Instagram carousel posts are one of the most engaging formats on social media right now.
Hootsuite’s own social media team finds that, on average, their carousel posts get 1.4x more reach and 3.1x more engagement than regular posts on Instagram.
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Have you ever thought about how color can change the way you react to a product launch, social media campaign, or landing page? ? ????????? ???????? ????????, ?????? ??????, ????? ? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ?????????? ?? ?????—???? ??? ??? ? ????: 1️⃣ ????? ?????? ??????? People associate colors with feelings, which can be used to attract attention, persuade, or influence. Some people react to certain colors based on personal experiences, but most people share the same psychological perceptions of color. 2️⃣ ???? ???? ???????? It’s extremely important to know your target audience when building a social media campaign and choosing what colors to use. Consider the symbolism that colors represent. 3️⃣ ???????? ?? ??? Colors read differently on screens than they do in print. Make sure you choose colors that have enough contrast and meet digital accessibility standards. 4️⃣ ???? ?? ???? Use the color wheel to select your colors. Want a call to action button that stands out? Choose a complementary color. Need some inspiration? Use a color palette generator.
The temptation to swipe left, it seems, is hard to resist—especially when there’s a persuasive cover slide. Give your followers the chance to stop doomscrolling and start swoonscrolling with thumb-stopping carousel posts.
Bonus: Get 5 free, customizable Instagram carousel templates and start creating beautifully designed content for your feed now.
What is an Instagram carousel post?
An Instagram carousel is a post with multiple photos or videos that can be viewed by swiping or clicking left. Up to 10 images or videos can be added and shared as a single post on the feed.
Just like any other Instagram post, you can include a caption, alt-image text, a geotag, and account and product tags on each image in your carousel. People can like, comment, and share your carousel post, just like any other.
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Surprise! ? Swipe left on the post above to see more. Starting today, you can share up to 10 photos and videos in one post on Instagram. With this update, you no longer have to choose the single best photo or video from an experience you want to remember. When uploading to your feed, you’ll see a new icon to select multiple photos and videos. It’s easy to control exactly how your post will look. You can tap and hold to change the order, apply a filter to everything at once or edit one by one. These posts have a single caption and are square-only for now. On a profile grid, you’ll notice the first photo or video of a post has a little icon, which means there’s more to see. And in feed, you’ll see blue dots at the bottom of these posts to let you know you can swipe to see more. You can like and comment on them just like a regular post. This update is available as part of Instagram version 10.9 for iOS in the Apple App Store and for Android on Google Play. To learn more, check out help.instagram.com.
When a carousel is published, a small icon appears in the upper right corner. As someone flips to the second image, the icon is replaced with a counter that indicates the number of frames. Small dots also appear at the bottom of a post to mark progress through the carousel.
Why choose an Instagram carousel? Give your brand the “magazine treatment” with double-slide spreads, close-ups, and shots from different angles. Provide step-by-step guide instructions or parse out information. Build intrigue and unveil a surprise or before and afters. Or use the format to convey scale.
Instagram carousel size and requirements
Much like a regular post, Instagram carousel can be published in square, landscape, and portrait formats.
But keep in mind that all posts must be uniform. Whatever shape you choose for the first slide will apply to the rest of the frames, too.
Instagram carousel sizes:
- Landscape: 1080 x 566 pixels
- Portrait: 1080 x 1350 pixels
- Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels
- Aspect ratio: landscape (1.91:1), square (1:1), vertical (4:5)
- Recommended image size: Width of 1080 pixels, height between 566 and 1350 pixels (depending on whether the image is landscape or portrait)
Instagram video carousel specs:
- Length: 3 to 60 seconds
- Recommended formats include .MP4 and .MOV
- Aspect ratios: landscape (1.91:1), square (1:1), vertical (4:5)
- Maximum video size: 4GB
Don’t be afraid to post a mix of videos and images.
Find up-to-date social media image size requirements here.
How to create an Instagram carousel post
When it comes to creating an Instagram carousel post, it’s best to start with a concept. Determine why the carousel is the best fit for your content, instead of a standard post, collage post, video, or Instagram story.
With this question answered, you’ll likely have a good sense of the type of content you plan to use. Sketch out a storyboard to get an idea of how many frames you’ll need. Decide if your carousel will jump from one image to the next, or have a continuous, panoramic effect.
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The Food Issue of @enroutemag looks a little different in 2020. Our annual cross-country trip to discover Canada’s Best New Restaurants couldn’t happen this year, but that didn’t stop us from celebrating the country’s inspiring and innovative culinary industry. We also journey to Morocco’s saffron country and set out on a food odyssey in County Clare, Ireland. Plus, actor @menamassoud dishes on his new book, Evolving Vegan, and food designer @amandahuynh shows us how she packs for far-flung design trips. Check out the link in our bio to dig in. // Le spécial Gourmand de @enroutemag est un peu différent en 2020. Notre recherche pancanadienne des Meilleurs nouveaux restos canadiens n’a pas eu lieu, mais cela ne nous a pas empêchés de célébrer l’industrie culinaire du pays, plus inspirante et plus innovante que jamais. Nous nous transportons également en terre de safran, au Maroc, et partons en périple gastronomique dans le comté de Clare, en Irlande. En plus, l’acteur @menamassoud nous parle de son nouveau livre Evolving Vegan, et la designer culinaire @amandahuynh nous montre ce qu’elle apporte dans ses voyages pour le boulot. Consultez le lien dans notre bio pour vous mettre l’eau à la bouche. ? : @francoisollivier
Here’s how to make a carousel post on Instagram:
1. Add all relevant photos to your photo library.
2. Open the Instagram app and click the + icon from the navigation bar.
3. Tap the layered square icon right below the post preview.
4. Select up to 10 photos and/or videos from your photo library. The order in which you select the media files is the order in which they will be arranged in your carousel.
5. Tap Next in the top right corner of the screen.
6. Apply filters to all of your images/videos or edit each of them individually by tapping the icon with two overlaying circles. When you’re done with your edits, tap Next.
7. Add your caption, geo-tag, account tags and hashtags.
8. Tap Share.
Tip: Double check to make sure all your frames are in the correct order before you publish. You can’t reorder or delete single slides after you share.
Instagram carousel templates
Want to take your carousels beyond “ten pictures from the same vacation”? Start by customizing one of our five free, professionally designed Instagram carousel templates in Canva.
1. Get access to the templates by clicking the link below:
Bonus: Get 5 free, customizable Instagram carousel templates and start creating beautifully designed content for your feed now.
2. Above is the first page you will see upon opening the template URL. Click Use Template
3. This page will open. All templates are shown. Choose one.
4. You can swap in any photo by clicking Uploads in the side menu and clicking Upload an image or video and selecting whatever image you want off of your machine. Once the image is uploaded, just drag and drop from the menu into the frame you want the image to replace.
5. Change the text boxes by selecting the text and pasting in the new copy you want in your post. Using the circles on the corners of the textbox. You can make the box taller or shorter as necessary. Text color, underline, font options, size options, font alignment and line spacing options appear above when a text box is selected. Highlighted in this screenshot is where you can change text color.
6. Selected above is where you can change the font size.
7. Selected above is the font type.
8. If you click on the template background, you can change the background color by clicking the colored square beside animate in the top menu and color swatches will appear on the left menu.
9. To change colored blocks/shapes, same as above. Select the shape and the colored square will appear in the top menu. Click the square and color swatches will appear in the left menu.
10. To export: Click Download and save as a png.
11. If you want to save only one template of 5, open up Select pages and select the corresponding template by clicking the square to the right, and then select Done.
12. To split your image up for the carousel: go to https://pinetools.com/split-image and you’ll see the above window, then select Choose file.
13. Select the file you just downloaded from Canva
14. Once your file has been imported, select horizontal split, output as JPG or PNG (personal preference) and split by Quantity of blocks (equal width) and put 4 into the Quantity of blocks, then select Split image.
15. This is what you’ll see after you click Split image, and under download pieces (images) are now the four pieces of your instagram carousel split to size. Click on each row 1, column 1, row 2 column 1… etc button to download back onto your machine.
16. And now you have your four separated images to upload onto instagram using the multiple-image upload. Just make sure you select in the proper order, or else your carousel will be posted out of order from the template!
How to schedule Instagram carousel posts with Hootsuite
1. Go to Planner and tap New post to launch Compose
2. Select the Instagram account you want to publish to
3. Include your caption in the Text box
4. Go to Media and tap Select files to upload. Select all the images you want to include in your carousel. All selected images should appear under Media.
