103 - How to Create Scroll Stopping Carousels for LinkedIn

Carousels, also known as Sliders, still get great engagement on LinkedIn. But if you're still creating Carousels in the square format, it's time to switch to the easier to read lateral design. 

In this solo episode, I provide a step-by-step guide on designing carousels, emphasizing the importance of format, branding, and visual appeal. I also shares practical design tips to enhance readability and engagement, ultimately encouraging content creators to adopt the lateral format for better performance on LinkedIn.

TOP TAKEAWAYS

🔹Carousels can significantly enhance engagement on LinkedIn.
🔹The lateral format is more effective than the traditional square format.
🔹Start with a square design in Canva and resize later.
🔹Keep text minimal and focused on one idea per slide.
🔹Use bold headlines and short explanatory lines to maintain interest.
🔹Visuals should complement the text and guide the viewer's eye.
🔹Consistency in branding helps build recognition.
🔹Preview your carousel on mobile before posting.
🔹Cluttered slides are less effective; leave breathing room.
Upgrading presentation style can improve content visibility.

🔷 Thank you for listening. If you found this episode relevant don't forget to hit that Follow Button to keep learning and growing with us.

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Transcript

Hi, I'm Annette Richmond. Thanks for joining me today. I talk a lot about video because I love video, but today I'm switching things up and talking about carousels or sliders, specifically for LinkedIn. Now we're talking about how to make carousels that actually get read, saved, and shared on LinkedIn using the lateral format.

If you've been creating carousels for a while, you probably know the old square size, the 1080 by 1080 pixels. It used to be the default, and it was fine for a while, but things change. Now the more vertical format, 1200 by 1500 pixels, works better on LinkedIn for a few reasons. It fills more of the feed on the desktop, and it's way easier to read on mobile.

And it really just looks more polished, like you're paying attention to how your content shows up, not just what you're saying. So let's break it down. Not just how to do it, but how to do it well.

Annette Richmond (04:09.294)
Step one, well, you have to start with the square format. When you open Canva, start with Instagram square design. That's 1080 by 1080 pixels 

first step is to start with square. When you open Canva, start with an Instagram square design that's 1080 by 1080 pixels. Right now, Canva doesn't offer pre-made templates in the lateral size. So you'll always start with square, build out your design, then resize it. So once you've opened the Instagram square, type carousel in the search bar.

and choose a design that works for you. The next step, of course, is to customize it to match your brand. Change the colors and the fonts to your brand style. Add your headlines, short lines of text, icons and images that feel relevant for your style and the carousel. And here's where people overdo it. Don't cram a slide full of text. Imagine someone reading this on their phone.


Number two, customize it to match your brand. Change the colors and the fonts to your brand style. Add your headlines, short lines of text, icons, and images that feel relevant to your brand and also the carousel. Here's where people overdo it. Don't cram a slide full of text. Imagine someone reading this on their phone. So keep it simple with one clear idea per slide.

When I do my carousels, like my 10 ChatGPT Prompts you'll notice that I stick to big, bold headlines and short explainer lines. It gives your audience a reason to swipe instead of zoning out or scrolling on. The third step is to resize it to the lateral format. When your content looks solid, it's time to switch to the new format. In the Canva,

Step number three is to resize it to the lateral format. When your content looks solid, it's time to switch to the new format. In Canva, click on resize or custom size and then set the dimensions to 1200 by 1500 pixels. You'll instantly see more vertical space to work with, which means your slides look taller in the feed and take up more real estate. And that's exactly what you want.

Step number four, adjust the layout for the new shape. Here's what happens. Your text and elements might look off, and this is totally normal. It takes a few minutes to move your headlines up a bit, space out your text, make sure your visuals still feel balanced. Think about where your reader's eye goes first. The top half of each slide should hook them. And don't be afraid to delete clutter. White space is your friend.

if you're using Canva Pro, save it as a brand template. Next time you can just open up your template, swap in your texts or images and post. Save so much time. 

Even if you don't save it as a brand template, you can still use the design over and over again. Even if you don't save it as a brand template, can still use this. Even if you don't use it as a brand template, you can still save the design and use it over and over again.


Here are a few quick design tips and best practices that will help your carousel stand out in the feed. The first thing, keep text short and punchy. Think bold headlines and then a line or two for context. Add visuals, icons, shapes, or photos to break up the text and guide the viewer's eye. You can even make your visuals start on one slide and finish on the next one. Stick to one idea per slide. Don't bury the main point.

Use your brand colors. Consistency builds recognition. And l leave some space because cluttered slides get passed. And if you really want a pro tip, preview your carousel on mobile before you export it.


So why changing the format matters? This might feel like a tiny tweak, but changing from square to lateral and designing with intention makes your content look more current, helps it stand out in a noisy feed. More space, better readability, more chance to grab the viewer's attention and keep it. You don't have to reinvent your whole strategy, just upgrade how you're presenting what you're already sharing.

So here's your challenge. The next time you're working on a LinkedIn post, try the lateral format carousel. Keep it minimal, on brand, and easy to swipe through. And don't forget to download it as a PDF. Thanks for joining me. Thanks for joining me today. Keep showing up with content that's clear, useful, and scroll shopping.

Thanks for joining me today. Keep showing up with content that's clear, useful, and scroll stopping.