An Instagram carousel is an Instagram 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.

Why is the carousel such a thing? Apparently people love to swipe left, and look at all the pretty pictures of your products or services clustered together. It's pleasing for the brain to see a collection, so carousels are a clever piece of marketing to keep us entertained and our minds in a happy place.

Keeping your fans and future customers in the one place exposed to your brand helps to deepen the relationship and keep you top of mind for their next purchase - but ideally they are so enamoured with your carousel of gorgeousness they are taking that call to action you have on your post and running all the way to their credit cards.

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

When putting together a carousel, it isn't a case of simply randoming in some product shots. Approach it with a campaign mentality, have the images designed with a narrative arc to take viewers through a story with a compelling beginning, middle and end. Don’t be afraid to post a mix of videos and images, as even in a carousel, video is sticky.

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 Library in the lower left.
4. Tap Select Multiple, located in the bottom right of the image preview window.
5. Select up to 10 photos or videos in the order that you would like them to appear.

Simple! Now you and your peeps can spend many more moments together, and you can get maximum bang our of your social media buck on Instagram. If you want to know more about how to optimise your social media experience, why not have a session with one of our Digital Ready Coaches? If you are a Tasmanian business with an ABN, you are eligible for four hours FREE coaching this calendar year. What cha waiting for?!