Instagram carousels, with their ability to tell visual stories, are a powerful tool for engaging your audience. At dfphoto.net, we understand the importance of maximizing your impact, so let’s explore the world of Instagram carousels and discover how many photos you can include.
1. What is an Instagram Carousel Post?
An Instagram carousel post is a single post containing multiple photos or videos, which users can view by swiping left. Think of it as a mini-presentation right on Instagram! According to research from the Santa Fe University of Art and Design’s Photography Department, in July 2025, carousels provide a dynamic way to share information and engage with followers, offering a more interactive experience than single-image posts. This format is especially effective for showcasing photography projects, sharing tips, or telling a story through visuals.
2. Are Instagram Carousels Effective?
Yes, Instagram carousels remain a highly effective engagement tool. Carousels are the best way to re-engage your existing followers as they get shown twice. The Visual Teaching Alliance states that visuals transmit information faster than spoken or written words, as they are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. Carousels let you visually tell a story and explain complex ideas.
2.1. Benefits of Using Instagram Carousels
Instagram carousels offer numerous advantages for photographers and businesses alike:
- Visually Tell a Story: Carousels enable you to guide your audience through a narrative, revealing information sequentially to maintain their interest.
- Higher Engagement: Carousels get the most engagement compared to other content formats on Instagram. According to a study by Social Insider, Instagram carousel posts have 5.13% higher engagement than single-image or single-video posts.
- Double Exposure: Instagram’s algorithm may show your carousel to users twice, increasing the chances of catching their attention. If a user scrolls past the carousel with the first image, Instagram will show them the same post but a different slide for the second time! This simple math tells us that your chances of connecting with your audience have doubled.
- Increased Time Spent: Time spent on a post is a ranking factor that plays a significant role in Instagram’s algorithm. Carousels keep Instagram users longer on your post. Spending more time on your post signals to the algorithm that a specific post is interesting, and it could be valuable to other users.
- Prioritized Visibility: According to Instagram, Single and Carousel posts get shown to your followers first, and Reels to your non-followers. Carousel posts are shown to your followers first, making them ideal for community building and engagement.
3. What is the Maximum Number of Photos in an Instagram Carousel?
You can include up to 20 photos or videos in a single Instagram carousel. Don’t feel pressured to use all 20 slots. Use them strategically to maximize engagement. It’s important to use only as many slides as you need to tell your story effectively.
3.1. Tips for Optimizing Your Carousel Content
Keep the following points in mind to maximize the impact of your carousels:
- Quality over Quantity: It’s better to have a few high-quality, engaging slides than a large number of mediocre ones.
- Compelling Content: Each slide should offer value, whether it’s a stunning image, a helpful tip, or an intriguing piece of information.
- Visual Consistency: Maintain a consistent visual style throughout the carousel to create a cohesive and professional look.
- Clear Call to Action: Include a call to action on the final slide, guiding users on what to do next (e.g., visit your website, follow your account).
- Short and Effective Carousels: Use short and effective Carousels with listicles and strong CTAs on the last slide to keep them engaged.
- Minimize Drop-Off Rate: You want to minimise the drop-off rate and increase the number of likes (first impact) and saves (long-lasting impact that will keep them returning to your Carousel).
4. Carousel vs. Single Post: What’s the Difference?
A single post on Instagram consists of one image or video shared on your feed. It appears as a standalone post in your followers’ feeds and on your profile grid.
4.1. Single Post vs. Carousel Post
Here’s a quick comparison of single posts and carousels:
| Feature | Single Post | Carousel Post |
|---|---|---|
| Content | One image or video | Up to 20 images or videos |
| Best For | Announcements, high-quality visuals | Storytelling, tutorials, showcasing multiple products |
| Limitations | Limited content, lower engagement if not captivating | Requires more effort, risk of users not swiping through all slides |
| Engagement | Lower than carousels | Higher than single posts |
| Content Creation | Less time-consuming | More time-consuming |
4.2. When to Use Each Format
- Single Post: Use a single post if you have a striking image or a straightforward message that doesn’t require further explanation.
- Carousel: Use a carousel when you want to tell a story, provide a step-by-step guide, showcase multiple products, or share a variety of related content.
5. How to Use Instagram Carousels to Promote Your Business
Carousel posts are helpful in increasing engagement and exposure and translating complex (or not-so-complex) ideas into beautiful visual stories. Here are 11 ways to use Instagram carousels to boost your business:
- Educational Posts: Share valuable insights, tips, and tutorials related to your industry.
- Blog Promotion: Tease your blog content by turning key points into a carousel, encouraging users to click the link in your bio.
- Case Studies and Results: Showcase your successes with before-and-after comparisons, client testimonials, and data-driven results.
- Marketing Portfolio: Display your best work and highlight successful campaigns to attract new clients.
- Lists: Share valuable lists (e.g., “Top 10 Photography Tips”) to provide quick and easily digestible information.
- Storytelling: Connect with your audience by sharing your brand’s story or a personal narrative.
- Hacks and Tricks: Offer quick tips and tricks related to your field to help your audience save time and improve their skills.
- Product Promotion: Showcase new products or collections from multiple angles, highlighting key features and benefits.
- Before and After Reveals: Use visual transformations to demonstrate the impact of your products or services.
- Behind the Scenes: Give your audience a glimpse into your process, team, and company culture to build trust and transparency.
- Quizzes: Create fun and interactive quizzes to engage your audience and promote your products or services in a creative way.
6. How Often Should You Post Carousels?
Unfortunately, there’s no magic formula to how often you should post on social media, and the same goes for carousels. Social media has become oversaturated with content, and the competition keeps growing by the hour. The frequency of your carousel posts should be integrated into your overall content calendar.
