Creating + Sending Bulletins in GovDelivery

Bulletin Information Area

In this area, you will choose your "From Address" and add your subject line and preheader. 

✍️ From Address

This is the address that will show the email came from to your recipient. Please note that we can customize the name of the email but not the actual email address. If you'd like to customize the "from" name, please email Mel. 

✍️ Subject

This is what will show up in the subject line of your email. Try to make this catchy but not phishy! 

✍️ Preheader

The preheader is optional. This is the short line of preview text that shows up below your subject line in email previews. Adding this is optional. 

Main Content Editor

This section is where you'll add the main content of your bulletin. You can add/edit text boxes, images, and headings. 

✍️ Adding Text

Your templates are set so that you have few text editing options. This helps us ensure Section 508 compliance and adherence to brand standards. 

• You can choose from paragraph, heading 1, heading 2, and heading 3. 

• You can also use bold, italics, and underline. 

• You can format text into bulleted or numbered lists. 

✍️ Adding Images

When you add images, the name of what you upload becomes the alt text, so use descriptive names.

If it is an image you'll reuse, you can change the visibility settings. 

• For any bulletins with this template: this is great if you work within the same template each time. 

• Everywhere: this allows anyone to use the image. 

• Only for this bulletin: this is a one-time upload for this bulletin only. 

This page is made up of three sections: Recipients, Bulletin Channels, and Link Tracking Parameters. The only section you need to change or update on this page is "Recipients." Everything else is optional.

Note: Adding your audience is how you will be able to work collaboratively with other topic administrators. 

Recipients

✍️ Send to Topics

Under “Send to Topics,” you will choose your audience by selecting the 🔽 button next to "To." Then, select your audience by clicking the box next to your topic selection. You may have to click the + button to expand the lists. That's really all you need to do on this page.  

✍️ Send to Segment

Please don't select anything in this section. You'll find the "Criteria" section more helpful if you're looking to send to a segment of your subscriber list. 

✍️ Criteria

If you only want to send to a portion of your subscriber list, this is where you will find the options to do that. 

Use example: if you noticed a number of recipients didn't open a particular bulletin, you could re-send that bulletin and choose here to send only to those who did not open the original bulletin. 

Bulletin Channels

These are pre-set. Please don't change them. We are investigating the sharing to social media options and will update once more information is available. 

Link Tracking Parameters

These are pre-set. Please do not change them.

Review & Send 

This page will check to make sure you've chosen an audience and added a subject line. You can do the following things from this page:  

• Send a test bulletin

• Preview your bulletin

• Delete your bulletin

• Send your bulletin now

• Scheduled your bulletin to send later

Review Your Bulletin 

✍️ Send Test

This allows you to send a test version of your bulletin to yourself and any other email address you'd like. Your email address is automatically added, but you can add any other email addresses you'd like. This is a great way to do a last proofread of your bulletin and check to make sure all of your links work. 

✍️ Preview

This allows you to see in your browser window approximately how your bulletin will look. 

✍️ Delete Bulletin

This allows you to delete the bulletin you've created. Please note that this can't be undone.

Send or Schedule Your Bulletin

✍️ Send Now

To send your bulletin immediately, simply click "Send Now" and it will be sent. You'll be rewarded with a cute animation.

✍️ Schedule

To schedule your bulletin to send later, add a date/time at the bottom of the page. Be sure to check the box under “Schedule Send Time” because even if you put a date/time, if the box isn’t checked, it will send immediately. Note that once the box is checked, the "Send Now" button will change to "Schedule." 

Bulletin Detail Report

"Yes" should automatically be selected under "Bulletin Detail Report." This will send a detailed analytics report of your newsletter's metrics four hours after it's sent. We encourage you to leave this option as "Yes" and review those reports.