An image is price a thousand phrases. However typically, one image alone is probably not sufficient to inform the entire story. That’s the place Instagram carousel posts are available in, permitting you so as to add a number of pictures or movies to at least one put up. So that you get individuals to cease and swipe, partaking them for longer.
This information explores what carousel posts are and the right way to use them to your Instagram advertising technique. Let’s get began.
What’s an Instagram carousel?
An Instagram carousel is a put up containing a couple of picture or video. Customers can view these visuals by swiping left on a put up by way of the telephone app. Desktop customers can view a carousel put up by clicking on the arrow button on the suitable of a put up. Consider it as a slideshow of posts that customers can management manually.
The present Instagram carousel restrict stands at 20 images or movies. So there’s loads of room to inform longer tales or showcase a number of objects from a set. It’s additionally an effective way to share snippets of an occasion and even curate pictures round a sure theme.
As such, an Instagram slide put up is ideal for getting individuals to pause and interact together with your content material. So it’s no shock that Instagram carousels outperform each picture and video posts by way of engagement.
Socialinsider.io discovered that carousel posts get larger engagement charges than images and movies. Regardless of a 28% YoY drop in general engagement, carousels nonetheless see a median engagement fee of 0.55% per put up. In the meantime, the typical engagement per put up for Reels and pictures stands at 0.50% and 0.45%, respectively.
Even in relation to influencer posts, carousel posts see larger engagement than single-image posts. The most recent Instagram stats present that carousel posts from influencers see a median engagement fee of 1.70% per put up. In the meantime, single-image posts from these accounts get a median engagement of 1.17% per put up.
The way to create a carousel put up on Instagram
After getting the proper pictures or movies lined up, you can begin creating an Instagram carousel put up utilizing the steps under:
Step 1. Click on on the “+” button on the backside of your display.
Step 2. Choose the choice to create a brand new “Put up.”
Step 3. Select the picture you need to use as the primary slide. Then faucet on the icon so as to add a number of pictures.
Step 4. Choose the photographs or movies you need to embrace within the put up so as of how they need to seem. When you’re executed, faucet on “Subsequent.”
Step 5. Identical to making a single-image put up, you’ll get the choice to edit the images and movies. You’ll be able to add filters, music and textual content overlay to create the proper carousel put up. Making use of the identical filter all through all the photographs and movies will allow you to create a cohesive look. When you’re executed, faucet on the “Subsequent” button.
Step 6. Now add particulars to your carousel put up. Be sure to embrace an appropriate and engaging caption that might immediate engagement. You’ll be able to even embrace common and related Instagram hashtags to enhance your put up visibility. That is additionally the part the place you’ll be able to tag individuals, add a location or add a reminder much like a daily put up.
Step 7. After getting the whole lot sorted, faucet on the “Share” button and that’s it. You’ve created and shared your Instagram carousel put up.
Instagram carousel dimension necessities
When making a carousel put up on Instagram, you’d need to make it possible for it seems to be nice on the platform. So it’s essential to observe the dimension necessities and specs.
Instagram recommends a side ratio of 1:1 for carousel posts. You can even add horizontal (1.91:1) and vertical (4:5) media.
For pictures, Instagram recommends a decision of 1080 x 1080 pixels. Movies can have a minimal decision of 600 x 600 pixels and a most decision of 1080 x 1080 pixels.
Professional Tip: Instagram will use the primary picture in your slide put up as a reference for side ratio. So it’s going to robotically crop any subsequent visuals you embrace within the slide to suit the primary one. Align the side ratio of all of the visuals for every carousel put up beforehand. So you’ll be able to keep away from distorted pictures and unintentionally cropping out any essential components.
