Do you know how to create LinkedIn carousel posts?
If not, well, you’re probably missing out on loads of potential customers.
But before we go any further…
What is a LinkedIn carousel?
Put simply, LinkedIn carousel posts are images or documents that allow your readers to scroll through multiple images in one post.
It’s a bit like swiping an image on Instagram.
But how do you create a carousel on LinkedIn?
Honestly, it’s dead easy – and I’m going to show you how.
How to create them in 5 easy steps
Carousel posts are probably the most underutilised features on the platform. Sure, you’ll find a shitload of videos, images and links, but carousel posts?
Not so much.
So, if you’ve got something new to say. Or you’ve got loads of content you’d love to repurpose (see my article, 7 great ways to repurpose your blog posts), here’s how:
One. Create a Canva account
The first step when you want to create LinkedIn carousel posts is to get the images you need. And the easiest and fastest way is with a Canva account.
That’s it.
That’s tip one.
Two. Use the correct LinkedIn carousel size
Size matters.
You’re going to want your carousel images to look good and fit nicely, so I’d choose one of two options here, either:
A. An Instagram post size of 1080 x 1080 px
B. A LinkedIn carousel post size of 1200 x 1200 px
And eh voilà, you’ve got the beginnings of your LinkedIn carousel template:
The overall file should be no more than 100 MB, maximum.
Three. Start creating your masterpiece
This is where the real fun begins, and I’ll show you how to make yours with my LinkedIn carousel examples below.
To do that, I’m going to use my article, How to write creative product descriptions.
First, I need to create my header image:
Adding the title and my website address is all well and good, but it looks boring. You need to give your readers a prompt to read on, and you do this by clicking the ‘Elements’ tab and adding arrows or images that compliment your branding and overlap onto the following slide.
Like this:
Here, I’ve added a lightbulb and an arrow to the first slide and positioned them to the right. And to make sure these line up on the next slide, you have to duplicate the slide, copy and paste your image and drag them to the left.
And to make sure they align, Canva has rulers which show you exactly where your other image is placed.
They also make your carousel a little bit more visually appealing instead of it just being pages of text.
Swap out the headline with your helpful content, and this is what you get:
And do the same throughout until you end up with something like this:
Pretty cool, right?
Oh, and around 11 slides is a good length, though if you’re saving them as images to post on Instagram, remember that Insta only allows a maximum of 10 images.
Four. Save your creation
But not as a PNG or JPG!
While LinkedIn lets you post images, you can’t use them in a carousel post. To do that, you need to save your images in Canva as a PDF document.
A PDF.
I’ll repeat it, a PDF.
LinkedIn does let you post images, but they need to be in document form for carousel posts.
Bonus tip: If you save it as a PNG or JPG, you can use it on Instagram, woohoo!
Five. Post it on LinkedIn
Yep, once saved, your LinkedIn carousel posts are ready to go live!
Yippee!
To do that, when you start writing a post, click the ‘Add a document’ button to attach your slides:
Then you type your post and unleash your helpfulness on the world:
That’s it – you’ve done it!
Ready to create LinkedIn carousel posts?
Well, now you know how to create LinkedIn carousel posts, go for it!
I’m not a whizz with images, but Canva makes it dead easy. Just play around with it and give yourself time to make mistakes. It’s all part of the fun and a great way to showcase your personal branding to the world.
Or, if you really can’t understand it, contact me to see if I can help.
Until next time
Matt
PS. If you read all this and never want to create LinkedIn carousel posts, check out my article, 9 reasons to use LinkedIn, even if you hate it.
PPS. This post is also available to like and share with your LinkedIn chums.
