Best Instagram Practices for MSG
Just post, they say. It will all work itself out, they say.
Well, this could be true if you were looking just to use social media for fun.
However, if you are interested in using so media to take your business to the next level, it’s imperative to post strategically.
Just like anything else, there is a method to the madness.
In order for your brand to be successful on social media and consistently meet your goals, you must have strategies in place.
Trust me! It is a science to it. Ah, SCIENCE! I know what you are thinking; science can be complex. Don’t worry, though. I will break it all down for you.
Let’s take a close look at Madison Square Garden’s Instagram and some best practices that will ensure the brand is successful.
Be Relatable
When it comes to its voice and tone, the brand is currently informational and fun.
Its copy is often informing consumers of upcoming shows with fun captions and emojis.
Although this method works, I believe that the brand would benefit from adding a more whimsical and relatable tone to its copy.
This would make their posts more compelling and relatable to its consumers, encouraging engagement.
Take a look for yourself. In this Jingle Ball post, MSG is using an informational tone to announce the upcoming Jingle Ball concert, and it only received 480 likes and 7 comments.
Compared to this WWE post that uses a more relatable tone and, as a result, received 6,690 likes and 77 comments.
It is clear that MSG’s audience is more inclined to engage with posts that are relatable, and using this type of tone humanizes the brand.
Actively Engage With Customers
With this is in mind, humanizing your brand on social media is crucial.
It helps consumers create a deeper connection with the brand and build brand loyalty.
Plus, since consumers often use social media to share their feedback and communicate with their favorite brands, it’s imperative to use it as a means of customer service.
Yes, I know you are guilty of using social media to complain about a service you received. Ok, ok. I am guilty too.
Although this may seem like a bad thing, it can actually help MSG improve its customer service and show empathy.
The key is to actively respond to consumers within 24 hours. In addition, it is a best practice to take public conversations private.
I recommend privately messaging the customer, acknowledging their concerns and offering a solution, especially if the comment is negative.
You never want to ignore negative comments; instead, you should address the issue with empathy.
Be Consistent
You know what they say; consistency is key. This saying rings true in social media.
Posting consistently allows for MSG to stay in front of its target audience and remain relevant.
The brand should be posting at least three times a day on weekdays and two times a week on the weekend.
The content should be posted once in the morning during commuter hours at 6 am — 8 am, midday during lunch hours 12 pm — 2 pm, and evening during commuter hours during the week 4 pm — 6 pm.
This will ensure that its audience will see the posts because they are likely to be on social media during those times.
On the weekends, MSG should post once between 11 am -1 pm and again between 7 pm - 9 pm.
Now that we got some of the management-based best practices out of the way, let’s talk about content-based best practices for Madison Square Garden’s Instagram page.
Create More Video Content
Video, video, video! It’s the hype of Instagram right now.
From reels to IGTV, videos are ways to build brand awareness and boost engagement.
Don’t think so? Well, take a look at this Dua Lipa content to promote her upcoming show.
As you see, the reel to promote the show did significantly better than the image.
The proof is the pudding.
With that said, MSG should be posting at least one piece of video content on Instagram a day to successfully meet its goals.
This video content can be a standard visual, IGTV, Reel, boomerang, or IG Story visual.
Use Celebrities as Influencers
Influencers are all over social media and can help brands build brand awareness.
Since Madison Square Garden is a part of the entertainment industry, it has an advantage.
The brand can use the celebrities who are performing at the venue on its Instagram as influencers.
One easy way to do this is by simply tagging the celebrity’s page in their captions. This will allow the celebrities to see the post and share it with their followers.
Another way that has proven successful for the brand is a video of stars talking to fans before a show, like this one from Dan & Shay.
The consumers clearly enjoy hearing from the artists directly and enjoy engaging with this type of content.
Incorporating celebrity Instagarm story takeovers is another way to have artists engage with MSG’s audience directly.
Frequently Use Instagram Stories
Another best practice MSG should use is the frequent use of Instagram stories.
They are one of the most popular features on Instagram today and are usually the first thing people check when using the application.
Seriously, there over 500 million users on stories every day.
Stories enable MSG to post photos and videos with engaging features like polls, questions, links, etc.
MSG can use these stories to boost conversions and increase engagement.
With all this in mind, it’s imperative for MSG to start using these best practices on Instagram to ensure success.
These best practices can be used for your business or even your personal account too. Give them a try and see what works for you. What could it hurt?
Happy practicing!
