Get to swipin’! How Brands Can Story Tell Through Instagram Photo Albums

WHAT ARE INSTAGRAM PHOTO ALBUMS?

Instagram is giving us yet another way to story tell, sharing a more complete picture of our experiences. This week, Instagram launched its multi-photo carousel, which gives the user the ability to share a mix of up to 10 photos and/or videos as a single post that consumers can swipe through. It’s basically a photo album that features images surrounding one common theme.

WHY ARE THEY VALUABLE?

The cool thing: You no longer have to choose just one photo from the same experience, event, product line or other theme. Now you can share 10 of the best photos capturing exactly what you want to feature without cluttering your IG feed with similar content. It also gives you an opportunity to grasp your target audience’s attention with not just one photo. The more impactful & meaningful story you tell, the more people are attracted to you.

A few months ago, IG launched Instagram Stories, a platform for more authentic sharing in real-time. This new tool took the pressure off of choosing the most perfect photo to share, allowing users and brands to share on the fly for a more well-rounded “story.” Now, we have the option to do both, with Instagram Photo Albums having a much-longer and more powerful shelf life.

HOW TO USE THEM?

Step 1:

Choose the + sign to add a post. Click the “multiple photo” icon in the bottom right corner:

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Step 2:

Click the photos and/or videos you want to include in the photo album. Once you select them, you can change the order of the creative and add filters to each frame individually.

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Step 3:

Press ‘next’ in the top right corner, add copy to your post & publish. Users will be able to identify a carousel post in their newsfeed by a set of blue dots in the bottom right corner. They’ll then be able to swipe through the final slideshow like a traditional digital photo album.

HOW CAN YOU APPLY INSTAGRAM PHOTO ALBUMS?

To ignite your creativity, here are a few examples of ways your brand can leverage Instagram photo albums industry:

Creative/Artwork:

• Showcase final piece of artwork, styled room or other project first and then break down step-by-step instructions with each following frame.

Health & Fitness:

• Workout Instructions: 10 exercises to make up a leg circuit

• Guidance & Tips: 10 tips for healthier living

• Product Spotlights: 10 products for increased energy and mental clarity

Home & Real-Estate:

• House selling: 10 houses that are currently on the market

• Interior Design: 10 products to elevate the look of your living room

• House makeover: before and after

Events:

• Event Coverage: 10 highlights of a special event

• Tradeshow Setup – From start to finish

Fashion/Retail:

• Trends: Top 10 trends of spring

• New Product Launches: 10 looks from a newly launched swimsuit collection

Music:

• Top 10 music videos of the week

Beauty:

• Shades/Types of Beauty Product: 10 matte lipstick shades that make up a brand-new line

• Before & After Beauty Makeovers

News/Media:

• 10 top news stories or “things to know” of the week

• 10 Bloopers of the Week

Employee Spotlights:

• 10 of your best or highest-selling employees

Volunteer/Charity:

• 10 ways to give back

• 10 people doing amazing work

Tech:

• Must-Have Tech Tools

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