INSTAGRAM IS ALL about aesthetic appeal, which makes it a natural fit for optical. This DIY form of marketing can give your brand a serious edge if done right, but in less sure hands becomes an unresponsive blizzard of hashtags and stock photos that just feels spammy. We asked readers to shout out some of their favorite optical follows and the six IGs below of varying sizes were among their top picks. They show us that whether you use Instagram to establish your brand, educate patients, highlight or sell frames, share goofy jokes or all of the above, a well-managed account creates an immediate impression of who you are as a business, and of the distinctive experience customers can expect from you.
Über Optics
@uberoptics: 2,590 Followers
“Real and explosive to the eyes” is how Nancy Revis describes the in-store experience at Uber Optics in Petaluma, CA, and it’s a vibe she has successfully translated into her very cool IG. For starters, Revis and her sister Amy Koenig bring their highly accomplished photography and graphic design skills to the party, but it’s what they do with them that counts: A fully achieved visual aesthetic that brings together customers, friends, Revis’ beloved Gen-X cultural touchstones, local sights and, of course, Über’s stunning independent eyewear in a way that manages to feel both spontaneous and totally cohesive. “I have no rules,” says Revis, “other than my photos have to feel and be authentic and natural. You can say so much with just one amazing photo. I try and outdo myself every day… Mostly, it’s just me being me.” She says she doesn’t worry about how many followers she has, or what will or won’t sell. “Most importantly, it is telling a story and documenting the most beautiful eyewear made. What I do is an art form because we are selling art.”
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Joseph J. Allen, OD FAAO
@doctoreyehealth: 13.9K Followers
Education takes center stage at Dr. Joseph Allen’s lively IG, which one of INVISION’s readers found to be “full of great information.” Dr. Allen says his goal is “mainly promoting and encouraging eye health knowledge to the general consumer and to get people thinking about their vision and eye health,” including nutrition. (One post served as a day-long Q&A session in which he answered eye health questions in the comments section.) Last year he brought on an assistant to help curate more of the static posts and launch most of the account’s prolific reels. Instagram Stories are also utilized for “documenting my day-to-day.” The priorities are integrity and authenticity. “I do my best to show up as my authentic self, talking about eyecare topics that people are asking about or wanting to hear about. I try to focus on getting people’s attention and get them thinking more about their eyes.”
Georgetown Optician
@georgetownoptician: 14K Followers
If Wes Anderson had an eyewear fetish the result might resemble the studied whimsy of Georgetown Optician’s branding, which constitutes a visual world unto itself including some memorable short films posted to its website and blog. On Instagram the four-location DC optical business really stretches its wings, offering a beautifully curated tableau not just of the stunning independent eyewear it carries but of all things visually inspiring, from the worlds of painting, sculpture, fashion and beyond. @georgetownoptician was shouted out by multiple INVISION readers as a favorite follow, with one telling us “My eyes smile when I scroll through their posts.” Said another: “Always fun, whimsical, quirky.”
Gogosha Optique
@gogoshaoptique: 21.8K Followers
Celebrated L.A. boutique Gogosha Optique’s unmatched collection of independent frames — many of them collabs with top designers — lures a fashion savvy clientele, folks who are looking to make a personal statement with their eyewear, from local residents of the optical’s hip Echo Park neighborhood to rock stars.
@gogoshaoptique is where Julia Gogosha’s talented crew of opticians get to show off their styling skills with a vivid and beautifully photographed showcase of interesting faces in interesting frames. Engagement is strong, with many posts turning into lively exchanges on new eyewear, and the platform links to Gogosha’s online store. This was another IG that got multiple shoutouts from our readers. “She’s killing the independent eyewear game,” said one. “Always inspiring,” said another.
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Summit Eye Care Centre
@summiteyecarecentre: 914 Followers
We defy anyone to open this fun-loving Canadian crew’s IG and pull their eyes away in under 10 minutes. A repository of eye humor, here you’ll find hundreds of eye-related comic strips and jokes from Peanuts, Far Side, Herman, and Calvin and Hobbes, among many others, sandwiched in between the Kamloops, British Columbia practice’s equally prolific posts on eye health. Who says optical Instagram has to be pouting models and designer frame porn? Sometimes you just want something “down home and goofy,” as one INVISION reader said in their admiring appraisal of this account.
