Dr. Arian Fartash, OD, creator
of Glam Optometrist.
SAN FRANCISCO—In January 2016, Arian Fartash, OD, started her blog, Glam Optometrist, as a social media amateur, however, she didn’t let her lack of social media marketing skills keep her from success. In just one and a half years, she has transformed from a newbie blogger to an Instagram guru with over 16,000 followers.

“At first, I started GlamOptometrist as a fashion blog,” explained Fartash. “However, I thought I could have more impact by educating the world about optometry in a fun, inspiring way instead. Posting about eye health, eye fashion and eyewear is an amazing opportunity to connect to thousands of people around the world.”

Fartash’s @GlamOptometrist Instagram account features the latest frame fashion, eye-inspired accessories, eyecare facts and more, with one to two new post per day to keep her audience engaged. The Glam Optometrist blog is also updated every once in a while to expand on certain topics like contact lens health and to share photoshoots.

At the beginning of her blogging career, it was difficult for Fartash to find the best way to gain followers. “When I first started, I contacted many PR agencies to help because I was not knowledgeable about social media,” she explained.


Fartash’s blog allows her to go into more detail
about issues such as eye health and fashion.
“However, the PR agencies wanted to charge upwards of $3,000 a month to take over my account and promote the GlamOptometrist brand. So instead of hiring an outside company, I spent countless hours researching how to be successful in social media. I made mistakes and learned what worked and what didn’t and I think that after some time, I created something that people really like to be a part of.”

According to Fartash, GlamOptometrist has allowed her make plenty of new connections with some of her followers, ranging from other optometrists, opticians, techs and brands. Her following, however, doesn’t just include people in the optical industry; her posts relate to anyone interested in eyewear and fashion, and as a result Fartash has also been able to build relationships with other bloggers, fashion lovers and makeup artists.

As a result of GlamOptometrist’s rapidly growing popularity, Fartash has been asked to write articles for lifestyle brands, appeared on local news stations to discuss the importance of back-to-school eye exams and participated in VPS’s “Love At First Sight” video series. “I encourage any optometrist or optical business to start their own social media page,” concluded Fartash. “With that, they can build their relationships within their community and with patients.”
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Fartash appeared on ABC7 Los Angeles
to promote children’s eye health.		Fartash posts about various eye-related topics
on her Instagram, such as this #ManiMonday
eye-inspired manicure.

To learn more about what the Glam Optometrist does, look at her Instagram account, read her blog or watch her in one of VSP’s “Love At First Sight” videos below.