Marketing Mirror on the Wall, Is the Carousel Post the Fairest of Them All?
Carousels are everywhere on social media, but do they genuinely make a difference? Are they merely a fad or a game-changing strategy that elevates engagement?
We have to acknowledge that not all carousels are created equal and that creating them is not just about slapping a few pictures together and repeating the same old information.
Creating impactful carousels is an art that requires strategic thought. Without a clear vision, you are simply adding to the noise.
The ultimate goal? To design a cohesive, engaging carousel that works hand-in-hand with your post's text, telling a compelling story that spurs action. Let's dive into the specifics!
Creating a coherent relationship between your Carousel & your Caption
Here's how you can achieve this interplay:
Continuity: Ensure that the carousel and the text share a common theme and complement each other. For instance, a simple example is that if your caption discusses the benefits of wind energy, the carousel visually presents these benefits, each slide corresponding to a benefit discussed in the post.
Breaking Up Text: Use carousels to break up lengthy discussions and maintain reader engagement. If your post delves into complex energy concepts, a carousel could present key points visually, simplifying comprehension. Either using strong graphic fonts and attractive colours, or visuals that help the key ideas included on the slide stand on (readability is crucial in these cases).
Teaser Content: Use the carousel to provide enticing content that nudges readers to delve into the text. For instance, the carousel could present intriguing data or quotes, stimulating the reader's curiosity.
Engage and Direct: Use interactive elements in the carousel to engage the reader and guide them towards a content piece you want them to consume. For example, a slide could pose a question related to a blog article, or a white paper on your website, encouraging the reader to find out more by reading your blog and visiting your website.
A multi-media slideshow
It might not be fair to say that all marketing these days happens online, but a lot of it does and there are advantages that digital marketing brings with it. For one, it's a multi-media experience for the audience.
A successful carousel should employ readily. Think of it as a slideshow of content that can incorporate text, images, sound or videos. Or a combination of those elements.
While commonly used in B2C marketing for showcasing products, its application in B2B marketing is gaining momentum. Carousels offer the advantage of compact storytelling, which enables us to deliver complex messages in a visually appealing and digestible format.
Creating a carousel that leaves a lasting impression is a blend of finessing your aesthetic expression, creating strategic content, and having an in-depth understanding of your target audience.
To make it more practical here are 5 things you need to keep in mind:
1. Use high-quality images and visually stunning videos. There is no excuse to use poor-quality images these days, but this is not enough. Focus on the resonance it produces in the viewer. Ideally, you match those feelings and impressions with your brand.
2. Text. The pitfall of a lot of carousels and videos is poor use of text. There's either too much of it or not enough. It's hardly every strategic, and more often than not it's very unreadable. Less is more. Contrast is key. Consider: would this message be clearer with or without text?
3. Branding. No need to tell you to be consistent, what you're aiming for here is to stand out (using what works for others but putting your spin on things). You want a scroller to stop because they recognise it's your post and they want to check it out.
4. Storytelling. My favourite. Whenever possible incorporate storytelling. It can be a simple sequence of audience problems. potential solutions. your solution. desired action. it can be an industry tale. it can be the story of how your company was created and your values... whenever possible incorporate storytelling. And you don't have to be literal, a carefully crafted transition from one slide to the next will create a compelling narrative, so for example, featuring a series of other companies and the work they do for climate change, industry news, anything really can be presented using storytelling.
5. Interactive elements and animations. You can use animation to create dynamism in your slides, especially if they have a lot of information or they're complex ideas. And also, don't be afraid to interact with the audience, tell them to keep swiping for a particular piece of information, or to swipe back for a key point you made earlier that makes even more sense now.
B2C & B2B Carousels on LinkedIn
LinkedIn's carousel feature is a powerful marketing tool. Here are two fictionalised examples of carousel use in B2B and B2C communication.
B2C LinkedIn Carousel
Solar Panel Manufacturer: A company manufacturing solar panels for residential use could utilize a carousel to showcase the benefits of their products.
However, a more interesting idea would be to use the carousel to demonstrate the entire installation process, easing potential concerns about the transition to solar energy.
B2B LinkedIn Carousel
Energy Efficiency Consultant: A consultancy firm providing energy efficiency solutions might use a carousel to highlight the services they offer.
Slides could address common client concerns reinforcing the idea the consultancy firm can help them. Another idea is to showcase client success stories, ideally in short video or audio clips that would reinforce the firm's expertise and the value of their services.
Creativity and quality information is a winning combination
A final thought.
A carousel doesn't always need to come in the shape of a slider. Create a video from quality stock images or your company's marketing video library and for each framehave text with engaging facts or questions or include calls to action. In this way, your video acts as a carousel post.
The benefit is that it will be highly engaging and won't be perceived as a carousel. It's another way to stand out in the ocean of slides we consume daily.
Let's recap
Carousels are more than visual adornments: They should serve as strategic tools that enhance engagement and complement your post's text.
Cohesion and Continuity are key: The carousel and post text should share a common theme, providing a coherent and engaging narrative.
Optimize for Engagement: Use carousels to break up text, provide teaser content, and interactively guide your audience towards further content consumption.
Leverage Multimedia: Carousels should take full advantage of digital multimedia capabilities, incorporating text, images, sound, and videos for a compelling experience.
Carousels are crucial in B2B marketing: They provide a visually appealing and digestible format for conveying complex messages, making them increasingly relevant in B2B marketing.
Strategic Elements for Carousels: High-quality visuals, strategic use of text, consistent branding, storytelling, and interactive elements are essential for creating effective carousels.
Don't think of your carousel as just a "pretty" way to say the same thing and please don’t have it act as a generic product catalogue.
Use the wide range of options at your disposal to enhance your messaging, engage with your audience in different ways and connect with them through branding, style and, most importantly, delivering a ton of value to your audience.