Seven tips to enhance your social brand

Hamza Mussa – aka The Crazy Optom – shared his advice for practitioners looking to boost their social media presence at Optometry Tomorrow

4 min read

Getty/Igor Suka

Selina Powell

16 June 2026

An optometrist who has accrued more than 46,000 followers on Instagram shared his tips for building an engaging social media presence at Optometry Tomorrow (14–15 June, Harrogate Convention Centre).

Hamza Mussa, who posts on Instagram as ‘The Crazy Optom’, provided his guidance on building an online presence while maintaining professionalism and patient confidentiality.

Here, OT summarises seven key takeaway messages from his presentation.

1 Keep your employer in the loop when building your social presence

For aspiring content creators, Mussa emphasised the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality and professionalism when posting online.

“Before you start a social channel, if you’re not working for yourself, speak to your employer to make sure that they are aware," he said.

“This makes sure everyone is on the same page and comfortable with what you are doing,” Mussa added.

2 Be realistic about the pitfalls of online spaces

Mussa noted that people should be prepared for the loss of control that comes when something is posted online.

“We know that social media can be a fantastic environment, but it can also be a scary place at times,” he said.

“People may not respond well to what you are doing and you can’t control that. Before starting out, it’s really important that you are comfortable with the notion of that happening,” Mussa shared.

3 Know your audience and story

When developing a social media brand, Mussa encouraged practitioners to consider who their target audience is.

For example, they may be aiming to speak to other optical professionals, to students or members of the public.

“Pick your audience first before you start designing your content,” Mussa recommended.

The focus of a social channel may be fashion-forward, clinical, or a mixture of the two.

“You may be documenting your own journey and how it has gone over time,” Mussa said.

4 Know your voice

The optometrist also emphasised the value of developing an authentic voice.

“People don’t want a monotonous, commercial tone. You need to find your own style,” he said.

Mussa noted the value of creating personable content.

“Everyone who has done really well within optometry, their personality has shone through,” he said.

He encouraged delegates to consider their challenges as well as their successes, noting that behind the scenes content can be popular.

“People are bored of seeing curated perfection. They don’t want to see the highlights reel of your best moments – people enjoy real content,” he said.

5 It’s ok to experiment

Mussa acknowledged that it can take time to develop a style and tone that works on social media.

“You might post something and it’s horrible. That’s fine – delete it and try again,” he said.

“You can experiment with different styles to see what resonates with your audience,” Mussa shared.

6 Consistency is key

When deciding what social content to post, Mussa encouraged practitioners to consider what types of content will enable them to post on a regular basis.

“You want to do something that allows you to achieve consistency. If you’re spending three weeks editing one video, that is not going to work for you in a social space,” Mussa advised.

Mussa noted that practitioners should keep content creation at a level where they are not placing unnecessary pressure on themselves and can still enjoy creating content.

“Social media is a great thing, but it can cause pressure and burnout,” he said.

He advised practitioners to be patient as their social presence grows.

“Organic growth will take time. It always does,” Mussa shared.

“Don’t become disheartened. Once you’ve found your content style and your audience is dialed in, if you keep consistent it will grow,” he said.