How Carousels on Instagram Help Writers Increase Visibility & Connect with Readers

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

We all want new—and easier—ways to connect with those who read what we write. For a long time, Instagram reels was the way to do that. But in the last year or so, there has been a glut of reels on Insta and even a little view fatigue. 

In recent interviews, the CEO of Instagram has shared how the platform is tweaking their algorithm to allow room for something old that’s new again—Carousels. 

Carousels on Instagram are the new hot thing and are enjoying a boost in the algorithm—when they’re done well. So today we’re going to break it all down and give you an updated look at best practices for Instagram Carousels.

What is a Carousel?

It’s certainly not new—even if the term is unfamiliar to us. 

The term is derived from the now-old-fashioned slide projector (not the ride you find at an amusement park). The gadget we loaded slides into was called a carousel. This is what Insta calls a post with multiple slides (images and/or videos). So don’t look for a new icon to tap, just go to New Post and click the multiple image icon (a small double square icon) and you’ve chosen the carousel option. 

Why Post a Carousel?

I’m so glad you asked! LOL! Here are some of the best reasons:

• People can consume the content at their own pace. People are tired of having to view information in movie form (reels) and even having to watch the reel multiple times to get what they need from it. 
• Carousels show up in multiple places on IG—when you add music to them. 
• Feed
• Explore
• Recommended reels
• Carousels create a strong profile experience when you pin one the top of your grid
• Carousels are easy to make from repurposed content and easy to repurpose for content elsewhere 
• Instagram often shows carousels multiple times in a newsfeed—using the second slide to create a new post. So one carousel has the opportunity to show up twice in your newsfeed—once with the first slide as the image, and again with the second slide as the image. 

10 Things that Make a Carousel Better

• 1. Adding music to your carousel. Even better is to utilize the trending music option. Carousels (and reels) that utilize trending music just show up more often in the algorithm.

• 2. Curating the flow of your slides. Whether you’re posting vacation pics, or disseminating information from a blog post, think through the flow of information. You’re telling a visual story—it needs a beginning, middle and an end.

• 3. Remembering the first two slides are critically important. The first slide is your hook and will be what entices a reader to stop and scroll through your carousel. Surprisingly, the second slide is also vital to getting your carousel seen. It should contain your hook as well—restated and intriguing

• 4. Including your CTA (Call to Action) in the last slide. This can be anything, including but not limited to: 
• Subscribe to my newsletter
• Purchase my book
• Read my blog post
• Follow me on insta

• 5. Not overstuffing slides with text. Too much text is a turn-off. Keep it simple.

• 6. Keeping the images engaging and at least some of them real. Pictures of yourself speaking, writing, taking pictures, etc. remind the reader that you are a real person. 

• 7. Using no more than 10 slides (in almost all cases) however Insta allows up to 20 slides.

• 8. Using these 3 main categories to create the focus of your carousel:
• Educational 
• Behind the scenes 
• Storytelling (authority thought-leader content)

• 9. Making the slides on Canva & using similar fonts to what’s available on the IG app. It’s so much easier to create your slides here and then upload them to IG. We want to use similar fonts because that makes a smoother transition for the reader who’s scrolling through the IG newsfeed. Here are some fonts on Canva that mimic the fonts on Instagram (the first font is the name on IG, the second is the name on Canva):
• Normal — Roboto Bold
• Elegant — Arapey
• Directional — Nuniti Sans Condensed
• Literature — Source Serif Pro

• 10. Using AI to help you curate the content you already have. This one is a game changer! Upload a blog post into your AI of choice (I use ChatGPT) and ask it to give you ideas for an Instagram Carousel. Do the same with a chapter in your book, or a talk you give regularly. You've already created the content, all AI is doing is helping you find a good way to share it.

Best Types of Carousels for Writers to Reach Readers

There are multiple types of carousels and you can scroll through my Instagram newsfeed to see several You can find me here: @Stop2Pray on IG). 

Stacked Style: This type of carousel has images stacked on top of each other in a single slide. You can see an example of this in my Difference Between a Successful and Unsuccessful Writer carousel. I created each stacked slide in Canva before I uploaded them to Instagram. There isn’t a way (that I know of) to create stacked slides in the Insta app or website.

Listicle: This is taking a list and using each item as an individual slide. I did that in Bible Verses to Pray Over Your Writing. This example is also an example of what NOT to do. Each slide has too much text, so it’s not very effective. 

Mini Book Preview: This could be created by using the chapters as individual slides, or taking a single chapter and using the main points as individual slides. 

Mini Talk Preview: This is the same as the book above but it utilizes a talk from your speaking repertoire.

Video/Slide: This can be done with any of the above types of carousels. It’s great to include a short (no more than 30 seconds or so) video as one or two of the slides in your carousel. 

Bottom Line

Carousels are a great way to connect with readers, repurpose content, and share what you have to offer. Now it’s your turn. What questions do you have about creating carousels and if you’ve done them, what has worked and what tips do you have for the rest of us? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

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Edie uses the truths God has taught her as an author, photographer, and blogger to encourage others. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As a sought-after speaker, she’s empowered and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others call on God’s strength during challenging times, often using creativity to empower this connection. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences, and workshops on ways to use creativity to help strengthen our connection with God. 

She and husband Kirk have been married 43+ years with three grown sons and four grandchildren. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and can often be found with their big black dog hiking the mountains.