College’s everywhere are utilizing Instagram Carousels to connect with their current and prospective students. From landscape to instructional photos, we’ve developed this guide on creating unique content that your current and prospective students are bound to enjoy.
Note: This specific article focuses on Instagram Carousels. how to create a carousel for Instagram; to learn how to create a carousel post for Facebook, read here. The biggest difference between Instagram and Facebook Carousels is that Instagram’s carousel app template is free for users, whereas Facebook’s Carousel functionality is only available as an ad format and needs to be budgeted for in your paid social campaign.
What Is an Instagram Carousel?
An Instagram Carousel is a special type of Instagram post that allows a combination of up to 10 photos and videos. It’s called a carousel because users can cycle through the different images that make it up by swiping left and right.
For additional resources that will help you level up your social media posts, download our Pre-Publishing Checklist!
How Carousels Impact your Social Media Strategy
People in the social media world often ask: Do carousels perform better than other posts? The short and simple answer is yes. Let’s take a look at the statistics behind this.
Many studies done by Instagram professionals show that carousels drive 1.4 times more reach and 3.1 times more engagement than their normal posts. With carousels, the user's experience is more interactive because they are more engaged scrolling through rather than one image post. This can lead to higher quality awareness stage campaigns, increasing the time users spend viewing your content and clicking on your school’s Instagram page.
Different Instagram Photo Sizes
Before you get started creating your carousel, it’s important to understand the best sizes and formats for your images and videos.
Types of Instagram Carousel Content for Enrollment Marketers
1. Landscape Photos
Landscape photos provide a unique aesthetic to each carousel post. If done correctly, the transition to each slide of the carousel should be seamless and keep the user engaged with the post.Landscape photos are the perfect opportunity to showcase your school’s campus, surrounding city/town, and campus event highlights.
2. Stop Motion Photos
By using a series of carefully crafted frames, stop-motion carousels help capture students' attention by engaging them in a story. These carousels often showcase a short process in a visually pleasing way.
The uniqueness of stop-motion content on Instagram prompts users to spend more time viewing and analyzing the intricate movements and details. This prolonged engagement can lead to a higher likelihood of users interacting with the post.
3. Videos Split into Multiple Parts
Multi-part videos posted in a carousel format often drive the most engagement in relation to the other types of content we cover. These videos keep the user engaged with the post throughout the duration of each video, and as they continue to view the content, the urge to finish watching grows.
Looking at these photo samples from Pepperland’s own Instagram account, one can identify a carousel post by the double square icon and the 1/# of slides.
4. Instructional Step-by-Step Photos
Step-by-step carousels help guide current or prospective students through common roadblocks. These types of carousels can provide helpful information on topics like the application process, FAFSA tips and tricks, and selecting a roommate.
Recapping the Carousel Process
Creating a carousel for your school’s Instagram account helps create engaging ads and offers a unique look than your typical post. Carousel posts encourage users to actively swipe and see more content of your business’s products and services.
Does your social strategy need a boost? Partnering with marketing specialists can help! At Pepperland, we specialize in inbound and content marketing and can help your business grow exponentially through our expertise and resources. Contact us today to find out how we can help achieve your goals.
