Carousel post

What is a carousel post?

A carousel is a multi-content format used on various visual social media platforms to display images and videos consecutively. With carousels, you can show multiple images, videos, or a combination of both within a single post, to provide an engaging experience for your audience.

What do carousel posts look like on different social media?

Here’s what to expect from the carousel formats on different social platforms:

• Facebook: On Facebook, carousels can be used for both organic posts and ads. They consist of a series of cards, each featuring an image or video, a headline, and a call-to-action button. Users can leverage carousels to showcase products, share a step-by-step guide, or tell a story using visual aids.
• Instagram: Instagram carousels allow users to share up to 10 images or videos in a single post. This format is particularly popular among users for telling a sequential story, sharing tutorials and before-and-after transformations. Instagram also lets users create ads using carousels.
• Pinterest: On Pinterest, carousels are known as "carousel Pins." These Pins allow users to feature up to five images within a single Pin, each with a unique title, description, and destination URL. The ability to link to platforms outside Pinterest elevates its carousel format.
• LinkedIn: Like on other platforms, LinkedIn carousels allow users to share multiple images with accompanying text, headlines, and call-to-action buttons. Carousels on LinkedIn are an excellent way for companies to showcase their expertise, highlight their services, or share insights and data in a visually engaging format.
• TikTok: Carousels on TikTok allow users to share up to 35 images in one post. The format can be enhanced by users with the music options on the platform. However, it’s limited because you can’t add video to the slideshow (yet).

What are the benefits of using carousel posts on social media?

A 2020 study found that posts on Instagram are likely to be more successful if they contain a carousel – versus a single photo or video. Aside from the clear benefits of carousels on Instagram, the format has other benefits for social media users.

• Help enhance storytelling: Carousels provide an opportunity for businesses and individuals to tell more engaging and comprehensive stories. By combining multiple images or videos, users can create immersive narratives that capture their audience's attention and convey their message effectively.
• Increased engagement: The interactive nature of carousels encourages users to spend more time interacting with the content, resulting in higher engagement rates. As users swipe through the carousel, they are more likely to like, comment, or share the post, amplifying its reach and visibility.
• Showcase multiple products or services: Carousels are an excellent format for businesses to showcase a range of products or services within a single post. This allows brands to highlight their offerings and potentially attract a wider audience with varied interests.
• Efficient use of ad spend: For advertisers, carousel ads can be a cost-effective way to reach their target audience. Businesses can efficiently use their ad spend and drive better results by featuring multiple products or messages in a single ad.

What is an example of a carousel post?

Social media platforms have different ways they visualize carousels. Here are some examples of how users apply carousels to their content creation:

• Our social media manager at Buffer uses carousels to repurpose blog content into bite-sized graphics for Instagram. Here’s an example post

• Passionfroot CEO Jennifer Phan shares LinkedIn carousels for her audience, usually with advice or recommendations that content creators can benefit from.