5. If you haven’t linked your mobile device to your Hootsuite dashboard, a popup will appear saying Publish via mobile notification and prompt you through the necessary steps for connection.
6. Include any necessary instructions in the Notes to Publisher section.
7. Select a date and time to schedule your post for.
8. Tap Schedule. The post will show up in your Planner at the time you have scheduled it for.
9. At the scheduled date and time, you will receive a mobile notification that your post is ready to publish.
10. Tap the notification, which will open your notification centre in the Hootsuite App.
11. Tap the top notification in the list, then tap Open in Instagram.
12. Your caption will be copied to your clipboard automatically.
13. Tap the + button and select the correct images (the ones you selected in Hootsuite should load automatically as the first images in your gallery).
14. Add any filters to your images, as you would publishing a normal Instagram post.
15. Paste your caption.
16. Tap OK. And voila! Your Instagram carousel has been published.
Engaging Instagram carousel examples
Draw inspiration from these brands and creators on Instagram.
Random House Kids
The children’s publishing arm of Random House knows a thing or two about spinning a story. Here’s how they do it with an Instagram carousel post.
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Loving and poignant, WHO WILL YOU BE? is a beautiful picture book about a mama who wonders who her child will grow up to be.? It illustrates how family and the community help shape the people our children become. Swipe through for a peek inside!➡️ ?: @wanderingbookseller
Louise Damas
What’s inside the travel suitcase of jewellery designer Louise Damas’ brand manager? You’ll have to swipe through to find out.
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Chloé est notre brand manager ✨ Chaque été, elle part à l’aventure avec une valise toujours bien remplie. On y retrouve des livres bien sentis, des bijoux qui respirent l’été, et une place pour les souvenirs à venir. #LouiseDamasTeam
Coachella
If you like the first band featured in Coachella’s Instagram carousel, chances are high you’ll want to see the musicians featured.
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Find your groove @disclosure @peggygou_ @channeltres @tiga
Kotn
Explore the textures and fabrics of Kotn with this Instagram carousel. The Canadian brand uses the format to show off and editorialize its apparel.
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For the colder days ahead. Next week—our first-ever collection of knitwear. Sign up for early access through the link in our bio!
Mona Chalabi
Data journalist and illustrator Mona Chalabi uses the Instagram carousel to brilliant effect. In this example, the swipe effect conveys both scale and disproportion than any single image could.
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No justice. No peace. One of the men 4 men who killed George Floyd has been charged with third-degree murder. It doesn’t feel like a victory. A man is still dead and police officers know that most of the time, there will be no repercussions for the violence they inflict. When you see this whole image, when you don’t slice it up into 10 small pieces, all that’s visible is one long bar. Killing after killing that goes unpunished. That’s why people are still protesting *after* the news that Derek Chauvin has been charged. It’s not nearly enough. Let’s go back to the start and look at the 25 times that police officers supposedly had to face consequences for their actions. History tells us that even if all four men who killed George are convicted, their sentences will be generous (unlike the way the criminal justice punishes black men). Here is a breakdown of the sentences that were given those 25 times: ➖ Unknown sentence = 4 ➖ Just probation = 3 ➖ 3 months in jail = 1 ➖ 1 year in jail, 3 years suspended = 1 ➖ 1 year in prison = 1 ➖ 18 months in prison = 1 ➖ 2.5 years in prison = 1 ➖ 4 years in prison = 1 ➖ 5 years in prison = 1 ➖ 6 years in prison = 1 ➖ 16 years in prison = 1 ➖ 20 years in prison = 1 ➖ 30 years in prison = 2 ➖ 40 years in prison = 1 ➖ 50 years in prison = 1 ➖ life in prison = 3 ➖ life in prison without parole, plus 16 years = 1 Source: Mapping Police Violence (run by @samswey, @iamderay & @MsPackyetti)
Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal
This carousel offers a glimpse at the art and hygiene protocols Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal has put in place to combat virus spread.
