I just came back from Houston where I had the opportunity to speak to attendees of the Mom 2.0 Summit on the topic of moms, new media, and social responsibility. I was honored to be on the panel with some amazing women: Karen Bantuveris from VolunteerSpot.com, Katie Laird (aka Happy Katie) from Schipul, and Diane MacEachern from the BigGreenPurse.com. The four of us were tasked with explaining why and how social media can affect positive change. Here is a link to the summary.
Since social media is still (and always) on my mind, I thought I would take this opportunity to explain MMI’s commitment to the online community. From my perspective, social media is the perfect platform for our nonprofit organization for many reasons; following are the top four.
- Our social media efforts further our mission to improve lives through financial education. MMI offers free eBooks, microsites, videos, podcasts, webinars, and webcasts, on a huge variety of financial topics. Without a doubt, our educational messages are available to more people than ever before. In 2009, more than 2 million people visited MoneyManagement.org and had access to the tools and resources to inspire positive financial change.
- Social media also allows us to communicate with—not just to—people who need or want financial information (you?). Money management is not a one time thing; it is an ongoing effort that lasts a lifetime. Our advice column, twitter stream, and Facebook page are all designed to engage you in an ongoing dialog.
- We can get to know you and you can get to know us. Financial issues are not just about money—they impact every aspect of a person’s life. Money management is so important and so personal and if working with a third party requires a huge amount of trust. It always pays to do your homework and I feel that the more information I can provide you about MMI, the better.
- It is one of the best, most timely ways we know to find out you care about. Sometimes, by the time we read about an issue in the newspaper or hear about it on television, it is too late to react. We strive to provide the most appropriate information and services in a timely manner. Social media outlets give you a voice (that we listen to carefully) so that you can tell us what you need and want.
If I had to add a fifth reason, it would be a personal one. I like talking to you. I care about what financial issues you are dealing with. I feel great when I can help, but am honest about when I can’t. For these reasons and many more, I invite you to connect with MMI.
Katie Laird, Diane MacEachern, Kim McGrigg, and Karen Bantuveris at the Mom 2.0 Summit.