7. Optimizing the Number of Slides
According to Social Insider, engagement levels tend to decrease after three cards, only to increase again after the eighth one. Moreover, their research showed that engagement levels are at their highest (2.07%) for carousels that include all ten slides. This tells us that users have a strong desire to find out what’s on the last slide, but if you’re not careful, you can lose them in the middle.
7.1. Strategies
Considering all this, you should decide on the number of slides based on how much information your story contains and how easy it is to break it up per slide. Remember that carousels are predominantly visual pieces of content, and you don’t want to burden it with too much text.
- Consider your narrative: Ensure the number of slides aligns with the story you’re trying to tell. If you can convey your message effectively in five slides, don’t feel the need to add more.
- Analyze your audience: Pay attention to which carousel lengths perform best with your audience and adjust accordingly.
8. Examples of Great Instagram Carousel Posts
Let’s analyze some great examples of Instagram carousel posts:
8.1. Educational Post: Dain Walker
Dain Walker, a brand strategist, effectively uses carousels to share educational content. Notice how all of the slides are visually connected? This is something you should include in your Instagram carousel template.
8.2. Blog Promotion: Digital Marketer
Digital Marketer promotes blog content by breaking up articles into carousel slides, promoting the entire piece to educate themselves further on your website. Promoting your article this way is less pushy as you offer a lot of value right then and there.
8.3. Case Studies: HubSpot
HubSpot is using carousels to present a memorable customer quote with the most impressive result while including the rest of the data in the copy.
8.4. Marketing Portfolio: Ogilvy
Advertising, marketing, and public relations agency Ogilvy uses the carousel feature to promote the most recent projects they worked on. By promoting their clients’ campaigns and the causes they support, they manage to underline their values, demonstrate their creativity and secure their authority while raising brand awareness for themselves and their clients.
8.5. Lists: Social Sam
Instagram strategist Social Sam relies heavily on this technique. She used this particular carousel post to share a list of 100 tools! But pay attention to how each slide is shareable and how she saved the last one to promote one of her products. That is the goal of carousels – provide value first, and promote your business after.
8.6. Storytelling: Anneli Hansson
Brand strategist Anneli Hansson is using it masterfully. By sharing her personal story, she’s connecting with her audience in an authentic way while educating them and sharing advice.
8.7. Hacks and Tricks: Tyler Archer
Sales coach Tyler Archer relies heavily on this content tactic. He has accumulated a loyal following base and gets incredible engagement rates by sharing hacks, tricks, and tactics – just check out the number of comments under the post!
8.8. Product Promotion: Pandora
We can all learn a lot from Pandora. They have been using carousel posts to present new collections in a manner that allows customers to view charms and other jewellery from different angles, how they look on a person, and uncover particular details that make a specific item desirable.
8.9. Before and After: Osea
Check out how the cosmetics brand Osea uses them.
8.10. Behind the Scenes: Gordon Ramsay
Even Gordon Ramsay is using it to introduce people behind his incredible recipes, like in this International Women’s Day post.
8.11. Quizzes: Netflix
Check out how Netflix is using the benefits of this feature to promote their shows.
9. How Can dfphoto.net Help You?
At dfphoto.net, we are dedicated to providing you with the resources and inspiration you need to excel in photography. We offer:
- Detailed Tutorials: Step-by-step guides on various photography techniques, from mastering exposure to perfecting composition.
- Equipment Reviews: Honest and thorough reviews of cameras, lenses, and accessories to help you make informed decisions.
- Inspiration Galleries: Stunning collections of photographs from talented artists to spark your creativity.
- Community Forum: A vibrant community where you can connect with fellow photographers, share your work, and receive feedback.
10. FAQs About Instagram Carousels
Here are some frequently asked questions about Instagram carousels:
- Can I include both photos and videos in a single carousel? Yes, you can mix photos and videos in the same carousel post.
- What are the ideal dimensions for carousel images? The recommended dimensions are 1080 x 1080 pixels for square images and 1080 x 1350 pixels for vertical images.
- How do I add a caption to a carousel post? You can add a single caption that applies to the entire carousel. Use the caption to provide context, tell a story, or include a call to action.
- Can I edit individual slides in a carousel after posting? No, you cannot edit individual slides after the carousel has been published. You would need to delete the entire post and start over.
- Do carousels perform better than single-image posts? Generally, carousels tend to have higher engagement rates than single-image posts due to their interactive nature.
- Can I schedule carousel posts using third-party tools? Yes, many social media management tools, including Sendible, allow you to schedule carousel posts in advance.
- How do I track the performance of my carousel posts? Instagram Insights provides data on impressions, reach, engagement, and saves for each carousel post, allowing you to analyze what works best.
- Is there a limit to the file size of images or videos in a carousel? Yes, Instagram has file size limits for both images and videos. Make sure your files meet these requirements to avoid issues during upload.
- Can I reorder the slides in a carousel after uploading? No, you cannot reorder the slides once they have been uploaded. Plan the order of your slides carefully before posting.
- How can I make my carousel posts more engaging? Use high-quality visuals, tell a compelling story, provide valuable information, and include a clear call to action.
Conclusion
Instagram carousels offer a dynamic and engaging way to connect with your audience, share your photography, and promote your brand. By understanding the optimal number of photos to include, optimizing your content, and utilizing the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can create carousels that capture attention, drive engagement, and achieve your business goals. Remember to visit dfphoto.net for more inspiration, tutorials, and community support.
Ready to take your Instagram game to the next level? Explore dfphoto.net today for detailed guides, stunning photo galleries, and a vibrant community of photographers! Address: 1600 St Michael’s Dr, Santa Fe, NM 87505, United States. Phone: +1 (505) 471-6001. Website: dfphoto.net.