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✨Votre visite au MBAM ✨ Vous le savez, nous mettons en place toutes les mesures nécessaires pour vous garantir une visite au Musée aussi sécuritaire qu’enrichissante. Concrètement, comment ça se passe? – ? L’achat de billets se fait sur notre site web (lien dans la bio). Le nombre de visiteurs par heure est limité. – ? Le port du couvre-visage est fortement recommandé. – ? Du gel hydroalcoolique est distribué dans les aires d’accueil. – ➡️ Un parcours d’exposition à sens unique et des indications au sol aident les visiteurs à respecter les mesures de distanciation physique en vigueur. – ? Nos audioguides sont accessibles gratuitement sur l’application mobile du MBAM. – ? Certains services ne sont pas offerts pour le moment : lien dans la bio – ? Nous recommandons aux personnes à mobilité réduite ou ayant des besoins particuliers d’aviser le Musée de leur visite. Le service à la clientèle est joignable au 514-285-2000 du lundi au dimanche, de 9 h à 17 h. Nous faisons notre maximum pour vous retrouver dans les meilleures conditions. ✨ À très bientôt au #MBAM! ✨ – —— ✨Your visit to the MMFA ✨ – As you know, we are putting every measure in place to ensure your visit is highly enjoyable, exclusive yet intimate, and, above all, safe. – Concretely, how does this work? – ? Tickets must be purchased on our website (link in our bio). The number of visitors per hour will be limited. – ? The wearing of face coverings is strongly recommended. – ? Hydroalcoholic gel will be dispensed in the entrance areas. – ➡️ A one-way exhibition pathway and direction indicators on the floor will help visitors adhere to the physical distancing measures in effect. – ? Audioguides are available only on the MMFA’s mobile app and are free of charge. – ? Some services are not currently offered: link in bio – ? It is strongly recommended that people with reduced mobility or special needs notify the Museum of their upcoming visit. Our customer service team can be reached at 514-285-2000, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – We are doing everything in our power to welcome you in the best possible conditions. ✨ See you soon at the #MMFA! ✨
Kamwei Fong
Illustrator Kamwei Fong shows you the final product in print and frame, as well as her process—bringing viewers closer to her art one slide and a time.
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Kitty No.39. New #limitededition prints on my Etsy. Link in bio. Cheers ??⚡️
Welfact
Nothing but the facts, in simple and understandable slides in this and several other Instagram carousels shared by Welfact. To maximize shareability, treat each post as a self-contained unit. That increases the odds (by up to 10!) that someone will share your post in an Instagram story.
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*when you’re not sure if an item is recyclable, so you throw it in the recycling anyway because someone at the recycling shop will take care of it.*⠀ ⠀ Yea.. that’s not good. Here’s why ?⠀ ⠀ Spread the ?, share this with a friend. ⠀ ⠀ #PlasticFreeJuly #AspirationalRecycling #WelfactChangeMaker
Cleanfoodcrush
Who needs a recipe book when you can follow Cleanfoodcrush’s Instagram carousel as instructions for her loaded bean soup.
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{New} Loaded Bean Soup Because you’re gonna need something EASY + DELICIOUS to feed all your people throughout the colder months! Let’s make it hearty, nourishing, inexpensive, & SIMPLE! 6-8 servings Ingredients: 6 slices nitrate free bacon, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 4 ribs of celery, chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 3 (15oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 (15oz) jar diced tomatoes or fire roasted diced tomatoes 4 cups vegetable broth, or chicken bone broth 2 tsps paprika sweet or smoked a small bunch of fresh rosemary and thyme spears (2 – rosemary, 6 – thyme) 2 bay leaves sea salt and pepper to taste, about q/4 teaspoon each serve with plain Greek yogurt garnish with freshly chopped parsley Instructions: Start by chopping your veggies, peel and wash the carrots. Chop onion, carrots, and celery into small dice. Make a small herb bunch by tying the herb spears into one single bunch so they’re easy to remove. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Once hot, add your chopped bacon in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes flipping halfway through until both sides are golden and crisp. Once the bacon is done, remove from the pan and set aside on a paper lined plate. Reserve bacon drippings in the pot. Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir in chopped onion, carrots and celery, cook until veggies are beginning to caramelize. Next add in the beans, chicken broth, tomatoes, paprika, and your bay leaves & herb bunch. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and allow simmer on low for about 20 minutes or until soup is thickened a bit. Once your soup is done, discard the bay leaves & herb bunch, then ladle your soup into bowls. Add crispy bacon and a dollop of yogurt on top. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve warm. Enjoy! ❤Rachel
Chipotle
Chipotle’s timeline of burrito eating uses the Instagram carousel to comical and relatable effect.
