If one picture is worth a thousand words, what about 10 pictures?
Instagram has launched carousel feature on February, 22 and by now the majority of users share posts with multiple images and videos on a regular basis. The feature release was good news especially for a social media marketing community as it meant a fresh field for cultivation of new creative ways to engage targeted audiences’ attention.
Carousel feature is also an Instagram’s weighty contribution into a storytelling trend that has been in for quite a while now, and only getting more popular. A growing number of different online broadcasting services and features, stories (of the day, depicted in photos or short videos that have 24-hour lifetime span) that made it in Snapchat and moved to Instagram, along with a bunch of the feature’s fans, and the longposts so many celebrities, bloggers, and common users alike enjoy to write in their captions to inform and provoke discussion in the comments — all these are only a few proofs of trend’s active development. It became evidently relevant due to Instagram community’s earegness to learn the story behind the picture they see and their wish to be confident there are real human beings behind attractive social media profiles that are open to communication with the audience.
Successful brands cater to the needs of their customers, and Instagram carousel feature provides 10 times more space for creative ideas that will engage new people around your content, and therefore your product. The following list contains the ways businesses that rely on social media marketing platform can get the best of carousel posts. It will give the idea of what to start with and hopefully inspire for new ideas that will be a great success with your followers.
Product
If one picture is worth a thousand words, what about 10 pictures? Carousel feature lets you upload up to 10 images or videos, use it to showcase your product in full:
- Take a panoramic or 360° photo of your product, cut it to 10 parts, upload to Instagram and make the order of the shots let your followers explore the product as they swipe each image.
2. Demonstrate multiple products or all variations of one, so the potential customers may see the variety your brand offers.
3. Variety can be also showcased through the images of your product being styled in many alternative ways, or used otherways and by different people.
4.Show how the product works, upload photos of a step-to-step process to create a convenient tutorial.
Company
A company’s image is as important as its product, sometimes even more important — we all know many examples of people paying an outrageous amounts to own things by famous brands. Developing a reputation takes time, but every little step counts without a doubt. What you can do to invest into your brand’s prestige with the help of Instagram multi-posts:
- Share a memory with your audience — bring a pack of old pictures to tell a story of how your brand has started, what ideas brought together your team, what challenges you have been through to make your dream come true, thank the customers for the loyalty and elaborate on the plans for future. Such posts are guaranteed to bring attention of both regular and potential clients.
- Create a gallery-post for each team member — introduce your team, let the customers know who has made the product and works on providing the best service. Tell about their part in the company, about their personalities, interests and worldview. Post images of their work, of them at the workplace, photos showcasing their hobbys and lifestyle.
Tip: Creating special hashtag for such photos, like #gettoknowbrandname, will boost the interest for the series and the brand even more, while also organize your feed.
3. Continuing on making the followers getting acquainted with the team members, post the lists of favorite things of the month of each member. If you are a makeup brand, it’s a good chance to mention influencers’ products, show off your own, and mention quality products you’d recommend for the followers. Fitness gyms, on the other hand, may showcase in such lists the favorite superfoods, nutritional supplements, sports gear, etc. Brands of all kinds can find their unique approach to such posts.
Tip: Use image that captures all things mentioned in the list first and then add separate images for each item, leaving short useful marks with information about the product and it’s advantages on the picture.
4. Share customer reviews and stories. Make it another brand’s hashtagged series — pile up the reviews, edit them to have the same font, design and backgroud and post as a gallery with special hashtag. People love reading the client’s reviews to make up their mind about the company and the product before the first contact with the company, present this information in attractive and easy-to-access way.
5. Post behind-the-scenes and event images and videos in one post. Tease curious customers with the work process shots, they will love it! Put numerous photos from holidays and different company related events in a couple of posts, avoiding spamming your followers’ feed with multiple looking alike images in the same time period.
Communication with customers
As mentioned earlier, the importance of direct communication with audience cannot be underestimated. Here is a few ways you can start the ball rolling with carousel posts:
- Create fan survey posts. You may ask multiple choice questions about the future event or a new brand logo, and get the followers’ opinions and suggestions. Post all options in one post, let the audience pick which one they like the most and explain why.
- Host a contest or a giveaway. Show off the big prize on the first picture, ask the followers if they want to get it for free on the second, and elaborate on the further slides about the rules to enter.
3. Post sneak peeks of future releases. Crop the new product images, turn them, change colors, and post; you may also upload photos containg the background, the model, and all possible delails except one thing — the new product (cover it with an emoji or brand’s logo) — it’s all up to you and your creativeness. Let your customers solve the riddle and write their guesses about the upcoming release in the comments. Don’t forget to like the funniest and the closest to truth suggestions!
All of the above recommendations have been in the use of many brands, including major ones, and proved to be gaining positive feedback. Feel free to include them to your marketing strategy and share own creative ideas of using new social media features for organic auience growth in the comments.