How to Create Better LinkedIn Carousels

LinkedIn carousels are one of the highest performing formats on the platform. They drive more saves, more reads, and more attention than almost any other post type because they feel like mini lessons. They slow the scroll. They make your ideas feel structured. And when done well, they position you as an expert who teaches with clarity instead of noise. The problem is most people create carousels that look pretty but don’t communicate value. Great carousels are simple, story driven, and packed with insight.

This guide breaks down exactly how to create better LinkedIn carousels that perform consistently, build authority, and give your audience something worth saving.

Start With a Single Clear Idea

One carousel should teach one thing. Not five. Not three. One.

Examples:

A specific framework
A step by step process
A story with a lesson
A niche insight
A before and after breakdown
A system you use daily

The best carousels are focused. When your topic is clean, the audience knows exactly what they’re getting after slide one.

Use a Strong First Slide

Your first slide determines whether anyone swipes. It has one job: capture curiosity.

Strong first slide examples:

The painful problem
The surprising insight
The promise of transformation
The myth you will break
The bold statement
The question people ask you
The system you are about to teach

Short. Clear. Polarizing. That is the formula for a great first slide.

Here's a guide on how to create strong hooks on LinkedIn.

Build a Narrative Flow

Carousels that feel random never perform. You need narrative flow, even for tactical content.

A simple arc:

Slide 1 → strong hook
Slide 2 → context or setup
Slide 3 to 7 → core value (framework, story, steps, insights)
Slide 8 to 9 → application, example, or proof
Slide 10 → takeaway or CTA

Story driven carousels follow the same arc but with more emotional beats. The key is flow. Each slide should make the reader want to swipe again.

Make Each Slide Deliver a Single Point

One slide. One idea. One sentence or one short paragraph.

Good slide structure looks like:

A clear headline
A simple explanation
A visual hierarchy
Lots of breathing room

Bad slide structure looks like:

Dense text blocks
Multiple ideas at once
Crowded visuals
Tiny fonts

LinkedIn is a skim environment. Make skimming easy.

Use Visual Hierarchy to Increase Retention

Great carousels don’t need fancy design. They need hierarchy.

Use:

Large headers
Short sub points
Clear grouping
High contrast
Intentional spacing
A consistent layout

Readers should understand the entire page in one second.

Create a strong content system with this guide here.

Tell Stories Instead of Sharing Information

Information is forgettable. Stories are not.

Examples of story driven carousels:

A client transformation
A mistake you made and the lesson
How you discovered a core insight
A market shift you observed
A personal moment that changed your thinking

Take the reader from problem to insight to transformation.

Include Proof and Specifics

Carousels perform best when they include detail. Detail builds trust.

You can add proof using:

Examples from your work
Patterns from analytics
Client scenarios
Before and after screenshots
Steps you actually use

A single specific example is better than five vague points.

Add Practical, Immediate Takeaways

People save carousels that help them immediately.

Examples of strong takeaways:

A checklist
A template
A simple framework
A workflow
A decision rule
A tool recommendation
A question to ask before acting

Your final slide should feel like a gift.

Keep Design Consistent, Not Fancy

Your audience comes for ideas, not visual tricks.

Keep design:

Readable
Clean
Minimalist
Consistent
Branded lightly

Use colors intentionally. Use text sparingly. Use whitespace generously.

Carousels with clean layouts outperform chaotic ones every time.

How Growth Terminal Helps You Build Better Carousels

Carousels are powerful, but they take time to structure, write, and refine. Growth Terminal cuts that time in half by giving you:

Carousel ready scripts
Framework based content
Story driven drafts
Slide by slide breakdowns
Repurposed X threads turned into carousels
Analytics on your best performing carousel formats

You handle the ideas. Growth Terminal handles the heavy lifting.

A Plug and Play Carousel Blueprint You Can Use Today

Slide 1: Hook
Slide 2: The context
Slide 3: The core idea
Slide 4: Step one
Slide 5: Step two
Slide 6: Step three
Slide 7: Mistake to avoid
Slide 8: Example or story
Slide 9: How to apply it today
Slide 10: Final lesson or takeaway

This structure works for stories, frameworks, tutorials, and breakdowns.

Create Carousels That Build Real Authority

Carousels are one of the most reliable ways to build trust, signal expertise, and give people an inside look at your thinking. The creators who master them win more attention, more opportunities, and more long-term distribution. When you pair structure, storytelling, and clarity, your carousels become something worth saving.

If you want an AI engine that helps you brainstorm, script, and optimize high performing LinkedIn carousels every week, you can build your workflow here.