11 Unique Ways to Use Instagram Carousel

This post, “11 Unique Ways to Use Instagram Carousel,” was originally published on April 11th 2017, and was last updated on December 6th 2017.

What Is An Instagram Carousel?

The Instagram Carousel feature allows you to share up to 10 photos and videos in a single post.

The feature was a success once introduced and if your Instagram feed is anything like mine, it would have been full of posts celebrating the new feature.

But since its release, the Instagram Carousel has not featured as heavily in my feed. If you are short on inspiration, here are 11 ways publishers and brands can make the most of the update.

How to Use Instagram Carousel

1. As a storytelling tool

As you can upload up to ten images or videos, Instagram Carousel is a great way to tell a story on Instagram. Media publishers often use the feature to accompany articles, or as a story all on its own. Some examples:

The New York Times posted multiple images to promote reporter Ed Wong’s article on the Mekong River in Laos. They used a long caption to introduce the article and its subject and asked readers to swipe left to see more photographs. The publication also linked to the article in its bio.

While visiting an ancient Khmer temple in southern Laos, the @nytimes reporter Ed Wong and his family spent 3 nights along the Mekong River. They were in the midst of a whirlwind trip through #SoutheastAsia — a farewell to the region after Ed spent 8 years reporting in China. “For many foreigners and Chinese ground down by living in China’s polluted, crowded and clogged megacities, the beaches, rivers and hills of tropical Southeast Asia provided a much-needed escape hatch,” Ed writes for @nytimestravel. In this little-known corner of #Laos, palm trees line the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swim between islets and fishermen cast nets over the side of skiffs. The pace of life there is “slower, much slower, than that of Beijing,” Ed continues. “But it would have been wrong to think of the region as timeless.” One of the highlights of the trip: Vat Phou, one of the most sacred temples of the vanished Khmer kingdoms. It was built more than 1,000 years ago and recently restored. The photographer @askmott went to #Laos to capture Ed’s journey. Swipe left, and then visit the link in our profile to see more.

A post shared by The New York Times (@nytimes) on Apr 5, 2017 at 8:22pm PDT

In the same fashion, The Huffington Post shared sexual violence statistics with multiple graphics in one Instagram post.

This is what an epidemic looks like in a culture that reinforces the normalization of sexual violence. Know your numbers. #SAAM (Stats via RAINN)

A post shared by Huffington Post (@huffingtonpost) on Apr 6, 2017 at 8:11am PDT

As a final example, Refinery29 rounded up numerous illustrations to celebrate Muslim Women’s Day with positive messages of solidarity with Muslim women.

👉Swipe right for more illustrations 👉 We’re coming together in collaboration with @muslimgirl to celebrate the inaugural #MuslimWomensDay today by creating and amplifying powerful, positive messages of solidarity with Muslim women of all backgrounds. Tap the link in bio to read more about Muslim Womens Day. 📓 cc: @isyoursco, @asliyazan, @maya_yellow, @thislakshmi

A post shared by Refinery29 (@refinery29) on Mar 27, 2017 at 7:47am PDT

2. To tell a joke

BuzzFeed curated multiple photos to post memes about sibling rivalry. They made sure their followers engage in the slideshow by asking their followers to ‘swipe left’ to see more images.

me and my sister for real. tag yours 😂

A post shared by BuzzFeed (@buzzfeed) on Mar 31, 2017 at 6:58pm PDT

Netflix also utilised the slideshow feature to share different emoji reactions to the show The OA.

The Swipe Movements #TheOA

A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix) on Mar 26, 2017 at 5:26pm PDT

3. For contests

A common way that brands are using the slideshow feature is to ask their followers to vote in the comments. MTV, for example, asked their fans to vote for the best villain ahead of the MTV Awards:

Who should win best villain? 💀 Vote here 👉 movietvawards.mtv.com, and watch the #MTVAwards Sunday, May 7th at 8/7c to see who wins!

A post shared by MTV (@mtv) on Apr 7, 2017 at 2:00pm PDT

4. To showcase products

The retailer Asos reveal their latest products in multiple Instagram Carousel posts, such as this series on Ted Baker’s latest summer dresses.

Summer sun = @ted_baker summer dresses ☀

A post shared by ASOS (@asos) on Mar 31, 2017 at 11:45am PDT

Meanwhile, Subway has been promoting their Subs of the Day using the handy Instagram Carousel feature.

