Carousel Framework

Throughout this video, I run through how I implement my systems for Carousels.

My system goes through what works & what doesn’t. What to do and what not to do.

And even the exact process of creating carousels, regardless of if you are creative or not.

The Entire Process:

Here I will share exactly how I implement my Carousel systems to generate 500k-1M impressions a month on LinkedIn.

If you haven’t already gone through the LinkedIn Framework module - I utilize Taplio for most of my systems.

Inspiration:

I use Taplio inspirations when I have writers block.

• Filter keywords for your niche.
• Find a post will resonate with your audience.
• Take the idea and make it into your own style, voice, and overall vibe.

Remember, never steal anything word for word.

You’ve probably been there before. In reality - it doesn’t even help your brand long-term. People want to see content that you wrote because you are unique. Don’t try to be like someone you are not.

Here’s a ChatGPT script I use to turn 1 idea into 100+:

Sales-Driven Content Idea Generator I create content that drives sales. To achieve this, I align my content with my audience's: Values: What they stand for or believe in. Needs: Solutions they are looking for. Desires: Their aspirations and dreams. Pain Points: Challenges they are facing. Content Categories: Practical Content (Directly addresses needs & pain points): Step-by-Step Guides • Checklists • Blueprints • Tips/Tricks Inspirational Content (Resonates with values & desires): Quotes • Testimonials • Success/Failure Stories • Challenges Narrative Content (Builds emotional connection): Plot Twists • Personal Development • Backstories • First Person Experiences Fill in the Details: My main topic is [insert here]. I'm targeting [specific target audience: e.g., "young professionals", "new moms", "tech enthusiasts"]. My audience values [insert core values: e.g., "self-improvement", "sustainability"]. They are seeking solutions for [insert needs: e.g., "time management", "healthy meal plans"]. Their biggest dreams are [insert desires: e.g., "financial freedom", "traveling the world"]. Challenges they face include [insert pain points: e.g., "lack of motivation", "feeling overwhelmed"]. Idea Generation: For each topic mentioned below, generate a sales-driven headline (max 35 characters) that deeply resonates with the audience details provided: Practical Topic: • Inspirational Topic: • Narrative Topic: Make sure to fill in the necessary parts.

How to Apply Ideas:

Once I have an idea for my next Carousel, I first write out a post.

Instead of jumping straight into writing the Carousel… Write a long-form post. Put your idea into a large amount of writing.

This is where I turn my long-form post into a beautiful design.

I’ve tested a lot of different formats for Carousels.

The ones that have performed the best are the ones that are quick reads. Your audience doesn’t want to spend 10 minutes reading long-form images. They want to get actionable tips, educate themselves, or learn something quickly.

This is when the breakdown comes in handy.

I turn my long-form post into bit-size 1 liners. Each post in my Carousel is a short, concise, easy to digest sentence. But these are powerful sentences. Be straight to the point, no beating around the bush.

If you want to streamline this process - here’s a ChatGPT prompt to use:

My LinkedIn Carousels are in the form of many images w/ short-form text on each.

Here's what my previous one looked like:

Image 1: "Stop worrying about the numbers game." Image 2: "Success isn't just about followers." Image 3: "It's about real value."

That's the format I'm using.

• Short and to the Point
• Simple Words & Easy to Understand
• Content Flows Nicely like a Story

Your task is to do the same with each post I provide for you.

It'll be a longer-form post, so you need to turn it into the style I provided.

Here's the post to turn into short-form images:

[ Insert Your Long-Form Post Here ]

You don’t need to copy what ChatGPT provided word-for-word. But this is a great starting point.

Post Design:

You don’t have to be an expert designer to design a LinkedIn Carousel.

Yes, I’ve been using Photoshop for years , but no I’m not an expert.

I use Adobe Photoshop. I created a Carousel style template. Writing Carousels is extremely easy and doesn’t take a lot of time.

All I need to do is change the text, adjust the color gradients, and I’m good to go.

I’d highly recommend building a template for your Carousels. Don’t try to create something new every time you want to post. This will save you hours every week.

Best way to learn how to design on Photoshop?

Just practice using different tools. Every time I don’t know how to do something - I go on YouTube and figure it out. There are endless tutorials on how to edit. Take the time so you can create better content for your audience. I also wanted to showcase how I do gradient text on my carousels, so here’s the process:

First, write out your text.

On Photoshop - go to the “Rectangle Tool”.

Next - create a rectangle over the text (make sure to cover the entire thing).

Once you’ve done that - double click on the rectangle layer and select a gradient you like.

Ensure that the rectangle layer is right above the text - right click on the rectangle and select “Create Clipping Mask”.

All set! Adjust until you have it perfect.

Hook Your Audience:

One of my recent Carousels performed very well.

The reason? I had a great hook that got my audience’s attention. They wanted to know more.

This is the same process that I showcased in the X Threads module.

In this Carousel, I started with the following:

Me: “Acquiring clients is simple - not easy”.

Random Person: “Dang - is it actually simple? I want to know more.”

Me: “Here’s what I learned after 100+ hours”.

Random Person: “He’s been successful with landing clients. I’m struggling to get any. I should read this”.

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes.

I also created my hook visually. If my audience didn’t see the text right away, they 100% saw my visual.

The first page of your Carousel is crucial, don’t mess it up.

