On Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Vision Expo East, eyecare professionals looking to expand their influence and grow their careers gained valuable insights during the continuing education session, "Who Knows You? Why Every ECP Needs a Personal Online Brand," led by industry expert Trudi Charest, cofounder of Marketing4ECPs and author of “The Digital Sales Rep.” The one-hour presentation provided actionable strategies to help optometrists, opticians, and optical staff establish a compelling online presence, enhance their credibility, and connect with a wider audience.
“I have spent years helping eyecare professionals build and market their optical stores and practices but realized that I was missing a huge opportunity, and that was to market themselves as a professional,” explains Charest with EB. “I stumbled onto a statistic [from Rater8] that said approximately 60% of patients search the name of the practice but 40% search the name of the doctor. What happens when they search the name of the doctor or optician is the business website shows up but with the ‘about us’ page…which patients don't really care about. In an exercise for this presentation, I pulled up 100 optometrist profiles on LinkedIn, and 98 were almost empty or unoptimized. This is a clear consumer journey moment where we are not showing up.”
The session kicked off with an overview of online branding, emphasizing its importance in today's digital landscape. Charest explained how a strong personal brand can elevate visibility, establish thought leadership, and create new business opportunities. Attendees learned the key differences between personal and professional branding, the significance of authenticity, and the platforms best suited for building an effective digital presence.
A key highlight of the session was a deep dive into best practices for content creation. Charest shared tips on crafting engaging content, including blog posts, videos, and social media updates. Attendees were encouraged to focus on concise messaging, visual appeal, and interactive formats like Q+A sessions and polls to drive engagement.
Networking strategies also took center stage, as Charest demonstrated how ECPs can expand their professional connections online. Through LinkedIn, industry-specific groups, and virtual events, participants learned how to engage meaningfully with their peers. Real-world success stories of ECPs who have mastered online branding provided inspiration and practical takeaways for attendees to implement in their own digital strategies.
The session concluded with an actionable roadmap for building and maintaining an online brand, with steps involving updating their profiles, engaging with their network, and leveraging social media management tools.
Vision Expo East takes place Feb. 19-21 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Keep up with the action from the event on Eyecare Business’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and see EB’s BIG Vision Expo East Guide for a curated selection of education and events here.
