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Discover how this versatile format can elevate your brand’s narrative — from showcasing sequential stories to highlighting key features — and drive engagement like never before.
Establishing a dynamic presence on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook offers small businesses a powerful way to connect with a wide audience without the burden of significant upfront costs — beyond investing in a skilled art director or graphic designer. One of the most impactful tools on these platforms is the Sliding Carousel post. This versatile ad format allows small businesses to tell a compelling story or spotlight multiple products, services, or features within a single ad, making it a must-have for those aiming to capture and retain audience attention. Carousels achieve significantly higher reach and engagement compared to regular posts. Here’s how carousel ads can elevate small businesses.
Carousel ads can tell a story by allowing you to share multiple images (up to 20, plus music) or videos in a single post, each representing a different element, story frame, or panel of the narrative. Here’s how they can effectively tell a story.
Sequential Narrative
Like storyboard panels, each slide in a carousel ad represents a key moment in a story, leading the audience through a narrative journey akin to a video. For example, a brand might start by presenting a problem, then depict the process of discovering a solution, and conclude by unveiling its product or service as the satisfying resolution. If you own a cleaning service, a sequential narrative could showcase your unique process, starting with a detailed assessment, followed by cleaning with eco-friendly products and state-of-the-art equipment. Alternatively, you could highlight the journey of one of your dedicated professionals — trained, insured, and committed to delivering exceptional results for every client.
Highlighting Key Features
Each slide can spotlight a unique aspect of a product or service, gradually weaving together a comprehensive narrative. This method lets the story unfold organically, engaging users as they swipe through the carousel and discover the full picture. For example, if you manufacture artisanal candles, the carousel could be organized as follows: The first slide highlights the premium materials used, the second showcases your signature scents, the third illustrates your unique color blending process, the fourth presents customization options for scents and colors, and so forth.
Before and After
Much like the classic before-and-after approach in TV commercials and print ads, carousel ads excel at showcasing transformations. The first slide can depict the “before” scenario, the middle slides illustrate the process or solution, and the final slide reveals the “after” result. Although you’ve likely seen countless before-and-after ads if you own a hair salon, you could use sequential videos on Instagram to showcase a client’s transformation and your personalized styling process. Start with a video of the stylist/client assessment, followed by a video demonstrating the maintenance of the new style.
Customer Journey
A carousel ad can vividly illustrate a customer’s journey with your brand, from their initial challenge to the final positive outcome. For example, if you own a fitness studio or manage a team of personal trainers, you could showcase an individual’s experience. Begin with their initial struggle — perhaps they were seeking a flexible workout routine. Highlight their discovery of your studio through a friend’s recommendation, showing how fitness can be a social activity. Next, depict their engagement with your flexible class schedules and personalized approach. Conclude their transformation by showing them feeling stronger and more energized after achieving their fitness goals, thanks to your studio or trainers.
Event Timeline
Promote your event by creating a dynamic visual story, with each slide or video capturing a different stage. For a home renovation workshop hosted by a small construction business, start with a glimpse of pre-event preparation, showcasing your team setting up and organizing. Move to the next slide or video where attendees arrive, receive a warm welcome, and hear from experts about what’s to come. The following slide could feature participants diving into hands-on demonstrations, where they learn about essential carpentry techniques or advanced DIY tips from seasoned professionals. Highlight key moments, such as attendees practicing new skills, engaging in Q&A sessions, and receiving personalized renovation advice. Continue with impressive before-and-after photos of the participants’ projects, showing the transformation achieved with their new skills. Conclude with a compelling post-event follow-up, encouraging viewers to stay tuned for upcoming events and workshops.
Engaging Visual Storytelling
To truly captivate your audience, harness the power of compelling visuals. While words are essential for conveying groundbreaking medical news or election results, images consistently grab more attention. Use carousel strategies to create an immersive experience that incorporates vibrant colors, striking large images, and creative cropping that makes each post stand out. Add text overlays to highlight key points, if necessary, or leverage hashtags or captions effectively. Ensure a cohesive design theme throughout to maintain visual consistency. Craft a visually captivating and cohesive narrative that draws viewers in and entices them to swipe through your ad. Ensure that all images or videos are clear and high-quality, and authentically represent your brand.
When conceived and designed effectively, carousel ads significantly boost engagement and interactivity, leading to higher click-through rates. The swipeable format encourages users to interact with your content, offering multiple opportunities for them to click through to your website or landing page. By presenting a cohesive story, carousel ads help small businesses forge emotional connections, convey value propositions more clearly, and drive viewers to take action.
This article was written by Robin Landa from Inc. and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
