From travel to beauty to fashion, Instagram slideshow posts have opened up a world of possibilities for brands to share fun and engaging content. Not only can slideshow posts add depth to your Instagram feed, but they give you way more flexibility to share content without spamming your followers!
From sneak peeks to product demos, here are 8 creative ways to use Instagram slideshow posts:
How to Create an Instagram Slideshow Post
The steps for assembling an Instagram slideshow post are pretty simple. You can start by tapping the “+” button at the bottom of your screen and selecting the “album” icon. From there, you can pick up to 10 photos or videos from your phone’s library.
Each photo or video can be edited separately with its own filter, or you can apply a filter to all the photos and videos you’ve selected. Also, you can only add one location and caption for your entire post.
You can also change the order of a photo or video by tap-and-holding the media item and dragging it to another spot. To remove a photo or video from your post, tap-and-hold and drag it to the “trash” icon at the top of the screen.
When someone likes or comments on any of your photos or videos in your slideshow post, it will appear below the cover image. This could be a little confusing at first glance as comments may appear to not have a link with the cover image!
In feed, you’ll see blue dots at the bottom of slideshow posts to let you know you can swipe to see more. In grid view, slideshow posts are recognized by a “multiple image” icon in the right-hand corner of the thumbnail.
8 Creative Ways to Use Instagram Slideshow Posts
1. Create Before & After Sequences
The ability to combine up to 10 photos and videos into a single post makes Instagram slideshow posts the perfect outlet to share before-and-after sequences — which is ideal for users in the makeup, fashion, interior design, or fitness & health industries!
To create before-and-after sequence using Instagram slideshow posts, simply select your photos or videos in the correct order, write an engaging Instagram caption, and then post to Instagram. You can even share multiple before-and-after sequences in a single slideshow post if you want to highlight specific aspects of your before-and-after!
If you’re looking to drum up even more engagement, ask your followers to “spot the difference” between your photos!
2. Tell a Complex Story
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what about 10 pictures? One of the biggest benefits of Instagram’s slideshow posts is that users can go even deeper with their visual storytelling!
Instagram slideshow posts give you the ability to really dive in and tell a complex or emotional story using a mix of photos and videos. Rather than posting a long caption to provide context and backstory, you can let your visuals tell the story for you.
Check out how @the.book.report experiments with storytelling using Instagram slideshow posts:
3. Show-Off Your Events or Take Followers Behind-the-Scenes
Have you ever scrolled through your feed only to see that several or more photos were posted from the same event? Not only is this kind of behavior on Instagram considered spammy, but posting multiple times in a row can cause you to get penalized by the Instagram algorithm, meaning your posts will be shown to fewer people!
Instagram slideshow posts have totally changed this. The ability to share multiple photos and videos in a single post gives users more flexibility to share relevant content without spamming their feeds.
You can also use slideshow posts to take your followers behind-the-scenes.
4. Share a Surprise Reveal
Everyone loves a good surprise reveal, and Instagram slideshow posts are an exceptionally great place to share them!
If you have a big release coming up, you can use a slideshow post to tease your audience by giving them a sneak peek of what’s to come. For example, by touring your photoset, posting close-up shots, or even posting a riddle. You can be as creative as you like in designing your big surprise reveal! Of course, make sure that your last post is a cliffhanger so that your followers come back to see the final release.
5. Showcase Your Products
For businesses in the makeup or fashion industry, Instagram slideshow posts provide a great opportunity to showcase your products in an authentic way. For example, beauty brands can post multiple images of product swatches on different skin tones, while fashion brands can show how an outfit looks on different body types.
If you’re releasing several products at once, like a spring clothing line, slideshow posts are also super handy for letting your followers browse your entire collection.
You can also use Instagram slideshow posts to share customer reviews of your products. Check out how Sweet Stuff Life did this in their first Instagram slideshow post:
6. Demos and Tutorials
Another creative way to use the Instagram slideshow posts is to walk your followers through a demo or tutorial. A DIY blogger could feature how-to segments, as well as shopping lists, pro tips, and images of the finished product. Likewise, food bloggers could share visual guides for their recipes, and fashion bloggers could detail their “looks of the day.”
Urban Decay is a great example of this. Check out how they use Instagram slideshow posts to show their followers how easy it is to apply their full spectrum eyeshadow palette.
Featuring a demo or tutorial in your slideshow post is a great way to engage with your followers while encouraging them to keep swiping!
7. Host a Contest or Giveaway
Hosting an Instagram contest is one of the best ways to get new followers, and slideshow posts are a great place to feature your contest!
For example, a fashion brand could post up to 10 different images of influencers or fans wearing the same shoe, but styled in different ways. And in the caption, they could poll their audience on who wore it best, offering prizes and incentives for participation!
You could also use an Instagram slideshow post to highlight each of the prizes that you’re giving away, explain your rules, and then demonstrate how users can enter your contests. With the last step, make sure to ask your audience to tag at least one friend in the comments to enter — this is key to your growth!
8. Create a Roundup
Rather than picking one image to market one thing, users can now share lists of of their “favourite things” (think Buzzfeed). If you’re a business, you can even optimize your slideshow posts to showcase your most popular products or services.
Regardless of your industry, Instagram slideshow posts are great for sharing roundups and countdown-type content, for example, your “Top 10 Favorite Mediterranean Destinations.” Plus, if you’re keen, you can turn that slideshow post into a longer blog post on your website, or vice versa!
Whether you’re a big retailer with thousands of followers or a food blogger working out of your home kitchen, there are a ton of great ways to use Instagram slideshow posts to market your business!
Ready to get moving with your Instagram marketing strategy? Later makes it easy for you to plan, manage, and schedule your Instagram posts!
