Reels or Carousels in 2026? Here’s What You Should Actually Be Posting.

Last year, short-form video was king.

And this year? It still is. But carousels have re-entered the scene.

If you’ve been wondering whether you should double down on Reels or pivot into storytelling carousels, the answer is:

You need both.

Not because more is better.

But because each format is great for something different and has its own place in a content strategy.

Let’s break it down together.

Why Carousels Are On The Rise Again

Instagram is always evolving. And right now, it’s heavily rewarding one key behavior:

Time spent on a post.

And storytelling carousels naturally increase this because they encourage users to: swipe, pause, and read.

The longer someone stays on your post, the more Instagram pushes it.

And here’s something you may not have known:

If someone scrolls past your carousel without engaging, Instagram will often show it to them again, but this time starting on the second slide.

That means you get a second chance at grabbing their attention.

Reels, on the other hand, are still great for reach and discoverability.

So this isn’t a battle between the 2 formats, but about understanding what each one is built to do.

What Reels Are Really For

Reels are your discovery engine. They’re powerful for:

• Showing your personality

• Building relatability

• Behind-the-scenes content

• Vlogs

• Creative concepts

• Quick, punchy tips

• Inspirational storytelling

Reels allow people to experience you. They can hear your voice and feel your energy. And that emotional layer builds familiarity and connection.

Storytelling Reels work especially well because they:

• Humanize your brand by sharing stories and lived experiences

• Increase watch time

• Build emotional connection through shared experiences and emotions.

• Make your message more memorable through the depth of your stories.

On the other hand, reels are not ideal for super dense, in-depth topics. People are scrolling quickly, so if it feels overloaded or slow, retention drops.

So here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

1. Nail the hook. Your goal is make someone feel something in the first 3 seconds.

2. Focus on retention as well as reach. Ask yourself: Does every sentence move the idea forward? Am I repeating myself? Could this be more concise?

3. Don’t overpack information. Try your best to focus on sharing one key shift, expanding on one strong concept, or delivering one clear takeaway. If there are multiple, consider creating a mini series or a carousel!

4. Make it visually dynamic. That could look like cinematic footage, subtle zoom cuts, on-screen text, switching angles, action/movement, etc.

What Carousels Are Really For

Where Reels build familiarity, carousels build trust. At a time when viewers can experience video fatigue, carousel posts are a great way to capture attention through the written word while still staying visually engaging.

So carousels are ideal for:

• Storytelling

• Educational content

• Authority positioning

• Conversion-focused posts

Storytelling carousels work because they:

• Encourage continued swiping

• Increase time spent on post

• Feel conversational

• Create emotional investment

Engagement builds trust, and trust builds conversion.

So if you’re going to post carousels, here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

1. Write how you talk and avoid jargon. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it. You want your carousel post to feel like a conversation, not a textbook.

2. Cut the fluff. Every slide should move the story or idea forward and get to the point!

3. Don’t be afraid of white space. Space makes your copy easier to read because it doesn’t feel busy.

4. Don’t cram everything into one slide. Spread your content out and don’t be afraid to add another slide. This improves readability and encourages swiping.

5. Add a call to action. This could look like a link to an offer, a conversation starter, a freebie, or simply asking them to share or save.

The Real Strategy Moving Forward

In summary,

Reels = Reach + personality

Carousels = Engagement + trust

When you create with intention and combine both formats, that’s when they start working together!

And if you want help with your content strategy, inside PBA, we help you:

• Clarify your message

• Get feedback on your content

• Stay accountable to your content goals

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building, PBA is for you.

Join PBA with a free trial here.