When to make use of Instagram carousels
The distinctive nature of Instagram carousels makes them an excellent choice for strategic Instagram content material. Among the greatest methods to make use of an Instagram carousel put up are:
- Instructional content material
- Knowledge and infographics
- Tutorials
- Model storytelling
- Earlier than-and-after reveals
- Photograph dumps
- Product reveals
- Product/model updates
- Person-generated content material
- Occasion highlights
- Behind-the-scenes seems to be
- Themed picture collections
- Product spotlights
The way to schedule an Instagram carousel put up
The guide publishing course of could also be easy, however it may be time-consuming. As a social media supervisor, one among your foremost objectives is to do your job as effectively as potential. Meaning scheduling content material forward of time so you’ll be able to preserve a constant publishing schedule.
And the identical would maintain true to your Instagram carousel posts. Thankfully, you may have the choice to schedule your Instagram posts utilizing the native publishing software. Listed here are the steps to schedule a carousel put up on Instagram:
Step 1. After creating your carousel put up, faucet on the “Extra choices” button from the “Share” web page.
Step 2. Toggle on the choice to “Schedule this put up.”
Step 3. Select the date and time to your put up to exit. Then faucet on “Carried out.”
Step 4. Return to the “Share” web page. As a substitute of the “Share” button, you’ll now see a “Schedule” button. Faucet on it to schedule your Instagram carousel put up.
Though the native scheduling software is helpful to have, managing your scheduled posts is a bit difficult. For example, you’ll have to return to your profile and entry your “Settings and exercise” menu to edit or delete them. When you’re new to Instagram scheduling, it might take a while to determine it out.
To not neglect the truth that it is advisable manually schedule every put up separately.
With a publishing software like Sprout Social, you’ll be able to effortlessly handle your scheduled posts in a single place. Edit or reschedule your scheduled posts immediately from the visible content material calendar. Or get the choice to create a brand new scheduled put up while you hover over a particular day.
Must schedule a couple of carousel put up? Use the majority scheduling function to immediately schedule a whole lot of posts at a time.
The way to create an Instagram carousel put up on Sprout
Step 1. Open Compose within the Sprout desktop or cell app.
Step 2. Choose your Instagram Enterprise Profile from the Profile Picker.
Step 3. Add your content material for the Instagram put up.
Step 4. Choose as much as 20 pictures to incorporate in your put up. Be aware which you could’t mix pictures and movies in your Instagram carousel posts revealed by way of the Sprout app right now.
Step 5. Personalize your put up utilizing tags, hashtags, Instagram First Remark and even put up hyperlinks.
Step 6. Click on on the drop-down menu subsequent to “When to put up” and select the date and time you need. Alternatively, you’ll get the choice to select from a listing of “Optimum ship time” recommendations.
Step 7. Click on on “Schedule” to finish your scheduling.
For extra data on publishing and scheduling Instagram carousel posts inside Sprout, go to our Assist Middle.
8 Instagram carousel put up examples to encourage you
Regardless of carousel posts being essentially the most partaking content material format, manufacturers are nonetheless not utilizing them sufficient. The 2025 Content material Benchmarks Report discovered that multi-image posts make up 25% of branded Instagram content material. This makes it the third most-used Instagram content material after single-image posts and Reels.
So ramping up your Instagram carousel technique provides you with an edge over the competitors.
Want some inspiration for artistic methods to make use of carousel posts? Listed here are some Instagram carousel examples to encourage you:
1. Sprout Social: Sharing insightful stats
Sprout makes use of Instagram carousels to share some key insights from a latest information report. These stats provide insights to tell social methods. Not solely does this present worth to the viewers, but it surely additionally entices them to obtain the total report.
2. Canva: Chew-sized visible guides
Canva makes essentially the most of carousel posts to share actionable visible guides for its customers. This affords sensible worth and serves as design inspiration, guiding customers to take advantage of the platform.
3. ColourPop Cosmetics: Revealing a brand new assortment/product line
Instagram is a good place for locating new merchandise, in accordance with the 2024 Social Media Content material Technique Report. The report exhibits that product discovery is the primary cause for interacting with manufacturers on Instagram. So take advantage of carousels for product reveals and spotlights.
Every time ColourPop Cosmetics comes up with a brand new collab or assortment, it makes use of carousel posts to disclose the brand new merchandise. Every slide offers the model a possibility to focus on a particular merchandise from the gathering. That is good for engaging prospects to purchase from the gathering.
