Carousel Ads: How and Why It Works (+ Examples)

We have all seen carousel ads in our social feeds. But do they really work?

Known for its user-friendly format, carousel ads are most commonly seen on Instagram and Facebook in feeds and stories. And because they can showcase multiple images or products in one place, they are naturally more interactive than single-image ads that can be easily scrolled through.

But there are certain ways you can use carousel ads to drive even more engagement, increase engagement, and showcase your brand offerings.

Here’s how and when to use carousel ads on Facebook and Instagram to get the most out of this interactive ad format.

What is a carousel ad?

A carousel ad is a type of ad format that allows you to share multiple images or videos in a single scrollable ad. They are called “carousels”because these ads have a spinning effect similar to a carousel device such as a conveyor belt or carousel.

You can create carousel ads on almost any social platform, from Facebook to Twitter and even LinkedIn. But in this article, we will focus on Meta advertising platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

In Ads Manager, you can create ad carousels for most ad slots, including:

• Facebook feed
• Messenger
• Facebook marketplace
• Instagram feed
• instagram stories
• Audience network

Carousel ads can include up to 10 images or videos. Each image or video slide, also called a card, can have its own title, description, link, and call-to-action button, giving your carousel ad plenty of room to convert people.

Why should you use carousel ads?

Carousel ads are not only more engaging and interactive, but they have proven to work better than single image ads.

When Facebook first introduced the carousel format, carousel link ads had a 30-50% lower CPA and 20-30% lower CPC than single-image link ads.

On Instagram, carousel ads are just as effective. A case study by clothing company Lacoste found that using the Instagram Stories carousel ad format resulted in a 61% increase in click through rate (CTR) and a 32% decrease in cost per click (CPC) compared to other ad types.

Pro tip: You’ll need a Facebook business page to create ads on both Facebook and Instagram. Here’s a quick guide on how to create a Facebook business page if you don’t already have one:

5 Great Ways to Use Carousel Ads

1. Share multiple products in one listing

One of the best ways to use carousel ads is to highlight multiple products or services. The carousel format gives you more space and room for creativity than single-image ads.

Use this space to share a new collection, bestseller, or product category, just like Burrow does in this Facebook carousel ad. The furniture company highlights several sofas from its store and includes a “Buy Now”call to action on every slide.

Source: Burrow on Facebook

This ad from Burrow also works well because all of the images are product shots against a plain white background. A lifestyle shot or a distracting colorful background thrown into the mix will disrupt the flow of the carousel.

If you’re going to be showcasing multiple products, choose images that work well together visually. Carousels are designed to look cohesive as they scroll through the page, so images should have a similar feel or style. Choose images from the same collection or brand photo shoot to keep your carousel ads organic and engaging.

This Instagram carousel ad by Few Moda is another great example of choosing related images. Scrolling through, you can see different outfits from the brand’s new seasonal collection, each image is a set of color-matching outfits.

Source: Few Moda on Instagram.

2. Tell a story

Storytelling is at the core of social media, and carousel ads are another way to tell a story.

The storytelling method can be used in many ways, from showing a sequence of events, a walkthrough, to a series of tips or fun facts that pique the user’s interest as they scroll through it.

MasterClass is using Facebook carousel ads to promote one of their classes, hosted by supermodel Naomi Campbell. The class teaches the basics of modeling, and the ad offers a class teaser sharing three tips for posing in photos.

Source: MasterClass on Facebook

This is a creative way to get people to scroll through all your carousel ads and generate interest in the class. (And who wouldn’t want to learn how to take better selfies from a world famous supermodel like Naomi Campbell?)

In addition, the carousel design is easy to digest and scroll through, as each image contains a short hint and an easy way to register if you are interested in the full class.

When you decide to tell a story in a carousel format, just remember to follow the basic principles of storytelling and include a clear beginning, middle, and end so it’s easy for your audience to follow.

3. Offer an exclusive promotion

Another way to use social carousel ads to reach your audience is to offer an exclusive promotion. Promo codes are especially beneficial for product brands as you can showcase a series of products in one ad.

Not to mention, Facebook is the number one source for discovering discount codes in the US. Over 40% of consumers say they use Facebook to find promo codes, coupons and discounts, then Instagram. What does this mean for marketers? A carousel ad paired with a promo code is a winning combination.

Take, for example, this Bombas ad. The sock brand includes a 20% discount promo code in the header, which immediately attracts the buyer. The carousel then allows them to scroll through multiple products before they decide to buy, keeping that discount in mind when shopping visually.

Source: Bombas on Facebook.

4. Encourage interaction

Carousels are interactions. While this ad format naturally encourages the user to scroll through multiple images and videos, there is room to further optimize carousel ads for maximum engagement.

Focus on the details for each card. Use the title, description, and CTA buttons to encourage people to keep swiping and improve your interaction.

For example, this Thinkful Instagram carousel ad uses bright graphics with big numbers and an impressive data point in their carousel. These elements prevent their target audience from *not* continuing to scroll to find out more.

