Carousel

Carousel is a post format in which the user scrolls through several images or slides (from 2 to 10–20 depending on the platform). Appeared on Instagram, now works on VK, Telegram (album), LinkedIn and a number of other platforms.

The mechanics of virality for a carousel are different than for a single post. The Instagram and VK algorithm takes into account the number of swipes as an additional signal of engagement. A user who has scrolled to the last slide is highly likely to save or resend - this affects the reach. In my experience, carousels with educational or comparative content in the EdTech and finance niches generate 3-5 times more saves than single posts.

Classic carousel formats: “before/after”, step-by-step instructions, case analysis by slides, comparison of options. The first slide works like a cover - if it doesn’t catch the eye, the user won’t swipe further, and all the work is in vain. I always test the first slide separately through an A/B test in advertising.

In Telegram, a carousel is an album of photos/videos sent in one message. There is no full scrolling, but it is visually compact. For a full-fledged carousel in a Telegram channel, some marketers make PDFs or individual posts in a row with arrow navigation - this is a native solution for the platform.