Facebook and Twitter Integration

New features introduced today expand on SmartyPig's existing social media functionality and are a first in the banking industry! SmartyPig users now have the option to securely connect their existing Twitter and/or Facebook account to any goals that they have chosen to share with friends and family. When Twitter is connected to a shared SmartyPig goal, SmartyPig will automatically post to that Twitter account any time funds are added towards meeting a goal. The Facebook connect feature works similarly, posting to the Facebook user's wall every time funds are added towards meeting a goal that they have chosen to share. The best part about this connectivity is that the posts and tweets happen automatically. So even if you are not logged in to your SmartyPig, Twitter or Facebook account, SmartyPig will continue to post tweets and wall posts on your behalf when funds have been added to your goal. Again, this type of connectivity is a first in the banking space so we are really excited to get your feedback. Check out the screen shots below from my own personal account! Connecting to your Facebook or Twitter account is simple. Here's the Facebook and Twitter connect pages.

Once connected, the page expands and you can now select the goals you would like SmartyPig to post/tweet on your behalf. In addition, you can include a link to your SmartyPig sharing page, so friends and family can easily contribute to your goal!

And here is an example of what a tweet and wall post looks like to your friends and followers, anytime funds are added to your goal (via recurring monthly contribution, one-time adds of money and gifts from family and friends).

Enhanced Widget

Second, we heard loud and clear that you wanted more customizable options for the widget so we completely enhanced the widget creation process. As of today, we launched an entirely new customizable widget that allows you to include multiple goals, customize messaging and graphics, link to your SmartyPig sharing page and integrate with over 28 social destinations like Facebook, MySpace, blogger and more. Here is the widget creation page:

And here is a sample widget:

Setting and achieving a goal is a very empowering experience and many of you enjoy involving your friends and family in the process. Please test run the new Facebook and Twitter connect features and enhanced widget and let us know what you think.

Thanks!

Mike Ferrari, co-founder
@mferrari

Lisa Kelly, a three time cancer fighter found that medical bills were adding up after being laid off from her job. She added the SmartyPig widget to her blog so that her freinds, family and readers can contribute money to her medical expenses goal and she can focus on getting well. View Lisa's site here.

We also heard about Andrew and Liz Sherburne. Moving into a new house can be stressful and it turned into somewhat of a nightmare for them. Less than thirty days after moving in, the floods of 2008 hit their home hard. Without flood insurance the cost to clean up and fix their home skyrocketed. Friends and family wanted to know how they could help. The Shurburnes set up a goal for their home improvement and are watching their goal grow in part to others generosity. View the Sherburne's site here.

This is what SmartyPig is all about. It's the piggy bank of the 21st century. Social networking is playing a tremendous role in day to day life and that's something SmartyPig wants to be a part of. By making goals public, cancer fighters and flood victims, newly engaged couples and recent graduates can all benefit from the contributions of others. SmartyPig can be much more than saving.

We have a new widget option for sharing your public goals with friends and family. We are leveraging the Clearspring widget technology from our friends there to allow you to easily integrate your SmartyPig goal widget into the leading social networks, start pages, desktops and blogs. Such as MySpace, Facebook, Google, Dashboard, Live, myYearbook, Netvibes, Hi5, Freewebs, Xanga, Friendster, Tagged, Blackplanet, Blogger, TypePad, Livejournal, Wordpress, Hoverspot, Multiply, Eons, Pageflakes, Webwag, Orkut, Vox, Piczo, and Perfspot.

Because we are able to break the mold again and again, reacting quickly to what our customers want, we are watching as our message of responsible saving resonates from coast to coast. And it is not just about folks signing up for SmartyPig, it's what they do upon signing up: They invite others to be a part of the experience. Clusters of users have created their own SmartyPig Friends groups. Some are saving for different events like weddings, a family vacation and the latest in electronics, while others are saving for the same thing, all together, like Spring Break 2009 or their Girls Night Out.

Most importantly, all of these individuals are sharing in the goal-saving experience - just like when they share about other aspects of their lives on their social networking pages, Websites and blogs. This true banking/social application is only available on SmartyPig, and we feel our updated widget option will go a long way in our really opening up this social side of saving, letting customers build their groups, allowing others to easily help them along, and most importantly giving them another tool that will keep them focused with regard to sensible saving.

In a terrific post by blogger Guillaume he writes of a "most critical time" for banks regarding true innovation, pointing out that without paying careful attention to what is going on in areas like the social space (like SmartyPig does), traditional financial institutions could be relegated to "mere accountants." We could not agree more. Because while we, too, like to see our bank statements online, we believe that true advancement for entities in the banking space lies in allowing customers to truly interact the way they do everywhere else on the Internet.