This past weekend, we visited my grandmother and went to Mass at her church.

And what was the first thing she did (after I genuflected) as we walked in?

Asked me if I wanted a bulletin.

Now imagine if I hadn't been visiting, but was actually from the area and decided to go to church for the first time in a while.

Or showed up as a guest for a baptism or a wedding.

Which do you think has the greater likelihood of happening: Taking a bulletin that's right in front of me, or pulling out my phone to sign up for the parish's email newsletter?

Obviously the print bulletin.

But here's what likely happens:

Someone who's new or not involved yet picks up your print bulletin, glances at it, and goes "Oh, this isn't for me" because it looks like it's geared towards active parishioners.

And so it gets taken, but thrown out without even being read.

Meanwhile, active parishioners see your email newsletter and think "It's just everything that was in the bulletin," and so they don't open it (or open it, but don't really read it, and then complain they don't know what's going on).

That's because we tend to think of our email newsletter as a digital "copy and paste" of the newsletter.

But what if we treated the print bulletin and email newsletter as two distinct communications tools that worked together, not competed?

What if the flow actually looked like:

• A new parishioner or someone who isn't "active" takes the print bulletin (because it's actually been designed to appeal to them, not just the usual "bulletin crowd").
  ​
• Because you've laid it out strategically and with a goal in mind, they are actually intrigued to read it, not just skim it.
  ​
• You have a strategic sign-up link in the bulletin that encourages them to sign up for emails (and not just a generic "Get CHURCH NAME updates to your inbox," but actually something that they "get" as incentive for signing up).​
  ​
• Then, when they get emails from you, it's not in competition with what they already read, but they were actually prepped from the print bulletin to continue the story in the email newsletter, so they're looking out for it.

THAT'S how you "convert" print bulletin readers to digital bulletin subscribers — and not just that, but how you get those readers to be active subscribers who consistently open, read, and click...and then be more active parishioners.

(Think: More event attendees, volunteers, and donors)

In other words, making a more strategic print bulletin can actually get you more email newsletter readers!

Which is why during Bulletin Bootcamp, we're going to spend an entire week just on your email newsletter so that it complements your print bulletin, not competes with it.

(In other words, how your print bulletin can get more people to open your email newsletter, and your email newsletter can get more people to take the print bulletin.)

​
We'll talk about how to increase open rates, how to get people to sign up, and how to design it so people actually read the updates.

But most importantly? We'll talk about how the print and digital bulletins should work together towards an overall communications goal, not be seen as competing or simply a copy/paste of the other.

Today is the last day to take advantage of Early Bird pricing, so if you're definitely interested, now's the time to jump in! Use code EARLYBIRD for $3 off your registration through the end of the day.

We officially start next week, but we've already got a fantastic group of bulletin editors who are going to journey together to refresh our bulletins' design and process this summer.

We're going to

• Go item by item throughout your current bulletin to figure out where it should go (or if it should be removed!), what its purpose is, and how to get people to engage with it more
  ​
• Design the bulletin so it's more engaging for people to take, and how to lay it out so people actually read it when they do
  ​
• Figure out policies and processes so making the bulletin doesn't feel like such a mess anymore

And of course, spend a whole week talking all about your digital bulletin.

​With Bulletin Bootcamp, you can have a better bulletin that takes less time to make and gets people to actually take it, read it, and do what it says — and gets more people to open your email newsletter too!

​Sign up now to take advantage of early bird pricing, and I'll see you inside Bulletin Bootcamp!

For His greater glory,

Emily

P.S. Today's the last day to take advantage of your early bird discount for Bulletin Bootcamp! Sign up now and use code EARLYBIRD for $3 off your registration fee (and give input into when we'll be meeting for our live calls!).