How to Transform a Simple Article Link into a LinkedIn Carousel that Boosts Your Engagement

Every week, thousands of technical creators share their articles on LinkedIn.
They paste the link, add two sentences, click Publish... and wait.
Result: a few views, a few likes, then the post disappears.

Does this scenario sound familiar? You're not alone. The good news: there's a simple way out of this dead end. It comes down to one word: carousel.

LinkedIn loves keeping its users on the platform.
An external link does the opposite: it pushes people to leave.
The algorithm therefore reduces the reach of these posts.

Plus, a link offers no clear preview of the content.
The reader has to click to understand.
Too much effort. They simply scroll down.

Common symptoms:

• Click-through rates below 2%.
• Few or no comments.
• No new relevant invitations.

A LinkedIn carousel is a PDF document displayed slide by slide.
It's visual, quick to consume, and still displayed in the feed.

Creators who use it often notice:

• Impression rate x3 compared to a link post.
• More comments because each slide invites reaction.
• New followers who share the same interests.
• A steady stream of private messages: prospects, recruiters, partners.

Why?
The format meets the network's two priorities:

1. Retention: the user stays on LinkedIn to read all slides.
2. Interaction: each slide is a micro-call to action (swipe).

All without leaving the platform.

You don't need to be a designer.
Follow these simple steps.

3.1 Choose the Central Idea

Your article might cover ten points.
For a carousel, focus on one clear message.
Example: "5 Mistakes When Fine-Tuning a GPT-3.5 Model".

3.2 Break It Down into Digestible Blocks

• Slide 1: Strong title + result promise.
• Slides 2-6: One short idea per slide.
• Slide 7: Summary.
• Slide 8: Call-to-action (comment, share, subscribe).

Eight slides are enough to keep the reader focused.

3.3 Write for the Hurried Scroller

• 12-word max sentences.
• One major piece of information per slide.
• Large font, high contrast.
• Lots of white space: the eye needs to breathe.

3.4 Add Consistent Visuals

You're a developer?
Capture a code snippet, a terminal line, an architecture diagram.
Format it for readability: dark background, 16pt monospace font, padding.

3.5 Export as a Lightweight PDF

Ideal size: < 10MB for quick loading.
Name the file: Title_Carousel_YOURNAME.pdf.

• Palette: one primary color + one accent color + black or white.
• Typography: maximum two families (headings and text).
• Grid: 8 columns, equal margins, everything aligns.
• Avoid blurry shadows; prefer clarity and simplicity.

Tip: scroll through your carousel in full screen.
If you read each slide in 3 seconds, you've succeeded.

You can use Figma or Canva.
But you'll need to:

• Create each slide manually.
• Manage fonts, sizes, alignments.
• Export, compress, rename.

Count on three hours for a clean result.

The Alternative: Ultimate Carousel

Ultimate Carousel (LDC) automates these steps:

1. Paste your markdown or bullet-point outline.
2. Choose a theme (font, colors, code template).
3. AI splits the text and places visuals.
4. In ten minutes, your optimized PDF is ready.

You still control the branding: logo, palette, syntax highlighting, everything is customizable.

• Main keyword in the title and first slide.
• Secondary keywords spread across text slides.
• PDF filename: include the keyword.
• Post description: 2-3 sentences with the keyword + invitation to swipe.

This optimization helps LinkedIn understand the topic and suggest the content to the right people.

1. Does slide 1 grab attention in less than 2 seconds?
2. Does each slide stick to one idea?
3. Is text readable on mobile?
4. Is PDF size reasonable?
5. Is the call-to-action clear on the last slide?

If everything's green, share. Then, respond to comments quickly. The algorithm loves that.

Louis, a Node.js freelancer, followed the "link + teaser" model.
Average stats: 500 views, 10 likes, zero DMs.

First week with carousel:

• 6,800 views (+1,260%).
• 125 likes.
• 18 comments.
• 2 quote requests (15-day project billed at €6,000).

He only changed the format. The content was identical.

• Too much text per slide.
• Tiny font "because we have a lot to say".
• Loud colors that hinder reading.
• No call-to-action: the reader leaves without doing anything.

Keep these in mind with every creation.

You already know how to write useful articles.
Don't let them sleep in your blog.
Give them a second life as a LinkedIn carousel.
You'll gain:

• More visibility.
• More genuine interactions.
• More professional opportunities.

Ready to Take Action?

Create your first carousel in less than ten minutes with Ultimate Carousel.
Try the free version, publish today, measure results tomorrow.