The Upside Down Carousel: A LinkedIn Format That Stops Scrollers Cold
A contrarian LinkedIn carousel format that flips the script, hooks attention, and drives more engagement than the traditional setup → payoff flow.
Welcome to The Blueprint - your tactical playbook for formats that actually work. Yes, this one’s late from last week, which means you’re getting a double dose of Blueprints this week. Consider it a binge release.
📐 THE FORMAT
The Upside Down Carousel flips expectations by starting with your conclusion or most surprising insight, then walking backward to the reasoning. It’s the LinkedIn cousin of the Inverted Reveal.
Structure:
Slide 1 (Hook): Drop your punchline upfront.
“The algorithm isn’t your problem. Your content is.”
Slides 2–4 (Context): Walk backward through the reasoning.
Why creators blame the algorithm → what actually matters → proof point.
Slide 5 (Call-to-Action): Invite engagement or offer a resource.
“Agree? Disagree? Comment below.”
💡 WHY IT WORKS
People are wired to resolve tension. When you lead with the end, curiosity pulls them through.
Breaking the “thesis at the end” habit makes your posts feel fresh.
Carousels naturally gamify swiping—paired with surprise, you get higher dwell time.
⚡ HOW TO EXECUTE
Write your final insight first, then build slides that explain how you got there.
Use bold, minimal text + clean visuals. (One sentence per slide max.)
Bonus: repurpose the same script into a video Reel/TikTok with the same upside-down structure.
📈 POWER PLAY Test two carousels side by side: one traditional (setup → payoff), one upside down (payoff → backtrack). Watch which one drives more comments. Spoiler: the upside down version almost always wins.
Next Blueprint: A storytelling trick for Reels & Shorts I call the “Delayed Payoff Loop” - designed to stretch watch time without losing viewers.
Stay inventive, stay unpredictable.
Alex