Photo carousels have become very popular on social media since the feature was released on Instagram a few years back. Since their release, this feature has become popular for ads on Instagram and other social media platforms.
In this article, we’ll teach you how to leverage storytelling through carousel ads to appeal to your target audience. We will start by discussing what carousel ads are and what platforms to use them on before diving into some creative approaches to take with this sort of marketing strategy.
What are Carousel Ads?
Capturing attention and telling a compelling story can be challenging for businesses, and carousel ads can offer a creative solution by allowing companies to showcase multiple images, videos, and information within a single ad. Service businesses can leverage this tool to effectively connect with their target audience.
For instance, a historic WWII tour agency could use carousel ads to highlight a historic tour in Normandy. They can showcase tour details, share testimonials from past travelers, and include engaging videos and photos. This approach tells a captivating story and boosts bookings by providing potential customers with a rich, immersive experience.
You can run carousel ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). Which you should use depends on your target audience and which network they’ll most likely use.
Prices per ad vary by platform, so checking out the documentation for each while setting a budget is essential.
9 Creative Approaches to Storytelling Through Carousel Ads
Now that you’re more familiar with carousel ads, let’s dive into some creative approaches to using this marketing technique for your brand.
1. Capture Attention on the First Slide
An essential part of compelling storytelling with carousel ads is capturing people’s attention immediately. You want viewers to take the time to read your ad’s contents, which means your first carousel card needs to be eye-catching and compelling.
You can treat the first slide as your main headline. In a few words, it should tell your viewers why they should scroll through your carousel. Pair this language with branded imagery that will stand out on the feed and stop people in their tracks, and you’re good to go.
2. Create Sequential Narratives
Crafting sequential narratives with a beginning, middle, and end in carousel ads is essential for effective storytelling as it guides the viewer through a coherent narrative, much like a mini-movie.
This structure captures attention, builds engagement, and delivers a memorable message. Maintaining coherence across slides ensures that each part of the story connects seamlessly, avoiding confusion and enhancing the overall impact.
For example, Cruise America, a company providing RV rentals in Denver, creates sequential narratives in their carousel ads showcasing the RV travel experience.
The first slide might introduce the allure of a road trip, the middle slides feature various scenic destinations and activities, and the final slide emphasizes the joy of the journey and ease of renting an RV.
This approach captivates potential customers, illustrating the adventure and convenience of RV travel, ultimately driving higher engagement and conversion rates.
3. Make it Educational
Another great way to create a powerful narrative with your carousel ads is to make it educational. Use your ads to provide concrete value that shows the viewer that you’re invested in helping them.
Henry Meds knocked it out of the park with their latest Instagram carousel. They created this super helpful series of slides showing what foods to avoid when taking GLP-1 meds like semaglutide. Instead of just selling their product, they’re giving us useful information we can use immediately.
Plus, swiping through a carousel is way easier than reading a long article. This shows viewers that they’re not just selling semaglutide online. They’re showing they really get what their customers need. With this content, they’re saying, “Hey, we’re in this weight loss journey with you.”
4. Get Smart with CTAs
An essential part of running successful carousel ads that tell a story is giving viewers a practical way to get involved with the narrative. You can include language and links that direct viewers to the intended action.
Your CTAs could tell people to subscribe to buy a product, an email list, download a lead magnet, or anything that helps you hit your campaign objectives. Focus on one CTA, like promoting a single product or encouraging a specific action.
If you’re using carousels for content marketing rather than ads, you can include a CTA that tells viewers to share the post. This creates an excellent opportunity to expand your content’s reach and organically build your audience.
5. Leverage UGC
Producing high-quality ad content that comes off as organic can be tricky. A trick that many marketers use is to leverage user-generated content (UGC) for ad assets.
This works by finding an online creator whose content style meshes with your brand and giving them a brief of the assets you want them to create. Some creators prefer that the brand write the script; others want full creative control.
You can find UGC creators by browsing profiles on social media and reaching out there, or you can use a dedicated marketplace like Clip, hashtagPaid, or Brand Meets Creators to make those connections.
Another option is to use content people have posted and tagged your business. This approach is great since content created in this fashion serves as social proof. If you take this approach, get written permission to use the content in your ads.
6. Tap into Influence Marketing
A similar approach to leveraging user-generated content is to tap into influencer marketing. Rather than using paid ads to promote your carousel post, you can sponsor a carousel post on an influencer’s profile.
A huge benefit to influencer marketing is that you can typically repurpose the influencer’s content on your own page. You could share it to your Instagram story, retweet it, or even share the same assets on your page.
With this approach, the storytelling falls mainly on the influencer you hire since it’s up to them to create a narrative that fits their brand. Since so much of the creative direction typically falls in the hands of the influencer’s hands, choosing one whose brand and tone align with yours is essential.
7. Make it Seamless
Some marketers use an editing technique that makes carousels seamless from one slide to the next. Posting this sort of content is very helpful in encouraging viewers to scroll from one slide of the carousel to the next since the content typically spills over, forcing users to scroll to get the whole picture.
If you’re taking a DIY approach to advertising, you can use a design studio like Photoshop to create super professional, seamless carousels. However, Panorama Crop and Unsquared are useful for those unfamiliar with Photoshop.
If you aren’t sure how to properly edit your carousel ads, it’s smart to invest in the services of a marketing agency that has the resources and talent to create this content for you.
8. Aim for Shareability
Your marketing efforts go further when supporters of your brand share your content (and your products) with their friends and followers. You should use storytelling in your ads to make people care about what you have to say and encourage them to spread the message.
As we mentioned, in addition to simply creating content that people will want to share organically, you can add a CTA on the last slide of the carousel to share.
This technique improves the return on the time you invested in your content because it expands the reach to more people who are likely interested in what you have to offer
9. Give Detailed Product Breakdowns
One creative approach to storytelling through carousel ads is to explain a product or service in a detailed and engaging manner.
For instance, a men’s clothing company promoting its green suits for men can utilize different slides to showcase the unique textiles, perfect fit, available sizes, and ideal customer profiles.
Each slide can provide specific information, from the fabric’s origin to style tips for various occasions. This method captures the audience’s attention and delivers comprehensive product details swiftly, enhancing understanding and appreciation.
By breaking down the features across multiple slides, potential customers can see the suit’s value and versatility, significantly increasing the chances of conversion.
Final Thoughts
Staying on top of social media trends is key if you want your ads on these platforms. That’s why it’s important to get a grasp on storytelling through carousel ads. It’s a powerful tool with visual elements worth investing in.
With that said, which of the creative approaches to carousel ads will you implement into your marketing campaign?
Looking for help with paid ads or other marketing initiatives for your business? K6 has got you covered! Submit a proposal request today and we will be in touch.