The algorithm giveth and the algorithm taketh away. Such is the cycle of social media. After launching their native carousel post format in July 2022, LinkedIn lately announced their elimination of it lower than a 12 months later.
Why? Apparently due to user feedback that LinkedIn carousels (and hyperlink stickers and profile movies) weren’t hittin’ the mark for content material creators on the platform.
That’s a bit unusual, contemplating LinkedIn carousels get 5 times as many clicks as some other submit format.
Don’t fear: there’s nonetheless a technique to make LinkedIn carousel posts. It’s referred to as the “LinkedIn doc submit” or “PDF submit hack,” and it’s been round so much longer than the precise LinkedIn carousel format.
Right here’s the right way to create LinkedIn carousel doc posts and adverts that get you seen.
Bonus: Download a free step-by-step guide to combining organic and paid social tactics into a winning LinkedIn strategy.
What’s a LinkedIn carousel?
A LinkedIn carousel is a content format that viewers swipe through to see multiple images or videos within a single post, like a flipbook. Many social platforms, like Instagram and Facebook, have carousel post formats.
LinkedIn carousel post
LinkedIn carousel posts used to look like this:
Supply: Hootsuite on LinkedIn
Since June 2023, you’ll be able to’t showcase a number of photographs or movies as a carousel like that anymore, however you can make a document-based carousel submit like this:
Supply: Nicholas Petroski on LinkedIn
The one limitation with doc carousels vs. conventional carousel posts is you’ll be able to’t use video information.
LinkedIn carousel advert
LinkedIn carousel adverts are nonetheless a sound format. So when you’ll must create natural carousels with PDFs, go forward and prep these image-based carousel adverts!
Supply: The Home Depot on LinkedIn
LinkedIn carousel specs
Since precise carousel posts aren’t round anymore, right here’s what you’ll must create doc carousel posts on LinkedIn:
- A doc file (PDF, PowerPoint, or DOC/DOCX)
- Most 300 pages
- File measurement of lower than 100MB
Moreover, whereas both web page orientation works, we advocate utilizing an A4 or US letter measurement panorama orientation on your doc for higher visibility.
For carousel adverts, the present specs are:
- JPG, PNG or GIF (static solely) format
- 1:1 side ratio (sq.)
- Minimal measurement of 1080 x 1080 pixels
- Underneath 10 mb per picture
- Minimal 2, most 10 photographs
Do carousel posts do higher on LinkedIn? [Experiment!]
We all know carousel posts outperform almost each submit sort on different platforms, even getting 3 times more engagement than Reels on Instagram. What about on LinkedIn?
Let’s discover out.
To show the speculation that LinkedIn carousels additionally lead the pack in engagement, I did what any good scientist would: I examined it myself.
Since precise LinkedIn carousel posts don’t exist anymore, I attempted this with the PDF doc technique. (Precise steps to create these are within the subsequent part.)
Just a few issues to learn about this mini-experiment:
- I created a PDF, a picture submit, and a textual content submit and scheduled them to my LinkedIn profile.
- I used the identical copy for the textual content content material a part of the submit for all three.
- I put the touchdown web page hyperlink within the feedback, as these within the know do, as a result of LinkedIn posts with out hyperlinks get better results.
- I had Hootsuite autoschedule the picture and textual content posts to maximise their attain, utilizing the Best Time to Publish characteristic that analyzes your distinctive viewers and publishes posts after they’re most definitely to be seen.
Listed below are the posts:
And listed here are the outcomes:
What do these outcomes inform us? Effectively, for one, I’m not extremely popular.
Secondly, that sure, doc carousel posts do appear to do higher on LinkedIn.
Why do LinkedIn carousel posts carry out so a lot better? It could possibly be as a result of their visible nature makes them extra eye-catching in your LinkedIn feed, making it extra possible you’ll cease and browse it.
Or, it could possibly be as a result of individuals need analysis and information on LinkedIn: 77% of technical users say it’s their favourite sort of content material.
Supply: Statista
Statistics and infographics go collectively like peanut butter and jelly. Ergo, doc carousel posts are the peanut butter to LinkedIn’s jelly.
It’s science.
