- Carousels are multiple slides of images on a single post that readers can flick through for additional information on a single topic.
- LinkedIn recently “sunsetted” the feature that allows users to create carousels using images and individual slides.
- There is a workaround, by using PDF documents which automatically get transformed into carousels in LinkedIn.
Carousels in LinkedIn are slideshows of images that users can swipe horizontally. They allow you to add more information to a single post. Carousels are great for promoting your brand, explaining topics, or raising engagement with your audience.
LinkedIn used to allow members to create carousels using images and videos, however, they took away that function in December 2023. Because of this, only users who pay for advertising space get the option to create carousels in LinkedIn. However, there is a clever workaround — PDFs are automatically changed into carousels in LinkedIn posts. It’s easy to use Canva (or a similar design studio) to create PDFs that look great as slide shows, using the below instructions.
Creating Carousels in LinkedIn Posts: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Open Canva (or use your preferred graphic design tool).
Step 2: Start a new project — look for a purple button with Create a design on it. The poster setting works great for carousels, as it’s in portrait layout and you can add additional pages.
Step 3: Design a basic template so that all your carousel slides will look the same. Add as many pages as you’ll need for this carousel and copy the template design onto all the pages.
Step 4: Add your content to each page exactly as you’d want to see it in a carousel. The slides will appear in the order the pages are in on Canva, so take that into account.
Step 5: Tweak your slides until you’re happy with them, then click the Share button in the top right.
Step 6: Click Download to open the download options window, then use the File type dropdown menu to select PDF Standard.
Step 7: Click the purple Download button and wait for your new PDF to download. This can take a couple of minutes depending on the size of the file.
Step 8: Log into LinkedIn using a laptop or desktop computer and click Start a post.
Step 9: Write a caption for your post to tell your audience what you’re sharing. Once you’ve done this, press the More button at the bottom of the post window which looks like a plus sign.
Step 10: Click the Add a document button which looks like a sheet of paper with one corner turned over.
Step 11: Click Choose file and navigate to your new PDF. Double-click it to insert the content into your post.
Step 12: Give the document a title and click Done.
Step 13: Click Post to publish your carousel.
Now your followers can use the arrows to flick through the pages you created, just like the original carousels in LinkedIn.
Bonus Tips for Carousels in LinkedIn: Using Images Instead of Text
You can also use Canva or a similar design app to create slides with images. Instead of adding text and branded content, you can use your own pictures.
Step 1: Start in Canva again — this time, you’re looking for the Uploads button on the left-hand side.
Step 3: Once you’ve uploaded the files you need, simply click them once in Canva to add them to the poster page.
Step 4: Resize and edit your image as needed — add text and other elements if you like. Now you can just follow the steps above from the original tutorial to complete your carousel.