Now that you can get a different footlong for just $6 each day, every day is Mmm day.

A post shared by Official Subway (@subway) on Feb 27, 2017 at 7:42am PST

PRO TIP: You can add text to your images like Subway did for this promotion easily using Sked (formerly Schedugram)’s photo editor. It also comes with a range of other special effects you can add to your photos, including filters, stickers, frames, and you can also automatically publish the group of photos to Facebook and Twitter (coming soon) all at once.

5. For best of moments

#MACBackstage at @tiqe_by_petra_balvinova and @zuzanakubickova, Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week #AW17. Swipe right ➡ to see more beautiful looks from the show! Designed by #MACSeniorArtist @nettart and MAC National Artist @angelo.rauseo. #MBPFW @mbpfw #MACFWArtist

A post shared by M·A·C Cosmetics (@maccosmetics) on Mar 27, 2017 at 1:03am PDT

MAC rounded up the best looks at the Mercedez-Benz Prague fashion show using multiple photographs of make-up looks.

6. For a big reveal

Disney encouraged followers to swipe through pictures for a ‘big reveal’. Such as this post, which reveals a piece of trivia from the film Big Hero 6 with the help of an Instagram Carousel.

Diagnosis: Easter Egg. 🔎🦊✨ Swipe to reveal this Wilde #Zootopia secret in #BigHero6!

A post shared by Disney (@disney) on Apr 4, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

7. For customer reviews

Cake design company The Sweet Stuff post positive customer reviews in one Instagram Carousel post. An easy way to encourage more people to use your services:

New review! Lovely feedback from Suzanne and Andy regarding their wedding cupcake tower. #thesweetstuff #nottinghamcakes #weddingcakes #testimonial #luxuryweddings #weddingideas #weddinginspiration #weddingdetails #flashesofdelight #thehappynow #lovelysquares #brides #swipeleft #bridestobe #weddingplanning

A post shared by Natasha – The Sweet Stuff (@sweetstufflife) on Apr 3, 2017 at 2:05am PDT

8. For tutorials

Over at Refinery29 in the UK, they have been using Instagram Carousel to teach people how to make a hanging plant pot.

Don’t buy it, #DIY it! 🔨 Here’s how to make a super cute hanging planter for under £10 🌱 👉SWIPE👉 for the how to & tap #linkinbio Created & photographed by @jennybrownlees

A post shared by Refinery29 UK (@refinery29uk) on Mar 5, 2017 at 3:04am PST

9. To show behind the scenes

India’s leading designer duo @ShantanuNikhil bring together the essence of Indian traditions and modernity. As hosts in New Delhi they take guests through a creative experience of style, where they will see an innovative blend of architecture and design expressed through couture. Swipe for a peek at their experience. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Click to @bchesky to see more behind the scenes of @ShantanuNikhil’s experience and their fashion show that Brian Chesky modeled in. #AirbnbTour2017 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @_candida and @peterearlmccollough

A post shared by Airbnb (@airbnb) on Mar 21, 2017 at 4:38am PDT

Airbnb made use of the Instagram Carousel feature during their #AirbnbTour2017 campaign to give their followers a glimpse of the life of India’s two designers.

Similarly, photographers have explained how they set up for shoots on GoPro’s Instagram account:

#GoPro Featured Photographer x @chrisbrinleejr! Dive into Chris’ stories below as he takes us behind the scenes on a #GoProSurf production with @anthony_walsh_ and @a_gray as they #surf the frigid waters of #Alaska. Click the link in our bio to watch the full piece ☝🏽 • • • First Shot: We traveled an hour by quad across the island to a remote area on the Pacific side where Alex & Anthony had scouted waves on a previous trip. The weather was rapidly changing while we were there; the previous night, the first layer of snow had fallen, creating a dreamlike landscape where Alex & Anthony hiked down to the beach to ride some barrels. • PHOTO SETTINGS: RAW Photo, ProTune On: Sharpness Low • Second Shot: It’s not the destination, it’s the journey: There are no real roads on the island; the terrain is pretty rugged as well. As such, the best way to get around is on a quad – but even those would get stuck in foot-deep mud, and often. Alex discovered that the best way to get through sticky sections was to just charge the muddy pits, hold on, and press through. • PHOTO SETTINGS: Burst: 30/2, ProTune On: Sharpness Low • Third Shot: Flying into the Aleutian Islands is a harrowing experience. The runway on this particular island is made of gravel, and there are also regular, high crosswinds. Those conditions resulted in the ill-fated landing of this DC-3 in 1965, which has been there ever since. • PHOTO SETTINGS: RAW Photo, ProTune On: Sharpness Low • Fourth Shot: Morning routine on the trip involved getting up before the sun, riding quads across the island, and checking for waves on the Pacific side. The waves were usually good, so Alex & Anthony would come prepared to paddle out just as first light was appearing; then surf perfect waves, all to themselves, all day. • PHOTO SETTINGS: RAW Photo, ProTune On: Sharpness Low