Here’s a ChatGPT script I use to generate post ideas from hooks:

You will become my Content Hook Generator. Here are 5 hooks I found on LinkedIn that have performed very well:

Hook 1: I made $5,800 yesterday from two clients. And the way I landed them was awesome: Hook 2: Quality content is pointless if no one sees it. Here's how I got 80,000 views in 7 days: Hook 3: I generated $24,539+ in 3 months. Here are 7-steps I use to monetize my profile: Hook 4: I've tested 700+ hooks this year. Here are 7 ways to boost your engagement: Hook 5: I live in comment sections on LinkedIn. Here's how I write 50-100 comments daily:

Remember - the purpose of a hook is to engage my reader in less than 2 seconds. The best performing hooks are relatable, create an emotional connection, and utilize odd numbers (especially 7). A hook contains two short 1-liners, each less than 35 characters. End the second 1-liner with a colon ":".

A hook can also be one of the following:

Show “How I”. Teach “How To”. Tell a Story. Achievement. Bold Statement. Numbers.

My Target Audience Is: [Insert Target Audience] My Niche Is: [Insert Niche]

Please provide me 25 hooks I can use in my next LinkedIn posts that will do what I mentioned above:

If you want to generate a hook for a post you’ve already written, use this one:

You will become my Content Hook Generator. Here are 5 hooks I found on LinkedIn that have performed very well:

Hook 1: I made $5,800 yesterday from two clients. And the way I landed them was awesome: Hook 2: Quality content is pointless if no one sees it. Here's how I got 80,000 views in 7 days: Hook 3: I generated $24,539+ in 3 months. Here are 7-steps I use to monetize my profile: Hook 4: I've tested 700+ hooks this year. Here are 7 ways to boost your engagement: Hook 5: I live in comment sections on LinkedIn. Here's how I write 50-100 comments daily:

Remember - the purpose of a hook is to engage my reader in less than 2 seconds. The best performing hooks are relatable, create an emotional connection, and utilize odd numbers (especially 7). A hook contains two short 1-liners, each less than 35 characters. End the second 1-liner with a colon ":".

A hook can also be one of the following:

Show “How I”. Teach “How To”. Tell a Story. Achievement. Bold Statement. Numbers.

My Target Audience Is: [Insert Target Audience] My Niche Is: [Insert Niche]

Please provide me 10 powerful hooks I can use for my next post below:

[Insert Your Post Text]

Experiment with both of these. Enjoy!

Advanced Options:

Features: URL Previews, Auto-Plugs, & Auto-DMsLocation: Bottom of the “compose” area.

Each of these features have their own unique purpose. I use most of them every single day I’m posting content. See below on how I use each one:

URL Previews: Here’s an example of what the URL preview looks like when it’s enabled, and when it’s disabled:

Auto-Plugs: This is one of my favorite features on LinkedIn. The ability to automatically post replies to your own posts.

Here are my settings:

• Auto-Plugs > Enabled
• Send After > 0 Minutes
• Template > Pinned (Use the 📌 emoji)

Why use the Auto-Plug feature?

Asking a question, adding additional value, or simply promoting something in your comments gradually gets more of your audience to reply to your comment. Your comment will become the top comment of your post, and overall give you more reach.

More Engagement = More Reach

Auto-DMs: Very useful tool that I use as part of my content system.

Here are the settings I used for a recent post:

• Auto-DM > Enabled
• Conditions > Reply
• Max DMs to Send > 10
• Send Randomly to 10 People After 24 Hours > Enabled

Here’s the message I used:

Heya - I saw you replied to my recent post about my revenue funnel. If you haven't signed up - here's a link to my exclusive content: alexcolhoun.com Happy to help ✌🏻

Using Auto-DMs is an easy way to further engage with your audience, instead of always just replying to their comments. It’s also a great way to start conversation directly in DMs (which you can promote your paid offers later on).

Ask for Reposts (not likes) + Use P.S: This is how I personalize my posts.

Here’s exactly how to implement this:

• At the end of each post, ask for a repost.
• Likes are nice, but a repost will be 10000x more beneficial.
• I typically only use one CTA. For the example below, I asked for a “repost”.

Here’s the text I use: “P.S. ♻️ Repost if you found this helpful.”

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexcolhoun_2-months-ago-i-graduated-college-4-activity-7143950109230194688-ZXFg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Thread Closers:

If your audience gets to the end of your Carousel, that probably means they enjoyed it. End your Carousel with a CTA (call-to-action).

Here’s what mine looks like:

“If you enjoyed this post - you’ll love my exclusive content.” & “Grab my free 5-day email course (link in bio)”.

The goal is to capture emails, so I made it super easy to understand where to sign-up for my newsletter.

Don’t overcomplicate your CTA. Be quick. Be precise. Own your audience.

They have the potential to boost your engagement and audience by INSANE amounts. You can pack so much valuable content in one carousel that your audience will keep coming back for more.

If you’d like personalized guidance - there are 2 additional ways I can help you:

1. Coaching Session w/ Alex: If you’re looking for most efficient way to take your online brand/business to the next level - 1:1 coaching is the way to go. Book a time that works for you and let’s take your business to the next level.

2. Personal Branding & Copywriting Services: I'll write your content, build back-end systems, grow your email list, and scale your online business allowing you to spend more time on the things that matter.