EYES – Dr. Abby Jakob
@abbyjakobeyes: 2,672 Followers
Offering a lesson in how to create a social media presence that projects a sense of personality without sacrificing finesse, Dr. Abby Jakob says her goal on IG is to convey the way she sees herself: “I love a pop of color, I love being lighthearted, and I also want to be informative and genuine, with a good dose of humor. I think creating my brand to represent me has gained me a lot of loyal customers and patients.” EYES’ IG is a skillful mix of fun, engaging content and prolific eye health messaging, marked by confident use of the Reels video feature. While customer engagement “can give me a surge of excitement or motivation to keep it up,” her primary goal isn’t to move merchandise. “I like to put up photos of our inventory and featured items but I currently don’t have a link or shoppable profile — at this time, my goal is more to get them to come into the store and see what a great customer experience we offer at EYES!”
Online Extra: Nancy Revis’ full comments
on Uber Optics’ Instagram account
My main goal with my IG is to allow a little window into my subconscious.
My idea of social media (for my shop) really has evolved and changed over time. Optical is life, right? It’s everything. With my love of photography, I started out by mostly posting pictures of my customers. But I always have my customers pose in a way that looks a little more “rockstar” than just “standing there”. I have two areas in my back room near my photo wall that I have people look at to calm their minds and give me more of an “inner soul” look. One poster is straight in front of them. It is a poster of Prince. It’s one of the very last photos ever taken of him before he died. I got it when I went to Paisley Park to tour Prince’s home. So, when people look at that poster, they zone out, smile, sigh, swoon. I get all these different reactions that are amazing. I have another vision to the right of a PINUP Calendar! With sexy ’50s ladies posing… so I always get great reactions from that too! I have some areas out in the back of my shop also … a really great cement wall and a brick wall. I use it all for nice backdrops. I have my own personal way with photographing people and I just LOVE it.
One of my main goals is to have shopping for eyewear be an experience. My shop is bizarre, colorful, fun… a bit mind-blowing. It’s a visual escapade, if you will. Which makes sense, right? It should be REAL and EXPLOSIVE to the eyes.
This is where I will get deeper with why I do what I do and my take on my direction… I am a hard-core GEN Xer. I proudly represent all the beauty of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s of my generation. I have authentic vintage items all over my shop. I have a signed poster of Phyllis Diller, I have a collection of rotary phones in all the colors, I have candy bowls all over my shop, one with chocolate, one with dum dums, one with mints. I have a disco ball for cryin’ out loud (that is always spinning with a pin light) and when I close the shop, I blast my music and redesign my display windows. I have changed them every month for almost 10 years now.
I’m from “I WANT MY MTV” and I incorporate that feel into everything that I do. I lure people in with my love for nostalgia. When I pull all the things that made me who I am into my surroundings, it makes people feel young again. So, when someone comes in to get their “first progressive”, I’m like, welcome to the CLUB! I am not afraid to be weird. I am not afraid to look outside of the box with marketing. I am always thinking about and taking notes on what my next ad will be based on…. which is usually a take on something that most people will bond with. My ads and photos are not just a picture of something… they are telling a story.
So, my IG tells a story… it tells a story of my shop and what I do. It is a documentation of my amazing customers over the years, my kids growing up, my style (and my customer’s) ever changing and evolving. It shows my love and passion for eyewear and it gets people excited about it too! I pull my vision from way deep inside my soul.
Most importantly, it is telling a story and documenting the most creative designers of eyewear. The most beautiful eyewear made. They are not just glasses, they are an extension of who someone is. What I do is an art form because we are selling art.
I handle ALL my IG. I do all my own photography; my sister is my graphic artist and she and I together are the crazy marketing girls. She totally gets me, so she fuels my weirdness. It takes a ton of time and passion but it’s worth it. I love the response I get from my images of life. I could never let anyone else do it for me—I am too much of a control freak.
I like that my IG is growing organically. I don’t worry about how many followers I have because it grows every day.
We have such a loyal following; I don’t worry about what will and won’t sell. We are very busy with all the right people, and if they aren’t right… we let ’em go. I don’t allow people to come in and be a buzz kill. Life is too short.
I have NO rules, other than my photos have to feel and be authentic and natural. You can say so much with just one amazing photo. I try and outdo myself every day. I am my own challenge when it comes to marketing and being different. Mostly, it’s just me being me.
