Are you looking for an effective way to boost your presence on Instagram? The Instagram carousel is the answer to your needs! Find out why and how this feature has the power to transform your Instagram account into a real machine to engage your followers and promote your brand! In this article, we’ll walk you through this feature, its pros and cons, and then show you how to create one, before ending with answers to a few questions on the subject.

The Instagram carousel in #Shorts

  • What is this ? Feature that allows users to post multiple images or videos in a single post.
  • The advantages :
    • Increase in engagement
    • Improves visibility
    • Lets tell a story
    • Allows you to promote multiple products in a single post
    • Leaves the possibility of creating diverse content
  • Cons :
    • Offers less visibility to each media in the carousel
    • May make posting consistent
    • Complexity of Content Optimization
    • Requires high quality media
    • Requires more effort from the creator
  • Some creative tips :
    • Think ahead about the content to integrate into the carousel
    • Choose quality media
    • Use a consistent design
    • Detail legends
    • Integrate location and product tags
    • To be creative

What is the Instagram carousel?

Instagram carousel is a feature that allows users to post multiple images or videos in a single post .

This feature can allow brands and influencers to do several things:

  • Tell a story
  • Present a range of products or services
  • Highlight strong moments
  • Share stories that span multiple images or videos

Since its inception in 2017, carousel functionality has become a central trend in social media marketing, particularly due to its benefits for brands and influencers. This feature is also available on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

This feature is very easy to use and can be created directly from Instagram’s mobile or desktop app. Users simply need to select multiple photos or videos and arrange them in the order they want. Text, emojis and hashtags can then be added to make their post more engaging.

How to recognize an Instagram carousel?

Identifying carousels on Instagram is not complicated. You should pay attention to 2 features:

  1. If you are on your newsfeed : small dots appear under the photo, as well as numbers at the top right of the main image (example: 1/5). By scrolling through the images with your finger (by swiping to the left), the blue dot moves and selects the next image, and its number at the top right of the image changes in real time (example: 2/5) .
  2. If you’re on an Instagram user’s profile : Look for posts in their feed that include a small symbol with a white square in the top right of the image.

Identify a carousel on Instagram

The Pros and Cons of Instagram Carousel

Advantages

First, the carousel format can help increase your audience’s engagement with your account. For what ? Since posts with Instagram carousel tend to receive more engagement from users, because they offer them a more complete, richer browsing experience, and allow them to spend more time on a single post. So they tend to engage more with posts that use an Instagram carousel.

The second advantage goes hand in hand with the first: the Instagram carousel improves your visibility on the platform . Posts that include multiple media outlets tend to appear more often in users’ News Feed, which improves the visibility of the person creating them.

Social Insider study: Engagement on Instagram by post type

You can also use this post format to tell a story : by using multiple images or videos, you can more easily share highlights and stories that require multiple steps in a single story.

In addition to telling a story and thus creating a connection with their customers, brands can use the Instagram carousel to promote several products or services in a single post . This makes it possible to highlight a range of products or services without the need to create a post per product, and therefore to gain in efficiency.

And finally, here is one last advantage of the carousel format: the possibility of creating diversified content : the Instagram carousel allows you to vary the content published . Brands can use different images and videos to promote a product, or offer a tutorial or an immersion in their business premises.

The inconvenients

The main disadvantage of the carousel is that it offers less visibility for each image . Photos and videos in the carousel may be less noticeable than if they were posted individually, since it’s logically easier for users to move quickly from one image to another without dwelling on each item. If you want to particularly highlight a media, then you may not have to favor this publication format.

Along the same lines, it can sometimes be difficult to create consistent content when using the carousel on Instagram. This type of post requires creating consistent content for each image or video (otherwise, what’s the point of putting it all together in one post?). But, this task can be more difficult for some users, be they brands or influencers. The goal to keep in mind: users must be able to follow the story being told using the different images and videos in the carousel.

Content optimization can also be more complex for a carousel post. Users must ensure that each image or video is well referenced and optimized for search engines, otherwise, their publication may fall into oblivion.

For it to be done well, Instagram carousel requires creating quality content for each image or video . It can take longer to create an effective post, but it can also be a benefit for brands that take the time to create quality content and provide an immersive experience for their users.

Overall, the Instagram carousel requires more effort from the content creator, whether in terms of graphic and visual design, or in terms of content planning. It may take more time and effort.

How to create an effective carousel on Instagram?

