If you've been watching the Olympic Games closely, then you've heard some pretty compelling stories about athletes who've overcome huge obstacles and heartbreaking losses to achieve triumph.
My favorite Olympian story is about Guor Marial who actually doesn't belong to any country - he is running track as an independent athlete.
The personal stories of Olympic athletes make the Games more interesting to watch
His story is that at the of 8, he ran away to escape child slavery at a labor camp in Sudan. At 16, he came to the U.S. as a refugee and discovered that he was good at distance running (No kidding!). Marial did not qualify to run for the US Olympic team as he was not a citizen. But then he refused an offer to run for Sudan, where so many including his own family have suffered.
One month before the 2012 Summer Olympics, Marial was cleared by the Olympic Committee to run as an independent athlete. Marial explains his inspiring motive:
"I'm running for the support of the United States. I'm running for the refugees and I'm running for the South Sudanese, especially."
He hopes that someone can send word to his parents (who don't even know that he is participating in the Games) so that they can find a TV set to watch him compete!
The Power of a Story
On August 1, 2012 Randall Wong, M.D. wrote an excellent article on a medical blog about "The Power of Story: The Olympics and Your Blog". The article explains how you can benefit by emulating certain aspects of the Olympic coverage.
Dr. Wong refers to the difference the "Up Close and Personal" segments make when watching your favorite sports. By taking the example set forth by the Olympic coverage, a story on your website can create a more approachable and welcoming image of you as a physician. Tell your story with an "About Me Page".
Dr. Wong sums it up: "For the next two weeks, as you watch the games on NBC, look for the stories. Realize the powerful draw for you personally...then emulate that on your website."
Stories are a powerful tool. They show that you are a person first and a doctor second. Reach out to your patients as a person. Here is the full article by Dr. Wong.
Key Takeaway
The best part about the Olympics is the stories. And so it should be with your content marketing. What makes your practice most interesting, relatable and powerful is not the service (you provide) but the stories behind the service and the people. Make sure that you tell your story somewhere on your website. Stories make you human and allow the possibility of a relationship to take place with your customers.
Over to you: Which personal Olympic story has grabbed your attention?