The Best Types of Instagram Posts Ranked: Carousel, Image, or Video?

Why Are Instagram Carousel Posts the Best Type of Feed Posts for Engagement?

Based on Later’s study, carousel posts have consistently outperformed image and video posts over the years. 

Which isn’t too surprising considering how effective they are at driving engagement. 

First, time spent is an indicator for Instagram’s algorithm, and you spend more time scrolling through a carousel post than a single photo. 

Second, carousel posts often surface in users’ feeds more than once, doubling (or tripling) the opportunity for likes, comments, and shares. 

The format also lends itself to sharing more authentic and personable snapshots — hello, photo dump trend — which can be more engaging than a static image or aesthetic video.

So, if you want to increase your engagement on Instagram, getting creative with carousel posts is a good idea. 

Here’s how you can get started: 

3 Ways to Create Engaging Carousel Posts

Tip #1: Create a Round-up of User-generated Content (UGC)

Using UGC on Instagram is an effective way to increase brand loyalty, promote your products, and bolster engagement. 

By creating a round-up of recently tagged posts, you can spotlight your community and sell your products in a less salesy way. It’s a win-win. 

Take Golde who shared a round-up of customers wearing their exclusive sweatshirt:

Your community will appreciate being acknowledged and featured on your feed. And it’ll encourage them to keep sharing! 

Tip #2: Curate Photo Dumps 

This is your opportunity to show a less filtered or edited version of yourself or your brand. 

These photo dumps can be perfect for showing a recap of an event, your brand’s moodboard, or a behind-the-scenes (BTS) photo diary. 

Speaking of BTS…

Tip #3: Give a Glimpse Behind-the-scenes (BTS)

Your community is curious to see a glimpse of how your business is run! 

How do you launch new products and campaigns? How did you really renovate your new living space? What does a day in your life look like? 

Similar to a photo dump, these BTS carousel posts come across as a less filtered version of you or your brand — further humanizing you and creating a connection.

And the best news? With Later, you can plan, schedule, and automatically publish your carousel posts — so you never have to log in to manually post! Get started now: