Engaging With Your Audience on Social Media

Social media is the new word-of-mouth. It’s how patients find doctor recommendations, learn about eye care topics, and connect with their doctors. My social media handle, @tinyoptometrist, was suggested by a friend. Since I’m only five feet tall, it suits me well!

Social media content creation—mostly on Instagram, but also YouTube and TikTok—started out as a fun hobby and stress reliever for me when I was in optometry school. I posted about student challenges, my day-to-day experiences, and what I was learning. Over time, my followers came along with me on the journey through optometry school, and then into clinical practice.

It has been a great way for me to reach Hispanic patients because Hispanic adults are almost three times more likely than non-Hispanic White adults to use social media at least once a month for health information and advice (40% vs. 14%), according to a 2025 KFF poll.¹ This demographic group is also more likely than their non-Hispanic White peers to share health content (20% vs. 10.2%), watch health information videos (42.4% vs. 27.2%) and use that information to make health decisions (22.8% vs. 13.7%).²  For me, what started as more personal musings has become about 85%-90% professional, optometry-related content and about 10%-15% personal content. What hasn’t changed at all is that my social media persona is the real me. I find that my patients love knowing their doctor is on social media. They tell me they already feel like the know me at our first appointment, or that their kids are excited because they follow me on social media. It creates more of a personal connection in the doctor-patient relationship, right from the start.

The beautiful thing, to me, is that there are so many audiences interested in eye health. I hope that I have been able to educate people about their eyes and also to inspire young Latinos to consider careers in optometry.  Social media can also really help to bridge cultures because photos are universal. Most of my content is in English, but I have always included captions in both English and Spanish. It has been fun for me to see Spanish-speaking patients who have traveled to see me because they watched my YouTube videos or follow me on Instagram.

If you’re ready to be more proactive about using social media, here are six ways to get started:

1. Pick a platform. Focus on the demographic you are trying to attract to the practice.  Right now, Instagram is probably the sweet spot for many optometry practices, because its core users are young adults and Millennials in the 18- to 35-year-old age range. Teens and kids are on TikTok and adults over 50 tend to be mostly on facebook.
2. Decide how curated to be. Although some social media content is heavily curated and “produced,” that style can be hard to sustain over time, especially without professional help. Fortunately, the current trend is a more natural, organic approach of recording content on the fly, requiring nothing more than a phone and a good light. As you get more comfortable recording, you can acquire a few accessories, like a microphone or a stand, but you really don’t need much to get started.
3. Be genuine. Your social media should showcase who you really are. People are seeking content that is honest, transparent, and authentic—and they will be disappointed if you are different in person than you are on the screen.
4. Don’t overthink it. As doctors, of course we have to be mindful that what we share is appropriate and factually correct, but that doesn’t mean every post has to be serious! I often share a photo dump of the past week that might include my cat or the treadmill at the gym, or some great shoes. Track what generates reactions, but also try not to be overly obsessed with social media analytics.
5. Evolve with the technology. Social media platforms change their algorithms without warning.  At various times, Instagram has promoted posts with photographs over video or vice versa, so as content creators, we have to adapt to the trends.
6. Ask for help. Creating your first post or filming your first video can be intimidating, but it gets easier and can become a really fun part of marketing your practice. You can also consider asking a staff member to take the lead on developing a social media presence for the practice or hire a social media marketing firm.

I strongly believe that every optometrist should have a professional social media page. The reality is that patients will look you up on social media whether you proactively use it as a marketing tool or not. They will make judgments based on your personal page or your lack of social media presence. So why not take advantage of this new(ish) medium and use it to your advantage?

For more information:

1. Schumacher S, Sparks G, Montalvo III J, et al. 2025 KFF health information and trust tracking poll: Health information and advice on social media. Accessed 11/25/25 at https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-information-and-trust-tracking-poll-health-information-and-advice-on-social-media/.
2. Rivera YM, Corpuz K, Sanchez Karver T. Engagement with and use of health information on social media among US Latino individuals: National cross-sectional survey study. J Med Internet Res 2025;27:e59387.

Angelica Cifuentes, OD, is CEO and Co-Founder of Bye Dry Eyes and serves as Optometric Director at Blinking Owl Eyecare in Miami, FL. She is passionate about mentorship and advocacy, and engages with a broad audience on social media through her platform, @tinyoptometrist, where she educates and advocates for eye health across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Disclosure: Dr. Cifuentes earns revenue from her social media accounts and is a consultant and speaker for Alcon.

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