagram carousel post?

You can include up to 10 photos or videos in a single Instagram carousel post. This lets you share more content and tell a more comprehensive story in a single post.

Can I use different filters for each photo in my Instagram carousel post?

You can apply different filters to each photo in your carousel post. This allows you to enhance each photo according to its unique characteristics.

Can I tag different people in each photo of my Instagram carousel post?

Yes, you can tag different people in each photo of your carousel post. This is particularly useful when acknowledging multiple people or brands featured in your post.