LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media platforms for professionals and businesses. With over 800 million users worldwide, it provides a great opportunity for companies and individuals to establish their professional brand, network, share content, and drive engagement.
One of the key ways brands can share content and stand out on LinkedIn is through posts. But with so many other companies and profiles posting regularly, it can be challenging to create content that grabs attention.
This is where carousel posts come in. Carousel posts allow you to include multiple images, videos, and captions in one LinkedIn post. They take up more space in the feed compared to regular photo or video posts, and enable you to showcase more content at once.
But are carousel posts actually better and more effective than regular posts on LinkedIn? Let’s take a deeper look at the pros and cons.
The Benefits of Carousel Posts
Here are some of the main advantages of using carousel posts on LinkedIn:
They Allow More Content in One Post
The major benefit of carousels is that they let you share a lot more content than regular posts. You can include up to 10 images or videos in a single carousel post, where regular posts only allow one image/video.
This allows you to tell a more complete and compelling story, showcase a collection of content, or feature multiple products/services in one post. Rather than splitting it into multiple regular posts, you can consolidate more content into a single carousel.
Increased Engagement
Studies show carousel ads on Facebook receive 2-3x more engagement than single image ads. And though direct data is not available, it’s likely that carousel posts achieve higher engagement rates than regular posts on LinkedIn as well.
Users have more visual content to look through, which may keep them engaged longer. There are also more opportunities for them to react, comment, share, etc. With each carousel card essentially acting as a separate piece of content.
Higher Organic Reach
LinkedIn’s algorithm typically rewards content that drives more meaningful engagement. So if carousel posts receive more reactions and comments, they may also see higher organic reach.
This gives your brand’s posts a better chance of appearing in the feeds of your followers and more LinkedIn members outside your follower base. Helping expand your reach and presence without having to pay.
Showcase Visually Appealing Content
Carousels let you share visually appealing images and videos together in one post. This provides the opportunity to showcase your brand’s visual assets like product imagery, infographics, employee photos, event recaps, and more in a more captivating way.
Rather than picking a single photo or video, carousels let you display multiple visually engaging pieces of content at once.
Embed Links in Each Card
You can include external links within each card in a carousel post. This provides the opportunity to drive traffic to your website, direct visitors to content hosted elsewhere, link to product pages, etc.
With multiple cards/links in one post, you have more chances to channel visitors to sites and content outside of LinkedIn.
Split Up Longer Content
For lengthy content like guides, reports, and long-form articles, carousels allow you to split up the content across multiple post cards. This makes it easier to digest rather than including everything in a single block of text.
Segmentation using carousels also enables you to emphasize specific parts of longer content using images. And add links to different sections.
Reuse Existing Assets
If your brand already has a library of visual content, carousels provide a great opportunity to repurpose and reuse these assets.
Rather than letting existing imagery, infographics, and video languish, you can give them new life and visibility in attention-grabbing carousel posts.
Potential Drawbacks of Carousel Posts
However, there are also some potential downsides to using carousel posts on LinkedIn:
Can Be Overused
While carousels do enable more content in one post, going overboard can have a negative effect. Posting too many carousels too frequently may cause some followers to disengage.
It’s best to maintain a balance with other types of content like articles, videos, and image posts. Carousels should be part of your content mix rather than completely dominating it.
More Asset Creation Needed
Carousels often perform best when you have high-quality, eye-catching visual assets to populate them. This means you may need to produce more creative imagery, videos, infographics etc. specifically for carousels.
If you simply recycle the same normal images into every carousel, it will likely dilute their impact and effectiveness over time.
Not Optimized for Mobile
LinkedIn usage on mobile has been increasing steadily, with mobile accounting for over 50% of all time spent on the platform. However, the carousel format is not necessarily optimized for the smaller mobile screen.
Though users can still scroll through and view carousel content on mobile, the experience may not be as seamless or effective compared to a desktop feed.
Lower Comment Rate
Some analyses have found carousel ads on Facebook have a significantly lower comment rate compared to single image ads. Though direct data isn’t available, it’s possible LinkedIn carousels may see fewer comments than regular photo or video posts.
With multiple images/captions to look through, users may be less likely to focus on a single card and engage deeply with comments.
Can’t Pin Carousels
LinkedIn introduced the ability to pin posts to your profile in 2020. This lets you highlight specific content at the top of your profile. However, currently you cannot pin carousel posts.
So if you have a particularly important or high-performing carousel, there is no way to give it permanent prominence atop your page.
Best Practices for Carousel Posts
If you do choose to utilize carousel posts as part of your LinkedIn strategy, here are some best practices to follow:
- Use high-quality, eye-catching imagery. Visuals are critical for carousel success.
- Keep carousel length reasonable (5 cards or fewer). Too many cards can be overwhelming.
- Mix up content types like photos, videos, and infographics.
- Make sure text is large, readable, and follows best practices.
- Include a strong caption for the overall post.
- Leverage links within cards to drive traffic.
- Test different variations to see what performs best.
- Analyze engagement metrics to guide your ongoing approach.
Carousel Post Examples
Here are a few examples of effective carousel posts from brands on LinkedIn:
Microsoft
Microsoft uses carousels to showcase major product announcements and updates. This 5 card post reveals new features coming to Microsoft Teams:
The carousel format lets them display the Teams interface and benefits of the new features in an engaging, visual way.
HubSpot
HubSpot leverages carousels to share educational content, like this post on tips for starting a successful YouTube channel:
The carousel provides helpful tips and recommendations, with relevant graphics in each card.
Nike
Nike uses carousels to drive interest and intrigue for new product launches. This post builds excitement for a new running shoe colorway:
The slick product visuals and gradual reveal of the different colorways keeps you engaged throughout the whole carousel.
Key Takeaways
Here are some of the key points on the effectiveness of carousel posts on LinkedIn:
- Carousels allow you to share more content in a single post vs. regular posts.
- They provide an opportunity to showcase visual assets in an engaging format.
- Carousels can help increase engagement, reach, and traffic to external sites.
- But overusing them may cause follower fatigue or disengagement.
- Performance can vary greatly depending on visuals, copy, and call-to-action.
- Balance carousels with other types of content as part of a holistic strategy.
- Test different carousel approaches to see what resonates best with your audience.
The Verdict on Carousel Effectiveness
So what’s the final answer on whether carousel posts are better for brands on LinkedIn? The truth is, it depends.
Carousels can be an extremely effective format if utilized properly. But they also aren’t a silver bullet or universally better than regular posts.
For certain content, like product launches or visual demonstrations, the carousel format makes sense. But other topics may be better served with a standard post plus link or article post.
It’s important not to take a one-size-fits-all approach. Evaluate each post on its own merits and consider which format aligns best with the content and goals.
In most cases, a mix of carousels and regular posts is ideal to take advantage of both formats. Carousels should enhance your content strategy rather than replace it completely.
The reality is that high-quality visual assets, an engaging caption, and clear calls-to-action ultimately drive effectiveness and engagement more than the specific post format.
If you can check those boxes, you’re giving your carousel the best chance to outperform a standard post. But it still takes testing and optimization to determine what resonates with your particular audience.
As with most things in marketing, there is no “one size fits all” answer. Evaluate your audience, content types, and goals, then test carousels as part of a diverse content mix for maximum impact.