Case Study: Coffee Shop Social Media

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Case Study: Coffee Shop Social Media

In the fall, I started working with a coffee shop owner who knew he needed to be more active on social media. More than just active, he knew he had a few challenges and opportunities on his hands. First, his customers – and even some of his staff – didn’t know about many of their sustainability practices. For example, they serve organic coffee and recycle all of their coffee grounds with a local composter. The ethos of his coffee shop wasn’t being promoted or even shared.

Also, he wanted to share more local news and more information on the sustainable coffee industry, to supplement posts and shares about his own shops.

This is a case study of how we produced some astounding results in just one month.

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What it’s like being a digital nomad: working from the road

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What it’s like being a digital nomad: working from the road

Since February of 2016, I’ve worked while traveling. I’m a marketing professional serving non-profits and small businesses around online fundraising, website and social media management, e-newsletters, and integrated marketing campaigns. All my work can be done online or on the phone, so I took the opportunity this year to move, explore, and see new places while working with clients.

It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely possible and I thought I’d devote a blog post to describing how I work. This may clarify some things with potential clients, but it may also answer some questions from aspiring digital nomads.

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Notes from 100 Coffee Shops in 7 Months

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Notes from 100 Coffee Shops in 7 Months

When I embarked on a road trip across the US, I wanted to see new cities and states, national and state parks, old friends, and new views. As the wheels kept turning, it became obvious that my real purpose was to take a coffee tour across the country. Of course, I knew I was addicted (ahem, passionate) about lattes, pastries, and coffee shop life before embarking on my travels, but the way I enjoyed coffee shops at home had almost become second nature – they had become my “third place” each weekend and even many mornings and evenings.

On the road, my enthusiasm for coffee (and coffee shops) became vital once I could no longer rely on the routines of home. Soon I found myself visiting one or two, sometimes three, new coffee shops in a day. Coffee shops became the places I had breakfast, picked up local newspapers, overheard local chatter and accents, got my caffeine fix, and continued to work for my marketing clients.

On August 30th, I rolled into Eugene, Oregon and visited my 100th coffee shop on this, so far, seven month road trip across the United States. Tailored Coffee Roasters was a great landing spot for my 100th and I enjoyed a small iced caramel latte, a slice of really great avocado toast, and good conversation with the barista.

Here’s a best-of recap of the 100 coffee shops I’ve visited in the previous seven months.

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Finding a Coffee Oasis off the Loneliest Road in America

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Finding a Coffee Oasis off the Loneliest Road in America

Five long miles off The Loneliest Road in America, US Route 50, in Baker, Nevada, population 68, stands a tiny little coffee cart open six days a week from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. As I sit down to talk with the owner, Rachel Gale, she waves to every local car that drives by and greets her customers by name. It’s clear that The Magic Bean Coffee Cart is filling more than one need in this small community.

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Cherry Pie in Capitol Reef National Park

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Cherry Pie in Capitol Reef National Park

The most memorable part of Capitol Reef National Park was the pies. Yes, baked pies: apple, strawberry-rhubarb, cherry, peach, and mixed berry pies. All fresh, all warm if you get there early enough, and the perfect (luxurious) serving size for two.

The pies were for sale at the Gifford Homestead, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s a small farmhouse and cultural demonstration site, situated amongst the 200 acre Fruita Rural Historical District and just a short walk from the Fruita Campground where we stayed for several nights in June.

We made it a daily ritual to go for a sunrise hike and, upon returning, grab a cup of coffee and pie from the Gifford Homestead. If I had to imagine heaven, the Fruita District of Capitol Reef might be in my top three scenarios. Still, there was much more to the national park…

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Five Days in Longmont, Colorado

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Five Days in Longmont, Colorado

Longmont, Colorado is the perfect epicenter for a mountain adventure, whether the priority is hiking, beer, food, bicycling, coffee, or photography. It’s 16 miles from Boulder, 30 miles from Fort Collins, 39 miles from Denver, and 43 from Rocky Mountain National Park, but it’s a suburb entirely worth its own visit if you want a hub from which to access these locations.

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Austin, Texas: So Much of Everything Good

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Austin, Texas: So Much of Everything Good

I knew I would like Austin, Texas, but I had no idea how much I enjoy the city nor for what reasons. Everyone knows Austin as the live music capital of the world, but I soon discovered a mind-blowing food and coffee scene in the Texas capital as well. Apparently, I’m not alone in appreciating the city. Austin Demographer Ryan Robinson has document 150 people moving to Austin each day and 40 leaving each day, for a net gain of 110. Can you imagine the U-Haul business?

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