I was talking to my buddy in Vietnam and discussing the pandemic situation until he started to mention about his increase in LinkedIn visibility. I wasn't even impressed since I do not really do much networking on LinkedIn. Actually, I am not that big of a fan of LinkedIn honestly but it may change.
Andrew Tran then showed me his screenshots of stats and I was like DAMN BOOOY! I then started to ask him some questions on stats and attrition as I was curious about how visibility turned into actions.
I then simply went to Youtube and found out about LinkedIn Carousel Posts and how to set it up. It seemed pretty easy, so I created one and posted it.
Here are the results of my original posts on LinkedIn (left) then the result of the LinkedIn Carousel Posts (right). I increased my visibility by 10x! I was surprised that I reached out to Andrew and just thanked him for the strategy.
It seems interactive content is more in tune with LinkedIn's algorithm to show relative content. I received more reactions to the post as well. I then looked at my blog post traffic and it seems to have increased as well.
I was also amazed how my views increased and I do not participate in LinkedIn that much, it isn't a hub I would go to and utilize. Maybe I should now?
What is LinkedIn Carousel Posts
Now, this isn't like LinkedIn Carousel Ads, but you upload a PDF document. Each page is its own scrollable content. Swiping pages to see the next piece of content. The feel is almost as if you are utilizing a content carousel.
How it works is simple:
LinkedIn users can scroll through your 'document' without leaving. Which I think LinkedIn is looking for, creating more engagement without users leaving their community portal.
How to Create a LinkedIn Carousel Posts
Now when I started to try it out, I was uploading a series of images. Googled how to do LinkedIn Carousel Posts and found a simple tutorial on how. I then just exported my images as a PDF and it was done! Simple.
Here is how I use it with Canva (you can use any other graphic template service). I just head over to Canva and pick social media posts then Instagram posts.
It is very easy to navigate Canva and create templates, when I wanted to test something really quick I just head over to Canva and use their templates. They have thousands of templates you can use right away.
Once you chose your Instagram post, it doesn't matter if it says Instagram as you just want to use the template and just export it as a PDF later on. The format of Instagram is perfect for LinkedIn's Carousel Post.
You will then be greeted with the screen below. Here you chose your layout or template. You want to pick something with several designs or pages in the same design. This way it matches up with the flow on LinkedIn.
If you want to just create random images, you can always click on ADD PAGE on the blank canvas. Once you chose your template, just fill it in with content (or use Fiverr to create them for you). You may have to increase fonts as the fonts on the LinkedIn page do look small, now that I look at it.
Even on a mobile device, the content I even posted wasn't too readable but it worked. I suggest increasing your font sizes a bit. Make sure to make your content quick. The goal is engagement and you want users to swipe over to your next slide.
This is how one of Canva's templates looks like when it has pre-designed pages...
Once you are done with your content, you just have to download it. The format you want to download your presentation or slide is in PDF. Simply go to the upper right-hand corner of Canva and you will see the big DOWNLOAD button.
Make sure to click on PDF standard, I made the mistake of downloading a JPG and PNG thinking the carousel was for images. LinkedIn Carousel Posts uses PDF format and it is the best way to showcase your content.
How to Post on LinkedIn as a Carousel
Head over to your LinkedIn account and just post your content. In order to utilize LinkedIn Carousel Posts, you will need to upload your newly created PDF as a document. It is the third button that looks like a document. Hence we are uploading a document for users to interact with.
Write your preview text and a reason for users to swipe/slide through your content. This is important as it is a preview of what you are showcasing. I myself will continue to test this as well.
That is it on how LinkedIn Carousel Posts can help increase your visibility by 10x! Create engaging content and let the users dictate how it is seen. LinkedIn algorithm will decipher who is going to see it on your network and their connections.
Again, I do not know how LinkedIn determines who sees your posts, I myself am not too engaging in LinkedIn. I even removed over 5000 connections from my LinkedIn profile. I want my LinkedIn profile to be more useful to users I connect to.
I do see the potential for LinkedIn Carousel Posts to be very beneficial. I already posted my second carousel post and received the same result, 10x visibility.