As we say in radio, content is king.
On social media, visual content is king.
Instagram, the photo and video sharing network owned by Meta has a reported 2 billion monthly active users. The average time spent on Instagram as of 2023 is 29 minutes per day. (In 2019, the average time was 15 minutes.) The bottom line – this visually based social platform remains a strategic place for your radio station to be seen by listeners.
Specifically, Instagram carousels are one of the most engaging formats stations can use to amplify their presence and connect with audiences on social media.
Hootsuite’s own social media team finds that, on average, their carousel posts get 1.4x more reach and 3.1x more engagement than regular posts on Instagram.
What is an Instagram carousel?
An Instagram carousal is a post containing more than one photo or video. Think of it as a slideshow of posts that users can control manually. Users just swipe left on a post through the app to see up to 10 photos or videos in the single post.
How do carousels do on Instagram compared to reels?
While Reels earned more comments than carousels, carousels did better on every other engagement metric. Carousels get more reach and engagement because they keep the attention span of users as they swipe through the slides. The bottom line – the more time users spend on your post, the more likely they’ll be to engage with it by liking, saving, sharing or commenting.
Storytelling – the magic of the Instagram carousel.
Social media storytelling is one of the strongest elements of social media marketing.
When it comes to radio stations use of Instagram carousel, what should your social media story telling do?
- Portray your radio station as more than just a brand
- Give your radio station a personality and a voice on your social media pages
- Evoke emotions in your social media followers
- Inspire users to become radio station listeners
- Give opportunity to share your station’s vision
Four carousel ideas for your radio station:
- Year in Review: Curate photos and videos to highlight your radio station’s year.
- Showcase your Team: Instead of posting a group photo, post individual photos of your team to highlight each member more thoroughly.
- Share Holiday Content: Post holiday related quotes from speakers you air on the station.
- Inspire People: Share a story about a life changed by listening to your radio station. The first slide could include a powerful quote from the listener, subsequent slides could be pictures of them, their family, the program speakers which have most impacted them and the closing image could be a Bible verse.
One photo paints a thousand words and on Instagram Carousel, you can paint a whole lot more – more listener engagement for your radio station could be just a slide away!