The best way to submit a carousel on LinkedIn
In case you skipped forward, native picture and video carousels on LinkedIn are gone. These are the steps for a nifty workaround: LinkedIn doc posts that appear like carousel posts.
Doc posts have been round on LinkedIn for a number of years they usually operate a lot the identical approach a carousel submit used to: a number of frames customers can swipe by.
Right here’s the right way to make them:
1. Click on “Begin a submit”
Check in to www.linkedin.com and click on Begin a submit on the prime.
2. Create your LinkedIn carousel submit
Kind in the primary textual content content material such as you would for some other submit. Then click on the three dots icon and the doc icon to connect your PDF, PowerPoint, or .DOC/.DOCX file.
Add your doc, give it a title (which is publicly viewable), and click on Finished.
You can too create a doc carousel submit from the cellular app by tapping Submit, then below Extra, select Doc to connect your PDF.
3. Submit it
That’s it! Click on Submit and also you’re accomplished.
Right here’s what your carousel doc submit will appear like:
You might additionally go away a remark in your new LinkedIn carousel doc submit with a hyperlink to a touchdown web page the place individuals can obtain the PDF, or learn the report, in full.
It’s vital to notice once you add a PDF to LinkedIn, it turns into publicly downloadable. However lots of people don’t know that, and the obtain hyperlink is hidden within the full display view on the prime proper, so it’s unlikely individuals will obtain it that approach.
That’s why it’s nonetheless efficient to hyperlink individuals over to a touchdown web page to aim to seize their e mail so as to obtain the PDF. Get these leads, bebe.
The best way to create a carousel advert on LinkedIn
Curiously, LinkedIn has saved the picture carousel submit format for paid adverts. Right here’s what they appear like:
Supply: Motto on LinkedIn
First off, you want a LinkedIn Firm Web page so as to run adverts. Setting yours up from scratch? Optimize your Company Page for discovery and engagement first.
After getting a Firm Web page, right here’s the right way to create a carousel advert:
1. Create a brand new marketing campaign
Log in to www.linkedin.com and head to Campaign Manager. Click on Create, then Marketing campaign.
2. Enter superior mode
You’ll be able to solely create carousel advert codecs in “superior mode” so click on on Superior on the prime to modify over. It should ask you to create a brand new advert group.
3. Select an goal
Give your advert group a reputation and select your goal. I selected “web site visits” since I need individuals to click on a hyperlink.
4. Set your price range
Like on different platforms, you’ll be able to set both a lifetime or each day price range. You’ll be able to have the system optimize your advert spend, which is a good suggestion for many LinkedIn customers, or you’ll be able to set handbook bids (advisable for tremendous superior execs solely!).
Fill out the price range and your date vary and click on Subsequent.
5. Select your audience
You may get tremendous particular with viewers focusing on in superior mode, together with importing your individual customized viewers. LinkedIn additionally has in-built audiences based mostly round sure profile attributes, like customers who’ve not less than a Bachelor’s diploma or work in particular fields.
For instance, I selected advertising and marketing professionals.
Clearly, your geographic and demographic focusing on shall be distinctive to your wants.
6. Select the carousel format
Now we’re on the good half: the precise carousel creation. Select the carousel advert format:
The final (optionally available) setup job is defining your conversions for correct marketing campaign monitoring. Once more, these are particular to your marketing campaign, so verify LinkedIn’s assist part for how to set up conversions precisely the best way you want them.
Then, click on Subsequent.
7. Create the carousel advert
Click on Create new advert. Add a reputation on your advert (on your personal monitoring functions), and the precise advert copy and hyperlink URL.
After that, you’ll be able to add as much as 10 picture playing cards. Every one can hyperlink to a unique URL, or have all of them hyperlink to the identical place. You’ll want to add a brief headline (max 45 characters) for every card.
8. Save and activate your marketing campaign
When you’re accomplished creating your carousel advert, click on Save on the backside so as to add it to your marketing campaign.
Repeat the method to create extra carousel adverts inside that group, or go forward and activate your marketing campaign from Marketing campaign Supervisor to start out working your advert(s).
Need some super-specific tricks to maximize conversions? Try our carousel ads guide.
10 LinkedIn carousel examples
1. Begin with a daring coloration
This carousel catches your eye immediately with its daring background coloration on the primary slide.
