[FAQ]

I’m looking to create more carousel posts on my Instagram to share more in-depth information and tips with my audience. I want to make sure I’m doing it in a way that’s actually engaging and encourages people to swipe through all the slides.

What are some of the best practices for making a great carousel post in 2025? I’m curious about what makes a good first slide to hook someone, how to best structure the content across the different slides, and what to put on the very last slide to get people to take action.

Any tips on design or content ideas that work well for this format would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

Instagram Carousel posts are a very powerful format for providing in-depth value and for storytelling. An effective carousel post is one that is designed to encourage the viewer to swipe through from the first slide to the very last.

There are several best practices to follow when creating them. First, you must have a strong, attention-grabbing first slide. This slide is your hook and your “thumbnail” in the feed. It needs a compelling headline and an engaging visual that makes the user curious and incites that first swipe.

Second, it is a good practice to guide the viewer to continue swiping. On your first few slides, you can include a subtle visual cue, such as a small arrow graphic or simple text like “Swipe to learn more,” to explicitly encourage the action.

Third, you should use the slides to tell a cohesive story or provide a step-by-step guide. Each slide should logically follow the previous one. You can use carousels very effectively to break down a complex topic into digestible steps, to tell a before-and-after story, to showcase different angles or features of a product, or to present a list of valuable tips.

Fourth, you should aim to maintain a consistent visual design across all the slides. The slides in your carousel should have a cohesive look and feel, using the same fonts, colour palette, and branding elements. This makes the entire post look professional and polished. Some creators also use a “seamless” design technique where a single image or graphic element flows across the slide breaks, which can be very effective at encouraging swipes.

Fifth, your final slide must have a clear call to action (CTA). This is a critical step that many people forget. After you have provided value across the preceding slides, the last slide should explicitly tell your audience what you want them to do next. Common and effective CTAs for carousels include asking them to save the post for later reference, to share it with someone who would find it useful, to leave a comment with their own thoughts, or to visit the link in your bio.

And sixth, you need to write a compelling caption that supports the carousel. Your caption can provide additional context, pose a question to prompt comments, and should also remind people to swipe through all the slides to get the full value.

While you can include up to ten slides, the ideal number will depend on your content. The key is that every single slide must provide value and a reason to swipe to the next. Do not add filler slides just to use all ten spots.

In summary, a great carousel post hooks the viewer on the first slide, guides them to swipe through, tells a cohesive story with a consistent design, and concludes with a clear call to action on the final slide.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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