carousels are taking me forever and I don't know if they're even worth it

spending like 2-3 hours on a single carousel nd then it gets less reach than a random reel I threw together in 20 mins. starting to wonder if I'm just wasting time on the format

I know carousels are supposed to be good for saves nd shares but I'm not seeing it. maybe it's the content, maybe it's the timing, genuinely not sure

is the carousel format actually worth it right now or has the algorithm moved on from it nd if u still do them how do u keep the production time from eating ur whole week

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k_sai_krishna•2 months ago•1

I’ve definitely felt this. Carousels can still work, but I think a lot of people underestimate how brutal the time-to-return equation gets if you’re designing each one like a mini masterpiece. If reels are consistently outperforming with way less effort, that’s useful signal, not failure.

A lot of solid creators seem to treat carousels more like authority or save/share assets than raw reach plays. Better for depth, education, repurposing, not always fastest growth. I stopped treating every slide like custom design and started batching frameworks instead. Cursor for code, Runable for the carousel structure and first pass, then refine the winners.

escalicha•2 months ago•1

i'd keep carousels, but only for posts where the format actually does work: step-by-step, before/after, checklists, stuff people might save.

if every carousel is a custom design job, the math is awful. make 1 ugly-ish template, reuse it, and compare saves/profile clicks against reels. if it doesn't beat a 20 min reel after a few tries, don't force it.

bengunners•2 months ago•1

You’re not crazy, 2-3 hours per carousel is almost never sustainable unless it’s a flagship piece.

What’s worked for me is treating carousels as a system, not individual designs:

  1. Pick 3 repeatable formats (checklist, mistakes, step-by-step)
  2. Build 1 template per format and reuse it
  3. Write hooks in batches (10-15 at once)
  4. Time-box each post to 30-40 mins max
  5. Judge by saves/profile visits, not just reach

If a reel takes 20 mins and consistently outperforms, keep reels as your growth engine and use carousels for trust/authority content.

If you want tooling, anything that helps batch ideation + template generation is worth testing. I use PostWaffle for first-pass carousel drafts so I’m not starting from a blank canvas every time, then I only polish the best ones.

miparasito•2 months ago•1

I keep wondering the same thing, but the other day I converted a carousel to a video and it did awesome. I need to find ways to make them faster  

LocationBig638•2 months ago•1

I do not think carousels in general are dead, but if you're spending that much time on them without much to show for it, then I do think you should at least reconsider why you're using them.

Just following trends for the sake of following them is not, to me, a good enough reason to spend your time on them. I usually keep carousels for ideas that actually need multiple slides, like before-and-afters or anything where the extra graphics genuinely make my point easier to communicate.

Hopeful-Lake-5195•2 months ago•1

ahh I feel you. I'm also struggling with them but I understood something. The storytelling is the most important part. Then you can pick any design.. Can you share yours if you can?

rhevern•2 months ago•1

Real question is why on earth are carousels taking you so long to create???

Individual_Plate6506•2 months ago•1

You’re not wrong, the math just isn’t mathing for you right now. If a 20 min reel beats a 3 hour carousel, that’s your answer.

Carousels still work but only when the format actually fits. Most people force them and then wonder why they flop.

Honestly I’d keep them but strip them down hard. One simple template, faster output, and only for ideas that actually need multiple slides. Otherwise just lean into reels.

sienna-marchetti•2 months ago•1

carousels aren't a reach format anymore, they're a trust format. if you're tracking impressions you'll always lose to reels — saves and profile visits are the only metric that earns the time you put in.

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