Supply: Dan Nelkin on LinkedIn
Steal this: Pair a brilliant coloration together with a catchy headline to get consideration, then ship worth in your remaining slides.
2. Educate your viewers
Individuals need information, stats, and to study one thing new from LinkedIn. Adobe is aware of this, and ceaselessly provides related recommendation for his or her artistic skilled viewers.
Supply: Adobe on LinkedIn
Steal this: Use doc carousel posts to show individuals a ability, or talk new details about your trade.
3. Showcase your organization tradition and values
Carousel posts don’t all the time must be instructional or have fancy infographics. Share images from a current group or workplace occasion and discuss values that matter.
Supply: Hootsuite on LinkedIn
Steal this: Put collectively a photograph slideshow of a current occasion you sponsored or simply share images from across the workplace. Let clients and potential workers see what your organization is all about.
4. Use a contrarian headline
Brandwatch’s headline caught my consideration as a result of it’s completely different from what we usually see, pushing ideas which might be new, distinctive, superb, confirmed, and many others. As an alternative, their headline guarantees “unoriginal ideas that work.” Trustworthy and descriptive.
Supply: Brandwatch on LinkedIn
Steal this: Sure, catchy headlines can get clicks, however don’t overthink it. Typically the perfect headlines are probably the most sincere, or probably the most… unoriginal.
5. Share a tutorial
Canva is aware of their product has a ton of options, so sharing tutorials as carousels helps shortly train customers one thing new and maintain individuals utilizing their product.
Supply: Canva on LinkedIn
Steal this: Any firm can create step-by-step tutorial carousels, but it surely’s particularly becoming for software program companies or consultants and coaches. It’s additionally an ideal technique to repurpose movies or weblog posts into LinkedIn carousels.
6. Promote an occasion
Since LinkedIn carousel posts get so many extra clicks and far more engagement than different codecs, they’re nice for selling occasions. Google makes use of a doc carousel submit right here to advertise their free webinar.
Supply: YouTube on LinkedIn
Steal this: Create a couple of slides itemizing the time, date, and site of your occasion (or the URL to enroll in an internet occasion). For a bit extra element, get away a couple of key factors individuals can count on to study, or advantages of attending.
7. Help a brand new product launch
LinkedIn in all probability isn’t your predominant gross sales channel for e-commerce or B2C merchandise, but it surely’s nonetheless place to speak about your latest stuff, both to draw potential job seekers, or for total model consciousness.
Supply: Anker on LinkedIn
Steal this: Break down the important thing options of your newest product for a doc carousel submit. Tailor the copy of your submit to the extra B2B-focused viewers of LinkedIn, reasonably than a “purchase this now” name to motion.
8. Share analysis
Individuals need information. Give individuals information.
Supply: Pew Research on LinkedIn
Steal this: Flip your newest survey or report right into a doc carousel submit. As a bonus, get individuals in your e mail listing by linking to a touchdown web page to obtain the total report.
9. Quote an interview
Who higher to rock a LinkedIn carousel than LinkedIn? This one options recommendation taken from one other LinkedIn submit, repurposed as a carousel. So meta (however not Meta)!
Supply: LinkedIn on LinkedIn (LoL)
Steal this: Repurpose a podcast episode or YouTube video into LinkedIn carousel slides. Or, take an present interview from some other place and create a carousel together with your key takeaways. Simply remember to ask permission first from the copyright proprietor earlier than sharing a submit with their content material in it.
10. Create a mini-portfolio
Sherwin-Williams makes glorious use of the doc carousel format as a venture portfolio in a nutshell — particularly helpful for service suppliers.
Supply: Sherwin-Williams on LinkedIn
Steal this: Put as much as 10 of your greatest images for a current venture, together with a abstract of the important thing challenges and large wins within the submit content material, and growth, you may have a tiny however mighty portfolio to showcase your work. You might additionally create slides of previous consumer testimonials if you happen to don’t have any images. Make certain to incorporate your web site hyperlink for prospects to study extra and guide you.
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Simply create, analyze, promote and schedule LinkedIn posts alongside your different social networks with Hootsuite. Get extra followers and save time.