Using Social Media for a Public Service Project: Theodore Knell and Wounded Warriors

Social media platforms offer tremendous opportunities for businesses to get in front of prospective target markets.

And social media platforms also have an equally important role in providing tremendous opportunities to offer public service to a niche group of people.

I first met author Theodore Knell online through a mutual connection who, if I remember correctly, found me on Twitter.

Theo is an ex-British Special Forces soldier who saw combat all over the world during his 22 years of service in the military. His memoir FROM THE CORNERS OF A WOUNDED MIND is incredibly compelling.

He uses both narrative and poetry to convey the emotions of soldiers who, in order to protect those of us safe at home, must undertake dangerous and psyche-crushing missions.

Theo was new to social media when his book was published, and he was very open to learning from others.

Now he has taken his use of social media to another level by creating a forum called "Hushed Voices." Here is the intro to the forum:

Are you the spouse, family member, or close friend of a serving or ex-serviceman or woman? Are you struggling with the changes in your warrior after an operational deployment? If so, then "Hushed Voices" was created with you in mind.

This community is open to service families across the world, regardless of which flag your warrior fights under. Whether it's American, English, Australian etc, we all suffer in the same way, and it's you, our families, who are left to pick up the pieces and cope with the fall out.

In a very short period of time Theo has gone from using social media to get out the word about his book to using social media to help others who have experienced the trauma that he and his family have experienced.

I immediately joined his new forum to give support to this project, and I hope you will also consider joining. Public service projects such as this one truly deserve our support.

Visit Theo's forum Hushed Voices right now.

© 2011 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ZimblerMiller and Yael K. Miller can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MillerMosaicLLC

Miller Mosaic has a set of three how-to social media videos – Twitter, Facebook Page and LinkedIn – to help people set up their accounts on these sites.