4. Fabletics Scrubs: Teasing new product drops
On a associated be aware, Fabletics Scrubs makes use of carousel posts to tease merchandise earlier than the precise drop. The model posts teaser pictures to announce an upcoming colour for his or her subsequent drop. That is extremely efficient for constructing anticipation and getting prospects excited to your subsequent launch.
5. Frank Physique: Sharing a model journey
For Frank Physique, carousel posts function the proper format to share the model’s journey through the years. It jumps in on the “The way it began vs. the way it’s going” development to point out how the model’s product line has expanded because it first launched.
It is a likelihood to take prospects on a journey by way of time, displaying how far the model has come. It additionally helps to create a way of nostalgia in long-time prospects.
Professional Tip: Keep away from leaping in on each development. The 2025 Sprout Social Index discovered that manufacturers leaping in on viral traits get blended reactions. Whereas 40% suppose it’s cool, 33% suppose it’s embarrassing and 27% say it’s solely efficient within the first 24-48 hours. So be selective concerning the traits you take part in.
This Frank Physique instance works as a result of the development has been round for some time, displaying longevity.
6. CLEARSTEM Skincare: Throwing again to a previous occasion
An Instagram slide put up affords the proper format for displaying occasion highlights. Within the case of CLEARSTEM Skincare, a carousel put up serves to point out snippets of a previous occasion. The model takes the chance to throw again to an occasion on its one-year anniversary and gauge individuals’s opinions about doing one other occasion.
It is a nice strategy to have interaction audiences and present them that you simply care about what they suppose. Plus, you get to really feel out the panorama earlier than investing in one other occasion.
7. File Perfumes: Asking prospects to decide on a colour/scent of the day
Carousel posts provide the alternative to curate merchandise or pictures round a particular theme. File Perfumes takes this opportunity to share a few of their prime color-based perfumes. The model then asks prospects to choose their colour (scent) of the day.
This permits the model to showcase its product selection whereas encouraging prospects to work together with the put up. So it’s a extremely efficient strategy to increase Instagram engagement.
8. Miramonti Boutique Lodge: Mini Property Tour
For institutions like Miramonti Boutique Lodge, carousels are the proper format for a mini property tour. The lodge creates a number of slide posts to focus on sure elements of the property, such because the Onsen pool.
So it offers potential friends an opportunity to “discover” the property nearly earlier than they determine to e book.
Creating Instagram carousel put up templates
One of many greatest practices to observe on Instagram is sustaining a constant Feed with high-quality visuals. Be strategic concerning the visuals you select to your carousel posts to create a Feed that appears cohesive and on-brand. Instagram carousel templates may help with this.
Instagram carousel templates act as a framework to your carousel posts. They use a constant type of colour schemes, fonts and different design components to make it possible for every picture comes collectively to kind a unified look. Customise these templates with textual content, graphics and images to create a brand new carousel put up.
Yow will discover loads of pre-made templates on web sites like Canva and PicMonkey. These templates can be found to customise and obtain totally free or for a small price. Inventory templates are an excellent choice if you wish to save time. They’re additionally good in the event you don’t have a knack for designing however nonetheless need professional-looking templates.
Alternatively, you too can design your individual Instagram carousel templates from scratch. It is a sensible choice when you’ve got a sturdy model visible id that you simply need to showcase by way of your Instagram carousels. It offers you extra flexibility to create a template that matches your actual wants.
Create posts that get individuals swiping
Instagram carousels get individuals to cease and swipe, driving larger engagement. On the identical time, it is advisable be strategic together with your posts. From visuals that entice individuals to maintain swiping to posts that concentrate on a particular theme, the whole lot wants planning.
Sprout’s visible content material calendar helps you to handle all this seamlessly. You’ll be able to visualize your content material plan and simply transfer issues round for optimum posting. It even helps you to schedule your Instagram carousel posts proper inside the platform, so that they exit on the good time.
Join a free 30-day trial to see how the platform provides to your Instagram technique.
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