How Flocknote Surpassed All Expectations for This Diocese

When I joined the Communications Office in the Diocese of Altoona – Johnstown, we had a variety of ways to reach our people, but it didn’t seem to be enough. These outlets were helpful spreading our message, but they couldn’t reach all of the members in the diocese consistently or at a moment’s notice, let alone show metrics or success rates. Though a lot of wonderful work was being done, it just wasn’t enough to reach everyone. My director would ask me, “Justin, how can we reach our people with the good our diocese is doing?” We knew we needed a diocesan software that worked for us and our parishes.

At the time, we were moving away from our increasingly expensive newspaper and the Covid-19 pandemic was on our doorstep. This transition, coupled with the unknown of the pandemic, created a perfect storm. Not only did we need a way for the Bishop to communicate with his people, but we also needed to help our priests connect with their flock.

One of our dedicated priests, trying to keep his parishioners informed, even tried mailing newsletters to each household in his parish. This was a great idea and helped his community, but he quickly had to stop because of the cost and how time-consuming it was to accomplish.

After we partnered with Flocknote, those high expenses and long hours were things of the past! We were able to send messages to all members of the diocese much more frequently than before, and for the first time, we could see instant and thorough analytics on each message sent. Knowing how many people opened our messages and clicked our links (as well as instant feedback through comments and replies) were game changers! We now had the critical insights of our people to know what they wanted to hear from us, and what was important to them. We could also ensure our parishes had a tool to reach their members easily without any hassle.

Among many other messages, our E-newsletter was able to be sent out more frequently then before, filled with content that helped build a more connected church for tens of thousands in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

Though we were initially looking for a better way to communicate, Flocknote quickly surpassed all expectations in communications and beyond!

Flocknote made messages look professional, yet fun and interactive. Not only were we proud to send notes, we knew parishioners enjoyed reading them. Along with features that allow members to complete polls, Signups, reply to messages, add buttons and videos, and so much more, we were able to expand our outreach and connect with more people than ever before. As a result, Flocknote quickly became our favorite diocesan software!

Not to mention the excellent support we received from our dedicated account manager and the other Flocknote Happiness Engineers, getting our parishes started and trained to use Flocknote was easy and “hands off” for our already busy Communications team. After getting the Chancery office set up, they took over calling our parishes, giving personalized training, and setting our parishes up for success to connect with their people.

If you’re interested in discovering how Flocknote can help your diocese, send an email to diocese@flocknote.com or schedule a phone call at Flocknote.com/call. We look forward to speaking with you and chatting out next steps!

Written by Justin Kirkland

Flocknote Happiness Engineer