Advice

Here are our top tips for building your Instagram carousel:

  • Think about the content you want to include in the carousel : Think about the story you want to tell, the products or services you want to promote, or the different moments you want to share. There must be a logical link between all the media.
  • Choose good quality media : The images or videos you use in your carousel should be of high quality.
    • In the case of a professional publication, choose images or videos that reflect your company’s brand image and that attract the attention of users.
    • In the case of a personal publication, do not compromise too much on the quality of your photos and videos, it could degrade the quality of your feed.
  • Use an original and consistent design : To create an effective carousel, it is important to use a consistent design for each image or video . This can include using the same font, the same background color, or even the same layout for each item in your carousel. If each of the carousel elements has its own visual identity, you risk confusing users and losing their attention.
  • Write a detailed caption : The captions and descriptions you use in your carousel should be detailed and informative. Use relevant hashtags to help users find your content, and add detailed descriptions for each image or video to help tell the story clearly and concisely.
  • Use location and product tags : These settings can help users find your content and learn more about the products or services you offer.
  • Be creative! Don’t be afraid to be creative and experiment: use different images and videos, try out different designs and layouts, use quirky captions and descriptions to stand out.

10 Step Tutorial

Here is a very simple tutorial to learn how to create a carousel on Instagram in a few minutes:

  1. Open Instagram
  2. Open the page for creating a new publication, by:
    • Clicking on the + symbol at the bottom, center, of the screen
    • Swiping your screen to the right
  3. Select the “Publication” post format
  4. Click on the square symbol which allows you to create a carousel (see image below)
  5. Select all the photos and videos you want to include in your carousel (maximum 10)
  6. Click on “Next” – button at the top right of the screen
  7. Add the filters you like (you can choose one filter per media)
  8. Click on “Next”
  9. Complete the information as for any Instagram post: caption, location, hashtags, identifications…
  10. Click on “Share”

And voilà, all you have to do is wait for your post to load and publish, and your carousel is live!

actu bouton carrousel instagram Instagram Carousel: Find Out Why You Should Use It

Instagram Carousel FAQs

How can I make my Instagram carousel more attractive and interesting for users?

There are several strategies to make your Instagram carousel more attractive. Here are some ideas:

  • Tell a story : Use the different images in your carousel to tell a cohesive story. This can help capture users’ attention and encourage them to scroll through all the images.
  • Use creative transitions : Rather than just using static images, try adding creative transitions between each image.
  • Vary image formats : Don’t just use square or rectangular images. Try adding portrait or landscape images to add variety to your carousel.
  • Use bright colors : Bright and eye-catching colors can help grab users’ attention.
  • Create captivating captions : Captions for your images can also help make your carousel more captivating. Try using captions that tell a story or add additional information to images.

Is there a recommended image size or format for images in an Instagram carousel?

Yes, Instagram recommends an image size of 1080px wide by 1350px high for images in an Instagram carousel.

You can use images of different sizes, but they will be cropped automatically to fit the Instagram format.

It’s also important to note that images must follow Instagram’s file size guidelines. Images must be under 20MB and must be in JPG or PNG format .

How do I plan an editorial calendar for my posts with Instagram carousel?

Planning an editorial calendar for your Instagram carousel posts can help you stay organized and maintain a regular presence on the platform. Here are some steps to plan your editorial calendar:

  • Determine your purpose : Before you start planning your posts, determine the purpose of your Instagram presence.
  • Identify your target audience : Determine who your target audience is and what type of content interests them.
  • Create an editorial calendar : Use a calendar to plan your posts for the coming weeks or months. Identify the type of content you will post, the day and time of posting, and the format of each post.
  • Create content : Based on your editorial calendar, create content for your posts with Instagram carousel. Make sure each post is aligned with your purpose and tailored to your target audience.
  • Schedule your posts : Use a scheduling tool to schedule your posts in advance. It can help you save time and maintain a regular presence on Instagram.

Is it possible to add clickable links in an Instagram carousel?

Yes, it is possible to add clickable links in an Instagram carousel, but there is an important limitation: only the first media of an Instagram carousel can include a clickable link . This therefore means that if you want to include a link in your Instagram carousel, you must place it in the first media of your carousel.

Good to know: Only verified Instagram accounts or accounts with enough followers can add clickable links to their Instagram posts. If your account does not meet these criteria, you will not be able to include links in your carousel.