How to Make a Scrolling Post on Instagram

Creating an Instagram post that stops someone mid-scroll takes more than just a pretty picture these days. A seamless, scrolling carousel post is one of the best ways to capture attention, hold it, and tell a much deeper story. This guide will walk you through exactly how to plan, design, and publish these engaging posts, turning a simple idea into a compelling, swipeable experience from start to finish.

What Exactly is a Scrolling Post (and Why Should You Use One)?

A scrolling post, officially known as a carousel, is an Instagram post that contains multiple photos or videos that users can view by swiping left. The magic of a seamless scrolling post is in the design, where the images or graphics flow from one slide to the next, creating the illusion of a single, continuous panoramic image. Done well, it naturally pulls your audience through your content.

But why go to the extra trouble? The answer lies in engagement. The Instagram algorithm tends to favor content that keeps users on the platform longer. When someone takes the time to swipe through all 10 of your slides, they're sending a strong signal to the algorithm that your content is valuable. This can lead to increased reach and better performance overall.

Beyond the algorithm, carousels are incredibly versatile for brand-building:

• Better Storytelling: You're no longer limited to a single image. You can tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end, guiding your audience through a narrative.
• Educational Powerhouses: Carousels are perfect for breaking down complex topics into bite-sized, digestible steps. Think mini-tutorials, listicles, or step-by-step guides.
• Deeper Product Showcases: Show off your product from every angle, highlight multiple features, or display an entire collection in one post.
• Showcasing Transformations: From before-and-afters in the fitness and beauty space to home renovation reveals, the swipe-through format is ideal for revealing dramatic changes.

Planning Your Story: The Key to a Great Carousel

The most impressive carousels aren't just designed well, they're planned thoughtfully. Before you even open a design tool, take a few minutes to map out your post's journey. This simple prep work is the difference between an average post and one that truly connects.

1. Define Your Goal and Story

Start with the end in mind. What is the single most important message you want to communicate with this post? Are you trying to teach something, inspire an emotion, introduce a new service, or drive traffic? Once you have your primary goal, structure it like a simple story:

• The Hook (Slide 1): This is your cover. It needs to grab attention instantly and tell people why they should bother swiping.
• The Middle (Slides 2-9): This is the core of your content. Deliver on the promise you made in your hook. Each slide should build upon the last, providing value and moving the story forward.
• The Conclusion (Final Slide): This is where you bring it all together and ask your audience to do something with a clear call to action (CTA).

2. Craft a Compelling First Slide

Think of your first slide as the headline of a blog post or the cover of a magazine. It has to earn the swipe. Use a powerful image, an eye-catching graphic, or a bold question that prompts curiosity.

Some effective formulas for the first slide:

• "How to [Achieve Desired Outcome]"
• "X Mistakes You're Making When [Doing Task]"
• "The Ultimate Guide to [Topic]"
• A powerful quote or a surprising statistic.

Keep the design clean and the text minimal and highly readable.

3. Structure Your Middle Slides

This is where you deliver your value. The key is to keep your information easy to digest. Nobody wants to read a huge block of text on a tiny screen. Instead, adopt a "one idea per slide" mentality.

Use a consistent design theme - your brand colors, fonts, and logo - throughout the slides to create a cohesive look. Incorporate a mix of text, photos, icons, or illustrations to keep things visually interesting. Gentle prompts like arrows or text that flows across slides can visually encourage the user to keep swiping.

4. End with a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

You've guided your audience all the way to the end - don't leave them hanging! The last slide is your opportunity to convert their attention into action. Be specific and direct in what you want them to do next.

Great CTAs for Instagram carousels include:

• Save this post for later. (This is a powerful engagement signal for the algorithm!)
• Share this with someone who needs it.
• Comment below with your thoughts.
• Which tip was your favorite? Tell us!
• Tap the link in our bio to learn more.

Designing in Canva: The Seamless Panorama Method (Step-by-Step)

While this might sound technical, creating a stunning seamless carousel is surprisingly straightforward with a tool like Canva. Here's a precise, step-by-step process anyone can follow.

Step 1: Create a Custom-Sized Canvas

First, you need to calculate the width of your design. The height will remain the same as a standard Instagram post, while the width will be that standard width multiplied by the number of slides you want.

