Here's a step-by-step guide to creating an engaging social media carousel in Adobe Photoshop. I'll focus on Instagram-style carousels (square slides), but the method works for LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter too.

Step 1: Set Up Your Document

Open Photoshop → File → New.

Set your dimensions:

Instagram: 1080 x 1080 px (square) or 1080 x 1350 px (portrait).

Resolution: 72 dpi (web) or 300 dpi (high-res).

Background: Transparent or White.

Name it "Carousel Slide 1".

Step 2: Plan Your Carousel Slides

Decide the number of slides (5–10 is standard for social media).

Sketch a rough outline of content flow (e.g., Hook → Info → CTA).

Step 3: Create Guides for Consistency

View → New Guide Layout.

Set columns/rows for spacing (optional, e.g., 1 column, 2px gutter).

Guides help align text, images, and design elements consistently across slides.

Step 4: Design the First Slide

Use Rectangle Tool (U) or Shapes for backgrounds.

Add text layers (T) for headings and body text.

Use layer styles like drop shadows or strokes for emphasis.

Include visual elements like icons, illustrations, or photos.

Tip: Keep the hook slide bold and minimal—this draws attention in the feed.

Step 5: Duplicate for Additional Slides

Right-click the first slide's group → Duplicate Group.

Rename to Slide 2, Slide 3, etc.

Adjust content while keeping visual style consistent.

Step 6: Add Transitions Between Slides

Slightly overlap background elements or design motifs to create flow.

Example: A line or shape continuing from Slide 1 → Slide 2.

Step 7: Export Your Carousel Slides

File → Export → Export As.

Format: JPEG or PNG.

Make sure all slides are exported individually with sequential names (Slide1, Slide2...).

Resolution: 72 dpi for social media.

Tip: Use File → Export → Save for Web (Legacy) for optimized file size.

Step 8: Upload to Social Media

Instagram: Upload in carousel format, make sure slides are in the correct order.

Facebook/LinkedIn: Same process applies.

Extra Tips for Engagement

Keep text readable: large fonts, high contrast.

Limit text per slide to one main idea.

Use consistent color palette and fonts across slides.

Include a CTA on the last slide ("Follow for more", "Swipe up", etc.).

If you want, I can make a ready-to-use Photoshop carousel template where you only need to drag and drop your content—perfect for fast social media creation.