We were lucky to catch up with Mike Gleckler recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mike, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?
I do my own social media marketing. I focus on the Instagram platform as it offers the most diversity for me with communication in the industry I’m involved with. I never intended to play an active role in the social media realm. I love the vintage Volkswagen automobile, and I love photography. I’ve been shooting photos since high school. I began posting photos I took of these types of vehicles and immediately started connecting with those with the same passion from around the world. It all happened organically. I continued to take photos of what I’m passionate about, have fun doing it, and now have a social media presence that has allowed me countless opportunities within the industry including my own merchandise.
Mike, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I first fell in love with the Volkswagen Transporter (or bus as most people refer to it) at the age of 15. I was at the corner store and saw Hot VWs magazine on the shelf. There was a DeLuxe bus on the cover, and I thought to myself “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” I was hooked. I was able to soon find an old VW bus that would be my high school and college mode of transportation. I worked on it, drove it, worked on it, drove it, and became obsessed with the model. I went to VW shows, bought and sold parts, and continued to build my knowledge base about these VWs. Fast forward many years to the onset of social media platforms and the connection it allows all of us. I always loved photography and would take countless photos of these old buses. I was told, “You should post your photos on Instagram.” What was Instagram? I soon found out. I started an Instagram page (@vintage_volkswagens) and posted a couple of my photos. I immediately started to connect with others who were outside of my long-time local VW circle. I continued to post original photography and continued to get followers. I have been able to connect with those who share my love for the vintage Volkswagen. My platform has allowed me connections to have bought and sold vintage VWs around the world. I have been able to help broker some of these special vehicles and find the right homes and caretakers for them. I continuously help research and answer questions for followers who constantly reach out. I partner to maintain a worldwide club dedicated to the restoration and perseveration of VW Transporters. With that comes two yearly gatherings with more to come. I have had promotional opportunities representing companies and have been able to establish my own brand selling merchandise to further promote my platform. Most importantly, however, it has allowed multiple friendships all over the world to develop that would have never been established if it wasn’t for my photos and a way to share them. It’s a way to promote the vintage VW industry that consumes me.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Original content and constant interaction with followers have helped build my reputation within the market. With so many accounts resharing what’s already been seen flooding everyone’s social media pages, my focus is and always will be to deliver only my original content. If it’s not an original photo taken by me, you won’t find it on my page. I did not set out to build any type of reputation, I just wanted to post my photography and content somewhere others may be able to enjoy it. I feel that the organic process of this journey has helped with this as nothing is ever forced. I’m taking photos and sharing content that I enjoy personally. If someone else feels the same way and wants to follow along then I think that’s incredible. It’s an honor for someone to hit the follow button on my account and share their time with me as they see and interact with my posts. Something else I feel has helped to establish a genuine reputation is my interaction with followers. I will answer anyone who messages me with a question regarding an old VW and offer any help or guidance I can. I also make a point to reply to or like everyone’s comments. If they feel enough excitement to comment, then I most certainly do too in recognizing that. Just being genuine and thankful for it all I feel is key.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being able to share my photography is the ability to build connections and friendships through it all. A photograph is an amazing way to communicate and connect with someone. It has allowed me a platform to try and give back to the vintage Volkswagen community and strengthen it through the sharing of content, knowledge, show gatherings, and most recently an auto museum exhibit. Because of the connections within the community, I was able to help procure some vintage Volkswagen buses, parts, and memorabilia for the California Auto Museum for their current exhibit “The Cool Factor.” It is a celebration of air-cooled vehicles which the early VW Transporter plays a huge role in. I have been able to use the platform to promote the Society of Transporter Owners, a club organization that I partner with to run. It offers two early VW bus gatherings each year with more in the works. My photos which create the content on my page are a way to facilitate camaraderie and bring people together. That has certainly been the most rewarding aspect of being able to share my creativity through my photos.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @vintage_volkswagens
- Youtube: @Vintage_Volkswagens
Image Credits
All photos by Mike Gleckler. @vintage_volkswagens