A post shared by gopro (@gopro) on Mar 24, 2017 at 10:38am PDT

10. To show off user-generated content

The design tool Canva rounded up their favorite Canva designs of the week in one easy to digest photo post using the Instagram Carousel.

We love seeing all the different types of designs you create in Canva! Here are this week’s Top 9 #canvalove picks! 💕 Swipe right to see them all, and don’t forget to tag your designs with #canvalove for a chance to be featured next week! ✨

A post shared by Canva (@canva) on Mar 13, 2017 at 7:50pm PDT

The makeup brand Rimmel London also utilised the Instagram Carousel, using their customer’s images in a multi-picture round-up.

We’re loving the latest IG stories for Volume Shake Mascara 🔥🔥 keep those stories coming – don’t forget to tag @rimmellondonuk 💯 #LiveTheLondonLook

A post shared by Rimmel London UK (@rimmellondonuk) on Apr 6, 2017 at 4:43am PDT

If you have customers who are creating user-generated content for your brand, you can easily regram and share their content using our in-browser regramming app. To try it out, head over to the Chrome Web Store and download it for free.

11. To illustrate transformations

The slideshow posts are a useful way to show before and after, or to show the gradual transformation. This works well for travel, but lifestyle brands are also using it to illustrate style transformations. Here, ELLE have used the Instagram Carousel to document Rihanna’s changing hairstyles:

Swipe left through @badgalriri’s most memorable hair transformations from 2017 back to 2010! (Go to ELLE.com for the full evolution)

A post shared by Elle Magazine (@elleusa) on Feb 22, 2017 at 8:02am PST

Now you have the inspiration to get started on the slideshow posts, it’s time to get going.

Upload multiple pictures or videos by tapping the pictures you want to use when uploading a new series. However, if you want to an Instagram Carousel for your feed you can schedule to post it automatically (instead of having to publish them yourself at all hours) using an app like Sked.

How to Create & Schedule an Image/Video Instagram Carousel Post Using Sked

To get started, log into your Sked account, or start a free 7-day trial.

Next, navigate to the Upload Post dashboard. Choose your desired Instagram accounts. If you want to auto-publish the carousel to Facebook or Twitter (coming soon) select those accounts as well.

To create a carousel, login to your Sked account (or start a 7-day free trial) then proceed to the Upload Post Dashboard and choose the accounts you wish to publish to. Using Sked, you can publish your carousel post to Instagram, Facebook and soon Twitter, simultaneously.

Then select “Multiple Images/Carousel Post” in the left menu of the “Upload Media” section. Proceed by uploading your desired images. Click ‘Continue.’

If you want to post a unique set of images to each social media channel you can do so as well. Simply disable the “Use the same image for all selected accounts” feature, and proceed by uploading your images.

After reviewing your carousel’s images, proceed by cropping and editing each of your posts within the same screen. Switch between each post by clicking on each carousel image at the left of your editing window.

Access Sked’s photo editor via the editor icon.

Once you’re done, click ‘Continue’, add your comments, tags and add it to your queue or schedule it, and let Sked do the rest!

If you’re looking to carve out hours in your social media workflow, sign up for Sked’s 7-day trial. Our all-in-one Instagram scheduler allows you to automatically post images, carousels, Stories, videos and more. Tag locations, users and products and manage all your hashtags in one place to save 5+ hours every week.

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About the author

Sophie Murray-Morris is a London-based freelance social media editor and journalist. She was previously the Deputy Social Media Editor at Metro.co.uk and the UK Social Media Editor at MSN. You can find out more by following her on Twitter.