How to create successful carousel posts on Instagram

In our “Instagram Guides,” we'll look at Instagram, explain its features both new and old, and show you how to get the most out of the platform for your marketing strategy. Today: How to create successful carousel posts on Instagram.

Back in the day, Instagram started as a platform where you could just post one image at a time. Then, gradually, Instagram added more and more features to its app.

In 2017, Instagram introduced its carousel posts. Since then, users have been able to add multiple pictures or videos to one post.

What is a carousel post?

Carousel posts are like little picture galleries for your Instagram feed. The platform allows you to upload up to ten pictures or videos in one post. Here is how you create a carousel post:

1. Open Instagram and tap on the plus in the menu at the top to create a new post.
2. Tap on the sign for a multiple-image post. It looks like two overlapping squares, and it is located above your gallery in the right-hand corner.
3. Select up to ten images or videos from your gallery.
4. Tap “Next” and proceed as usual.

What you should pay attention to when posting

There are a few things you should pay attention to when creating a carousel post.

Different image orientations

There are three different orientations for pictures on Instagram: landscape, portrait, and square. Be careful if you want to use pictures in different orientations in the same carousel post. You can have them all together in one carousel, but you should know that Instagram will use the orientation from the first picture for all of them.

So, if your first picture is in a landscape orientation, the rest of the pictures will also appear in a landscape orientation, even if they were originally in a portrait orientation. Therefore, always make sure to check every picture before posting so that each picture is displayed correctly.

Edit each picture individually

When posting a carousel on Instagram, you have all the same editing options you are used to from your normal posts.

After you have chosen your content, you have the option of selecting one filter for all your pictures. Or, you can also edit your pictures individually by tapping on them. Then, you can select a filter or edit things like contrast and brightness.

Tell a story

But what makes carousel posts a good option? As a brand or business, carousel posts give you the opportunity to tell a story within just one post.

Carousel posts can be helpful if you want to introduce a new product to your community. You can show it from different angles, present its details, or demonstrate new functions in a short video.

This helps your customers to get a better feeling for your new products and see why they would need them or how they could use them. You can also give your community a closer look behind the scenes.

Don’t worry if all the pictures in a carousel don’t fit perfectly with the look of your feed. You can still post them! Just choose a picture that goes well with your color scheme as the first picture in the carousel.

Conclusion: Carousel posts give you a lot of options

Whether you want to show a new product, pictures from a party at your store, customer reviews, or user-generated content, carousel posts can be the right format for almost any goal you have. Storrito helps with the creation of Instagram stories. The platform can be used within a team to create and schedule stories.