What Makes a Great LinkedIn Carousel Post? (And How to Design Yours)

A LinkedIn carousel post is the most engaged piece of content on LinkedIn, alongside videos. With a lower barrier to entry compared to a video, there's nothing but opportunity when posting LinkedIn carousel posts.

This guide will dive deep into everything you need to know: from what these posts are and why they matter, to mastering the design, optimal carousel sizes, and even leveraging them for impactful LinkedIn carousel ads.

What is a LinkedIn Carousel Post?

A LinkedIn carousel post is a piece of LinkedIn content that contains multiple images or PDF slides, which users can swipe through horizontally. Think of it like a mini-presentation, a visual story, or a multi-page document embedded directly into your feed.

Instead of one static image or a long block of text, a carousel allows you to present information in a more engaging manner. This interactive format encourages readers to spend more time with your content swiping from one slide to the next.

Of course, LinkedIn Carousels take more effort to create. Learn how to schedule LinkedIn posts here.

Why Should You Post LinkedIn Carousels?

The appeal of the LinkedIn carousel post goes far beyond just looking professional. It’s a strategic choice for several reasons:

Better Engagement on Carousel Posts

The interactive nature of a LinkedIn carousel leads to higher engagement rates. When a user sees multiple slides, they’re prompted to swipe, which counts as an interaction. This simple action keeps them on your post longer – a key signal to LinkedIn that your content is valuable.

Here are a few popular kinds of LinkedIn carousel posts:

• Step-by-step guides: Carousels are perfect for breaking down complex processes into easy-to-follow steps.


• Before/after comparisons: Showcase transformations, project evolutions, or problem/solution scenarios slide by slide.


• Data visualization: Present charts, graphs, and statistics on individual slides, each with a brief explanation, making complex data visually appealing.


• Myth vs. Fact: Dedicate each slide to debunking a common misconception or presenting a surprising truth.

Carousels can be a great way to post an engaging job announcement. Learn how to post a job on LinkedIn for the best results here.

Tell A Story

Humans are wired for storytelling. The sequential nature of a LinkedIn carousel allows you to craft a narrative. You can introduce a problem on slide one, explore solutions in the middle slides, and offer a conclusion or call to action on the final slide.

This approach allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper, and memorable level than a single image or text-only post ever could.

Versatility in Application

The utility of a LinkedIn carousel isn't limited to just organic content. Its adaptable format makes it incredibly effective across organic and paid channels:

• For organic content: Use carousels to share industry insights, highlight team achievements, present personal growth journeys, summarize blog posts, or even answer frequently asked questions.


• For LinkedIn carousel ads: Leverage your top-performing carousel posts into ads. Each card can link to a different landing page, providing a more detailed and engaging ad experience that often leads to improved click-through rates.

How To Design Your Perfect LinkedIn Carousel Post

Creating a great LinkedIn carousel post isn't just about what you say, but how you show it. Thoughtful design and planning are paramount.

Content Planning for a Standout LinkedIn Carousel

Before you even open a design tool, you need to know what you want your carousel to say.

• Choose your topic wisely: Is it a tutorial, a list of tips, a brief case study, a personal reflection, or a summary of a recent report? The best topics naturally lend themselves to a multi-slide format.


• Outline your narrative: Think of each slide as a chapter. What's the title slide? What's the main point of each subsequent slide? How does the story progress? A strong narrative arc keeps users swiping.


• Craft a compelling Call to Action (CTA): What do you want your audience to do after swiping through your entire carousel? Visit your website? Download a resource? Connect with you? Leave a comment? Make this clear and include it on your final slide, and sometimes even in the accompanying post text.

Visual Best Practices for Your LinkedIn Carousel

Visuals are king in a LinkedIn carousel. They guide the eye and communicate faster than text.

• Branding consistency: Ensure your brand colors, fonts, and logo are consistent across all slides.


• High-quality images: Amateurish graphics instantly detract from your credibility. Luckily, there are plenty of tools out there ready to help you make professional graphics.


• Minimal text per slide: Resist the urge to cram too much text onto each slide. Use short, punchy headlines and brief bullet points. The detailed explanation can go in your main LinkedIn post text.


• Consistency in design: Maintain a consistent layout and design element across all slides. This visual rhythm makes the carousel easy to consume.

Understanding LinkedIn Carousel Sizes and Specifications

If you've never created a LinkedIn carousel before, it can be easy to get the dimensions wrong. Incorrect LinkedIn carousel sizes can lead to cropped images and an unprofessional appearance, undermining all your design efforts.

Recommended LinkedIn Carousel Sizes:

To ensure your LinkedIn carousel looks its best on both desktop and mobile, follow these dimensions:

• Square: The ideal and most versatile dimension is 1080 x 1080 pixels. This square format displays well on all devices and within the feed.


