What the London Olympics Will Teach Us About Increasing Patient Volume

What can the 2012 Summer Olympics in London teach healthcare marketers about increasing patient volume? That engagement between your hospital and patients is necessary online.

What can the 2012 Summer Olympics in London teach healthcare marketers about increasing patient volume? That engagement between your hospital and patients is necessary online. There’s a lot to learn from the London Olympic Athletes Social Media Hub. Here’s what you can expect to see from the Summer games.

The first “social” Olympics since Beijing four years ago, London will showcase the Olympic Athletes Hub, which collects the official Facebook and Twitter accounts of participating athletes. The general public will communicate with Olympians through the Hub.

This was not created for business owners to sell their products, instead, it was created as a means to engage and communicate with consumers.

Since most people access social media sites via smartphones and the UK has one of the world’s highest rankings in mobile data usage, I anticipate that the London 2012 Games will demolish a handful of world records in mobile data and social media usage.

What we can expect is timeliness, constant engagement between the fans and athletes, and an unfamiliar yet exciting angle of the Olympic Games.

This angle will give people around the world an opportunity to feel close to the athletes and present at the events. Simply access the Hub and follow the #London2012 hashtag to stay informed on the latest happenings in London. What this tells us about the world today is that people want insight, often personal insight — from athletes, to doctors to celebrities — that makes them feel like a part of a community. This is something that hospitals need to consider.

How are you engaging patients, especially those going through difficult times, so they feel a part of a community?