The LinkedIn carousel allows you to showcase multiple pieces of content in a single post, sort of like a slideshow. This can be a great way to highlight different aspects of a topic, product, service, event, etc. But with any new LinkedIn feature, there are always questions around how to best utilize it. One common question is: how many slides or posts can you include in a LinkedIn carousel?
Quick Answer
The quick answer is that currently LinkedIn allows up to 10 slides or posts in a single carousel. So you can showcase up to 10 different pieces of content, from images and videos to links and text updates, within a carousel post on LinkedIn.
Maximum Number of Slides
When the LinkedIn carousel feature first launched, the maximum number of slides allowed was 5. But in late 2021, LinkedIn increased the limit to 10 slides based on user feedback requesting more flexibility.
So as of now, 10 is the maximum number of individual slides or posts you can include within a single LinkedIn carousel.
Why 10 Slides?
LinkedIn likely settled on a limit of 10 slides based on testing and usage data indicating that 10 slides provided a good balance for most use cases.
Too few slides would limit the ability to showcase a variety of content. But too many slides in one carousel post could become overwhelming and reduce engagement.
Ten slides gives brands, businesses, and users enough flexibility to share a diverse set of content while maintaining a manageable experience for the viewer.
Types of Content for LinkedIn Carousel
Now that you know you can include up to 10 slides in a LinkedIn carousel post, what types of content can you showcase in those individual slides?
Some of the content formats you can include are:
- Images (photos, illustrations, infographics, etc.)
- Videos
- Text updates
- Links
- Documents
- Presentations
- Articles
Essentially, any content you can normally share in a regular LinkedIn post, you can also include as an individual slide within a carousel.
This allows for a diverse mix of content formats within a single carousel post.
Example Mix of Content Types
For example, a carousel post could include:
- An introductory image or text slide explaining what the carousel is about
- 3-4 image slides showcasing different products, graphics, photos, etc.
- A short video
- 1-2 text update slides with announcements or descriptions
- A link slide pointing people to a blog post or article on your website
- A slide with an ebook or whitepaper document
Mixing various content types like this within a single carousel keeps the content engaging and interactive for the viewer.
Ideal Number of Slides
While you can include up to 10 slides in a LinkedIn carousel post, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should max out every carousel.
The ideal number of slides often depends on the specific goals and context of your post.
Here are a few best practices for determining how many slides to include:
Keep the Content Cohesive
The slides within a particular carousel post should all relate to one cohesive topic, theme, or message. Avoid going off on tangents or mixing together disjointed content. Stick to a unified purpose.
Limit Text-Heavy Slides
In general, you’ll want to limit the number of slides containing big blocks of text. Too much text can cause people to disengage quickly when scrolling through a carousel. Use text judiciously or break up long text over a few slides.
Use Images & Multimedia
Images, infographics, videos, and other visual content tend to perform best in carousels. These forms of media help catch the viewer’s eye. They also break up text-heavy slides.
Find the Right Balance
Studies show that 7(+/- 2) is the ideal number of items for short-term memory retention. This suggests that 5-9 slides may be the sweet spot for most LinkedIn carousel posts, avoiding overwhelm.
Test What Works
Experiment with carousels of different lengths and content mixes. Check your LinkedIn Analytics to see which carousel posts generate the most clicks, reactions, comments, and shares. Then refine based on what performs well with your target audience.
Formatting Best Practices
To ensure your LinkedIn carousel is formatted in a way that maximizes impact, keep these best practices in mind:
Consistent Design
While each slide can contain different content, aim to have a consistent design, font, color scheme, etc. throughout the carousel. This creates cohesion.
Appealing Featured Image
The main image that appears with the carousel post acts as your featured image. Make sure it is eye-catching and relevant.
Clear Headlines
Give each slide a descriptive, engaging headline that sums up the key message or purpose of that slide’s content.
Readable Text
For text-heavy slides, break content into digestible paragraphs and use an easy to read font size. Avoid walls of dense text.
Prominent Call-to-Action
If you want people to take a specific action, like clicking a link or downloading something, make the CTA button or text prominent on the relevant slides.
Carousel Usage Best Practices
To maximize the impact of your LinkedIn carousels, keep these usage tips in mind:
Integrate with Other Content
Don’t rely solely on carousels. Mix carousels in occasionally with regular text and image posts, video posts, etc. Variety is key.
Post Consistently
To keep your audience engaged, post new carousels regularly, whether it’s weekly, a few times a month, etc. But don’t overdo it either.
Monitor Performance
Pay attention to view counts, engagement metrics, and overall reach for your carousel posts. Double down on what works well.
Refine Over Time
Review what formats, content types, slide lengths, etc. perform best and continue to iterate and optimize based on the data.
Do’s and Don’ts
To recap some top do’s and don’ts for maximizing LinkedIn carousels:
Do:
- Use 5-9 slides in most cases
- Mix up content formats
- Keep it visual and scannable
- Tie slides back to a central theme/story
- Experiment and refine based on data
Don’t:
- Use the max 10 slides for every carousel
- Let slides become disjointed or unaligned
- Overuse text-heavy slides
- Neglect your featured image
- Forget calls to action where appropriate
Conclusion
The maximum number of slides currently allowed in a LinkedIn carousel post is 10. But in many cases, limiting carousels to 5-7 highly engaging slides may be ideal for grabbing attention while avoiding overload.
Test different slide lengths, content mixes, and formats to see what resonates most with your target audience. The ideal carousel length will depend on your specific goals and audience. Take advantage of LinkedIn Analytics to refine your carousel strategy over time.
When used strategically, LinkedIn carousels provide a powerful way to showcase diverse content and tell compelling stories on LinkedIn. Just be sure to use the format in moderation as part of a broader content mix for maximum impact.