• Portrait: For mobile users, portrait (4x5 aspect ratio) is a strong option (as it takes up more visual space in feeds. Use dimensions of 1080 x 1350 pixels.


• Landscape: While less common for carousels, 1200 x 628 pixels can work if your content truly benefits from a wider view (we generally don't recommend this as landscape images don't work well on mobile devices.

Other Specifications To Note:

There are a few other important things to understand before you publish your carousel:

• File types supported: Do not upload files as images – you will need to put them together into a PDF, so users can swipe through each page.


• Maximum number of slides: You can include up to 10 slides in a single LinkedIn carousel post.


• File size limits: Each individual image should ideally be under 10 MB. Keep the overall file size reasonable for faster loading.


• Text overlay: While slides should be visual-heavy, if you do use text overlays, ensure it's legible and doesn't get cut off on different devices.

If you're managing social media, that doesn't mean you should overlook connection campaigns. They can help establish credibility for your entire career. Here's our top 5 LinkedIn outreach for social media managers.

Leveraging LinkedIn Carousel Ads for Paid Campaigns

While powerful for organic reach, the LinkedIn carousel format shines for paid advertising. LinkedIn carousel ads offer a unique opportunity to tell a deeper story and showcase more information than a standard single-image ad.

Why Should You Use LinkedIn Carousel Ads?

There are a number of reasons carousels make for strong ads.

• Use content that you know works: By testing your LinkedIn carousel ads as organic content first, you're able to learn which content is best for your paid ads.


• Allows for more engaging ads: Each card in a carousel ad can represent a different chapter of your brand's story, a unique product benefit, or a step in your service offering.


• Showcasing multiple products/use cases: If you have several products, services, or features to highlight, a LinkedIn carousel ad allows you to feature up to 10 distinct offerings within a single ad.


• Improved click-through rates: The interactive swipe naturally encourages engagement. Meaning you have a higher probability of connecting with leads.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with LinkedIn Carousels

Even with the best intentions, it's easy to fall into common traps that undermine the effectiveness of your LinkedIn carousel post or ad.

• Using too much text: This is perhaps the biggest mistake. A carousel is more about the visual representation than the words. If your slides are dense with text, users will keep scrolling.


• Poor design: An unprofessional look across your slides screams "amateur." Ensure consistent fonts, colors, and high-resolution images.


• Lack of a clear purpose: Every LinkedIn carousel should have a goal. Is it to educate, inspire, or drive traffic? If your audience reaches the end without understanding your intention, that's a missed opportunity.


• Designing with the wrong dimensions: As mentioned, neglecting the correct dimensions leads to awkward cropping, especially on mobile.


• Not testing different content formats: Don't stick to just one type of carousel. Experiment with tutorials, checklists, how-tos, and personal lessons.

Speaking of lessons, here are the 7 most common LinkedIn lead generation mistakes we see today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are quick, direct answers to common questions about LinkedIn carousels:

What makes a good LinkedIn carousel?

A good LinkedIn carousel is visually appealing with minimal text per slide, clear branding, and a strong call to action. It uses high-quality graphics to help visualize a point, data, or tell a story.

Why is my LinkedIn carousel blurry?

Your LinkedIn carousel is likely blurry because the images or PDF pages used were not uploaded at the correct dimensions. Ensure your individual slides are designed at 1080 x 1080 pixels (for square) and are saved as high-quality JPG or PNG files to prevent blurriness.

What is LinkedIn carousel size?

The ideal LinkedIn carousel size for individual images/slides is 1080 x 1080 pixels (a 1:1 square aspect ratio). This dimension ensures your carousel can be displayed clearly on both mobile and desktop devices.

How to upload a LinkedIn carousel?

To upload a LinkedIn carousel post organically, click "Start a post" on your LinkedIn feed, then select the "Add a document" icon (looks like a paper icon). Choose your multi-page PDF file, add a compelling caption, and post. For LinkedIn carousel ads, you create and upload individual images directly within LinkedIn's Campaign Manager.

Can you do a carousel post on LinkedIn?

Yes, you can absolutely do a carousel post on LinkedIn. You create an organic carousel by uploading a multi-page PDF document, which LinkedIn then converts into a swipeable format. You can also create paid LinkedIn carousel ads using multiple images.

What are LinkedIn carousel posts?

LinkedIn carousel posts are a type of LinkedIn update that features multiple images or PDF slides that users can swipe through horizontally. They are used for visual storytelling, presenting step-by-step guides, sharing data, and increasing engagement compared to static posts.

Conclusion

The LinkedIn carousel post is an engaging tool for visual LinkedIn posts. And if you're looking to consistently create engaging content that truly stands out, We-Connect's Post Remix can help.

With Post Remix, you can generate engaging LinkedIn posts from trending content in your industry.