Blog Layout

Riding The Instagram Carousel

How to tell an effective story without going round and round.


When it comes to marketing on social media effectively, you’ll never go wrong with storytelling. It’s engaging, relatable and appeals to the human side of all of us. But the question remains: how should our stories be told?


Is it best to post a photo, or a reel? Or multiple photos? Should the caption tell the story? The options can be overwhelming. But this where any marketer would do well to remember an ever-growing favourite on Instagram: carousel posting.

What is a carousel?


Instagram carousels allow the user to put up to 10 photos or videos into the same post. While it’s impossible to know whether the algorithm favours carousels specifically, there are a few factors which really set them apart from other forms of content:

  • Carousels reach more users than individual photos or videos, meaning they earn more comments and shares
  • If a carousel isn’t very highly engaged, it’ll be pushed back onto feeds with the second image at the forefront
  • A swipe on a carousel is registered as engagement. And the more engagement on a post, the more it gets pushed by Instagram.


How do I post a carousel?


So, now we’ve covered why a carousel is such an effective storyteller. Next comes the nitty-gritty. Here’s our step-by-step guide to creating a killer carousel for Instagram.


Like all effective marketing tools, there has to be a method to your madness. So, we’ve broken down the slides to abide by the AIDA principle:


  • Slide One: Attention - a really strong caption and an eye-catching image will help draw your audience in, encouraging them to make that first swipe
  • Slide Two: Interest - here is the perfect time to introduce your product or service using an interesting hook
  • Slides Three-Nine: Desire - this is the time to tell your story. Use short, bold sentences in combination with engaging images to really build up the desire for your product or service. Don’t be afraid to really sell the narrative.
  • Slide Ten: Action - end with a strong and sharable call to action to really help drive the story home
Instagram on phone

This is our tried and true formula for telling stories via carousels, and we’ve found that it never misses. Ten slides can feel like a lot but also a little, so by using each one for a specific purpose, we really feel like we’ve cracked the code. And now you can do it too.


So… Is carousel storytelling right for my brand?


With a wealth of effective storytelling techniques out there, it can be tough to decide where to invest your time and resources. But, when broken down, we find that Instagram carousels are effective for one simple reason:


They offer stories in a truly accessible form. And a story which can be reached is one that can be shared and loved. So, why not take the opportunity to tell your story and to connect?


Digity offer a range of services and expertise in Digital Marketing. Visit our website today to make an enquiry.

Get in Touch

This blog post was written by:

Nina Patel • August 1, 2022

FIND OUT MORE

Book an intro. call to suit you...


We know there are always questions about how/whether we can help support your business. To find out more, book a call and let us know what you're looking for.

Digital Marketing
Social Media Marketing Service
SEO Audit
Share by: