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Promoting Cyprus to the World: A Conversation with Chris Odysseos
In an exclusive chat, Chris Odysseos, founder of the "Cyprus" Instagram page, opens up about his deep connection to the island nation and his mission to introduce its splendors to a global audience. From sharing the initial spark that led to the creation of his influential platform to outlining future expansions, Chris's passion for his homeland shines brightly in every word.
Dive in to learn about the dedication behind each post and the grand vision of turning a personal love affair with Cyprus into an expansive community and brand.
Chris, could you please share the initial inspiration behind starting the Instagram page "Cyprus"? What made you decide to dedicate a platform to promoting the beauty of Cyprus?
Chris Odysseos: "I love Cyprus so much and I love learning more about the island and seeing great things come out of there. I would post about Cyprus almost all the time on my personal social media accounts so I figured it was time to build up a platform dedicated solely for everything about Cyprus to reach the entire world instead of just my personal followers. For a small island with so much to offer from rich history, culture, food, over 300 days of sun, some of the best beaches in the world and I could go on... I feel like Cyprus is way under-marketed to the world. Not many people globally even know where Cyprus is or have heard of the country and I personally want to show as many people as I can what a beautiful place it is."
As the founder and curator of this page, can you describe your workflow? How do you choose what to post and do you have a specific routine for engaging with your followers?
Chris Odysseos: "Running @Cyprus is interesting and rewarding! My inbox is flooded with DMs, mentions, and tags daily and I weave through them first thing in the morning searching for cool content to repost. Most of the stories shown are reposts from people who tag @Cyprus. I like that because the audience can see what's going on in Cyprus in live time from people currently in Cyprus. That's the easy part! Searching for what to post is more challenging. To stay active on Instagram, I aim to post 3-5 posts a week. I usually plan what I post 1 week out. Once I figure out what I want to post I schedule the posts in a queue to post at certain high traffic times throughout the week. I usually spend a few hours on the weekend searching Instagram for inspiration and content. When I'm in Cyprus, I shoot and create my own content. I also message and meet up with creators in Cyprus for content. I look for high quality pictures or videos of Cyprus with a certain aesthetic that really show off what an amazing place Cyprus is. After all, I want the person who visits the page to eventually want to visit Cyprus if they haven't already. For those who have previously visited Cyprus, I want them to look forward to coming back. My favorite thing to post is nostalgic content that Cypriots can relate to so that Cypriots both in and out of Cyprus can be reminded and proud of their home. Lastly, I try to reply to comments on my posts and DMs as best as I can to help people out with any questions they ask about Cyprus."
© @Cyprus
Cyprus is obviously a very significant place for you. Could you elaborate on what the country means to you personally?
Chris Odysseos: "Cyprus for me is definitely a place I call home. It's where my family is from and where my roots are. There's this indescribable, yet amazing feeling I get every time I'm on the airplane and the wheels touch down on the runway in Larnaca. Living thousands of miles away for most of the year in New York City, I think about Cyprus quite a lot. I feel that being away from Cyprus makes me treasure it more. The Cypriot culture has definitely shaped me in my approach to everyday life and I can even say that part of Cyprus lives within me."
Looking ahead, what future projects or plans do you have for the "Cyprus" page? Are there any specific goals you're working towards or new content types you're planning to introduce?
Chris Odysseos: "The possibilities for @Cyprus are endless! This all started out as a hobby for me and slowly but surely it grew to the scale it has today. Being given the chance to collaborate with luxury hotels and brands in Cyprus was a dream for me that's become a reality. I still think this could be just the beginning of something great. My goal now is to make @Cyprus more than just an Instagram page and build a community of Cyprus lovers while developing a brand. This October, @Cyprus is hosting its first in person event in NYC which will be the launch of the community and brand. The event will be a huge brunch party featuring Cypriot food, music, drinks and more. I'm also working towards building out the website (atcyprus.com) which will feature a blog, helpful resources, a newsletter and more. It's important to reflect on your accomplishments and equally on your mistakes each year and set new goals for yourself in order to have something to look forward to and grow as a person but also grow your brand."
Photo: Shutterstock
The New York based Founder of @Cyprus opens up about his deep connection to his home island and his mission to introduce its splendors to a global audience.