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Every. Single. Time.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe saves #TeddyBearDay with this Instagram carousel tutorial.
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It’s #TeddyBearDay so let’s draw a buddy to be by your side! Follow the instructions, give them your own twist and tag us in your creation! ?
Wendy’s
Wendy’s secret menu carousels dare you not to click through and discover “secret” food hacks.
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we call it the spicy spicy very nicy
Nike
Timed with Ben Simmons’ NBA Rookie of the Year award win, this post from Nike shows how to use the Instagram carousel to make and punctuate a statement. As one commenter notes: “I love it uses the slide to change perception.”
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Young King ? ⠀ @bensimmons #NBAAwards #KiaROY
McDonald’s India
Take a quick look at the McDonald’s India feed and it’s clear that the Instagram carousel has been a winning format for the account. This most, among others, is a good reminder that a “swipe left” call to action never hurts. It helps, in fact. Socialinsider’s study finds the CTA improves engagement.
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Spice up your Monday with some Piri Piri ? Send us a screen-recording of you shaking & mixing it on your story and we’ll feature the best ones! ?#SpiceUpYourMonday #BeatTheMondayBlues #MondayBlues #PiriPiri #Fries #McDonaldsIndia #McDonalds
Air Canada’s enRoute
Why not give the in-flight magazine the “magazine effect.” This Instagram carousel lets you flip through the pages of a mag, just like you would on the plane or in a store.
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The Food Issue of @enroutemag looks a little different in 2020. Our annual cross-country trip to discover Canada’s Best New Restaurants couldn’t happen this year, but that didn’t stop us from celebrating the country’s inspiring and innovative culinary industry. We also journey to Morocco’s saffron country and set out on a food odyssey in County Clare, Ireland. Plus, actor @menamassoud dishes on his new book, Evolving Vegan, and food designer @amandahuynh shows us how she packs for far-flung design trips. Check out the link in our bio to dig in. // Le spécial Gourmand de @enroutemag est un peu différent en 2020. Notre recherche pancanadienne des Meilleurs nouveaux restos canadiens n’a pas eu lieu, mais cela ne nous a pas empêchés de célébrer l’industrie culinaire du pays, plus inspirante et plus innovante que jamais. Nous nous transportons également en terre de safran, au Maroc, et partons en périple gastronomique dans le comté de Clare, en Irlande. En plus, l’acteur @menamassoud nous parle de son nouveau livre Evolving Vegan, et la designer culinaire @amandahuynh nous montre ce qu’elle apporte dans ses voyages pour le boulot. Consultez le lien dans notre bio pour vous mettre l’eau à la bouche. ? : @francoisollivier
Delta Air Lines
Break interviews into “sound bites” with Instagram carousels. This can be a good way to share testimonials, employees as ambassadors, artisans, partners, or other interviews you’d like to share.
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We know you have questions about flying, so we went behind the scenes with Delta Flight Attendant Joey to get you answers. Swipe through to see his responses to some of your FAQs. ➡️
Patagonia
Patagonia creates a magazine gatefold effect with Instagram carousels. The example demonstrates how carousels can also be used to maintain a feed aesthetic. If you want your feed to only contain images, but also want to share text, here’s a good workaround.
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Emilé Zynobia @curlsinthewild is a snowboarder from Jackson, Wyoming, working on her graduate degree at the Yale School of the Environment. She is a woman of color, and she has a message for the outdoor industry: Representation, as it is pursued, often misses the point—and it’s not enough. Read the story through the link in bio. Photo: @sofia_jaramillo5
Hootsuite
This Hootsuite Instagram carousel parses findings from the 2020 Q4 Digital Statshot Report into easily digestible stats and takeaways. Instagram carousels also make for good case study formats, and more.
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? Hot off the press ? #Digital2020 October Global Statshot report! Big headlines this quarter, including marketers missing out on some of today’s biggest digital opportunities. Don’t be that marketer ? Find out what’s new in the world of social, digital marketing, e-commerece, video, gaming, and pretty much everything else. Discover more in our highlights ✨
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When COVID-19 struck, and stores had to close immediately, @clarinsuk had to shift its focus to e-commerce while continuing to provide the expert guidance it’s known for—but without the face-to-face in-store interactions. Read the full story at the link in our bio ?
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