• Standard Height: 1080 pixels (for square posts) or 1350 pixels (for portrait posts, which take up more screen space and are often more effective).
• Width Calculation: 1080 pixels * (Number of Slides)

Example: For a seamless carousel with five portrait slides, your custom Canva size would be:

• Width: 5400px (1080px * 5)
• Height: 1350px

Open Canva, click "Create a design", and choose "Custom size". Enter these dimensions. Now you have one long, horizontal canvas to work with.

Step 2: Set Up Guides to Mark Your Individual Slides

This trick is what simplifies the entire process. Guides create non-printing lines on your canvas that show you exactly where one slide ends and the next begins. They are your secret weapon for perfect alignment.

1. On your new canvas, go to File in the top menu.
2. Then, navigate to View settings > Show rulers and guides. You'll see rulers appear at the top and side of your canvas.
3. Click on the side (vertical) ruler and drag a guide out. Place it at the 1080px mark. Drag another one and place it at 2160px (1080 * 2), another at 3240px (1080 * 3), and so on, until you've marked off all your slides.

You now have a perfect visual template of your individual carousel slides laid out on one long canvas. No more guessing!

Step 3: Design Your Story Across the Slides

Now, let your creativity flow. Add your background color, text, images, and other brand elements to the canvas. Here's where you create the "seamless" effect:

• Place elements across a guide: To make it look like one continuous image, intentionally place photos, shapes, or text boxes so they start on one slide and end on the next, right on top of your guideline. When a user swipes, that element will beautifully slide into view.
• Use a continuous background: Keep the background color or pattern consistent across the entire canvas to create a unifying flow.
• Encourage the swipe: Subtly add arrows or graphics pointing to the right near the edge of a slide to prompt users to keep moving.

Step 4: Download and Split Your Image

Once your design is complete, you'll need to break the large image into separate square panels for uploading.

1. First, download the entire image from Canva. Click 'Share', then 'Download' and save the design as a PNG or JPG file.
2. Next, use a free online tool to split the image. Search for a "split image" or "image splitter" website.
3. Upload your long image file to the tool. Choose to split the image 'Horizontally' into a number of equal blocks that match your number of slides (e.g., 5).
4. Download the individual image files. They will usually be saved in a zip file, numbered in the correct order for posting.

Step 5: Post to Instagram

With your individual images ready, the last step is publishing your carousel.

1. In the Instagram app, tap the '+' to create a new post.
2. Select the "Select Multiple" icon (looks like stacked squares).
3. Tap on your sliced images in the correct order, from left to right (1, 2, 3...) This is crucial for the seamless effect to work.
4. Once all images are selected, hit next, write your caption, and post! You've just created a seamless content carousel.

Carousel Content Ideas That Work

Here are some proven ideas to get you started on your first seamless carousel today.

Listicles

People love lists like "5 Tips for..." or "Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid." This content format is digestible, shareable, and highly effective at encouraging saves.

Before & After Transformations

A transformation sequence is perfect for a scrolling post, as it allows you to build anticipation and reveal the final result dramatically, whether it's a design project, a client case study, or a product's impact.

Product Spotlights

Showcase multiple features of a single product, reveal an entire seasonal collection without overwhelming your audience, or zoom in on the important details across several slides.

Brand Storytelling

Tell the founding story of your brand, walk audiences through the creation of a recent project, or share the customer journey using a step-by-step narrative.

Data & Information Graphics

Present interesting statistics, break down complex information, or simplify data using visuals. A scrolling slideshow is a far more engaging format than a single, crowded infographic.

Final Thoughts

Creating seamless scrolling posts on Instagram is a powerful way to engage audiences and tell a deeper brand story than a single image ever could. With thoughtful planning and the right tools, it's a straightforward process that delivers fantastic results. Once you build a simple design workflow, you can add this powerful content format into your regular marketing mix.

As you begin planning your social content alongside carousels, keeping everything organized can become a challenge. At Postbase, our platform was created specifically for this purpose. We provide a simple, all-in-one platform with a visual calendar to help you schedule Posts, Reels, and Stories across all of your channels. Good planning ensures that your best content gets published at the right time, every time.