There’s a midwestern company that proves even the most niche products can reach for wide appeal with the friendly, targeted use of social media.
Optima specializes in high performance, aftermarket batteries — powerhouses driving everything from racing cars to working vehicles. A perusal of their website unveils automotive buzzwords like Spiralcell and Pureflow Technology, but — at its most basic level – Optima builds batteries for jobs standard units off the shelves of your local auto parts shop can’t handle.
An engineering and manufacturing company like Optima could use its social media feeds simply to announce new products or offer sales advice, but this Wisconsin firm chooses to keep its feed fun and engaging to keep enthusiasts involved.
Optima Batteries appeals to car enthusiasts with a friendly social media presence.
When it came time to recruit their eCare Manager and social media guru, Optima tapped Jim McIlvaine. Off his successful, 7-year NBA career, “Optima Jim” decided to turn hoops retirement into a car-centric career off his life-long love of everything four-wheeled. He refers to himself as a content farmer — perhaps a predictable tactic for a native of The Dairy State.
“When we sponsor events, we're planting content seeds,” McIlvaine says. “When the events happen, I show up with cameras to document [harvest], and — when I send the content out in social media – I'm taking our content crops to market.”
To welcome that enthusiast crowd and to keep them both interested and entertained, McIlvaine uses a style that focuses on attention to detail and nuance. He also makes sure to respond to the individual buyer turning to social media for help.
“A lot of times we're helping people who are having car trouble, and it's sometimes difficult to explain a situation within the constraints offered by a tweet. I try to identify as many factors and gather as much pertinent information as I can before offering the best advice, considering I can't physically be with someone to work through their problem.”
A social media user will find everything on the Optima feeds from practical advice to celebrations of their customers’ successes at auto shows or track days. There’s as much lauding of buyers’ achievements as there is hype for company products, and it all ends up feeling more like a series of posts from a fun auto club, instead of a public element of corporate identity.
Jim McIlvaine (second from right) serves as Optima Batteries' eCare Manager and social media boss.
McIlvaine insists Optima looks forward to all of the responses they get in social media, even while they run the gamut from folks who want to let the world know they’ve lost their business forever to incredibly happy customers with fun experiences to share.
“Social media gives our company a great opportunity to engage with consumers on a very personal level,” McIlvaine adds. “Optima arrives at our style of social media out of necessity because — while we like to share all the amazing things people do with our products — we also recognize that it is a popular way to reach out to us with questions and conversations.”