Source: Thinkful on Instagram

Another example of encouraging more interaction is this Facebook ad from Joybird. The furniture brand took advantage of each carousel card by adding different messages and calls to action to each card, including a Buy Now button, Get Directions button, and a Learn More action with a website link.

These varied calls to action and messages in one carousel encourage people to keep swiping and interacting with different elements depending on what they want to do next.

Source: Joybird on Facebook.

5. Introduce a service or feature

Carousels are also a great way to introduce your audience to your product or service. Since you can include up to 10 slides in a carousel, there is plenty of room to highlight any key facts, features, or processes.

This format is especially useful if you need time to educate, push or convince your audience before they become a client. If you’re selling an expensive product or service that requires a long-term commitment, carousel ads give you the opportunity to get your point across.

Take a look at this carousel ad from Viva Day Spa that highlights their Botox services. A series of images is a great example of how to use carousels to present and provide additional information.

The Viva Day Spa carousel sequence makes it easy for potential customers to answer any questions or concerns they may have about the service. After the service is introduced, the advertisement mentions its experienced team and shares social proof through customer testimonials. The ad also mentions that they offer free consultations and include a discount for new clients.

Source: Viva Day Spa on Facebook

2 ways to create carousel ads

You can create carousel ads directly in Meta Ads Manager or with an all-in-one social media tool like Hootsuite.

Before you create an ad, take a look at the characteristics of Meta carousel ads. You can find the full design specs here, but below is an overview of what you need to know to get started:

Facebook:

• Minimum number of carousel cards: 2
• Maximum number of carousel cards: 10
• Aspect Ratio: 1:1
• Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Image file format:. jpg and. png

Instagram:

• Minimum number of carousel cards: 2
• Maximum number of carousel cards: 3 (Stories), 10 (Feed)
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (tape), 9:16 (story)
• Video length: up to 60 seconds (tape), up to 15 seconds (stories)
• Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (feed), 1080 x 1920 pixels (stories)
• Image file format:. jpg and. png

Here’s how to create carousel ads using Hootsuite or Meta Ads Manager.

Create carousel ads with Hootsuite

1. In your Hootsuite Ads account, select New Campaign.

2. Next, enter a campaign name, select your ad account, and then select a campaign objective.

3. On the Ad Design page, select Carousel in the Ad Format section. After choosing the carousel format, add your creative elements for each product in the carousel.

4. Specify the text to be displayed above the carousel ad. You can enter more than one ad text for split testing.

5. In the “Elements”section, select “Yes”or “No”for creative optimization.

Select Yes to have Facebook optimize relevant items and automatically select and organize cards in carousel ads. You can add up to 10 cards to your ad with this selection.

Select No to choose to order the card yourself. You can add up to five cards to your ad with this selection.

6. Select a card to upload an image or video and enter its title, URL, description, and call to action (CTA). In order to upload a video, you first need to go to the “Post & Preview”section and deselect your Instagram and Messenger Home post options.

7. Select Add item to add more cards. Your carousel ad needs at least two cards.

8. When you’ve finished uploading the creative for each card, view the entire carousel in the Placement and Preview section.

9. Select Continue and complete campaign setup as usual.

Create carousel ads with Meta Ads Manager

1. First, open Facebook Ads Manager and click “Create”in the top left corner.

2. Next, choose a goal for your carousel ad campaign. What do you want to achieve with your carousel ads? The options are Awareness, Traffic, Leads, App Promotion, or Sales. Meta notes that Engagement is not a goal that supports the carousel format.

3. You can then add details about your campaign such as campaign name, custom category (if applicable), and whether you want to A/B test or use the Advantage campaign budget.

4. In the next step, you can set up additional campaign details such as conversion location, budget, schedule, and audience.

5. Once you’ve entered your campaign details, you’ll be taken to setting up ads. Choose a carousel format. You also have the option to choose whether you want to manually upload your ad content or if you want Facebook to automatically pull media from your directory.

6. Now for the fun part: add the images or videos you want to share to your carousel. In the Advertisement section, upload up to 10 images or videos. You can customize the title, description, and URL for each card.

On the right side of the page, you can see a preview of what your carousel will look like in various placements such as the Facebook feed, Instagram feed, stories, and videos.

Once you’ve finished setting up your ad creative and placements, click “Publish”in the bottom right corner and your carousel ad is ready to go.

Frequently Asked Questions About Carousel Ads

What is a carousel ad?

A carousel ad is a single ad with multiple images and/or videos. Ad carousels are used on social media to showcase multiple products or features in a single ad.

How many ads are in the carousel?

On the Meta platforms, carousel ads can contain 2 to 10 images and/or videos in a single ad. Each image or video has its own title, description, link, and CTA button.

What makes a good carousel ad?

Good ad carousels are seamless and use connected images or videos to tell a story, share a process, or highlight a set of products, features, or services.

How to create a carousel ad?

You can create Facebook or Instagram carousel ads directly in Ads Manager under your Meta Business account. You can also use an all-in-one social media tool like Hootsuite.

Why is it called a carousel?

These ads are called “carousels”because this format has a spinning effect similar to that of a carousel device such as a conveyor belt or carousel.