Bow Truss was recently profiled in an article on NBC Chicago discussing the benefits of using Tumblr for small businesses. In the article we explain how Tumblr helps connect us to both a local and global community of coffee lovers while enabling us to share the space’s personality. We also break down how we use social media to create a narrative and build a community around the Lakeview roaster.

From Inc.Well, NBC’s how-to blog for Chicago business:

The world of coffee tends to be called a “community” for a reason—from farm to roaster to cup, there’s a deep interest in pretty much every step in the process. When we began planning Bow Truss Coffee Roasters’ online presence, it was important for us to emulate the same feeling cafes evoke: comfort, enjoyable chatter and, of course, coffee. We recognized that Bow Truss had the opportunity to bring people into the fold of the coffee community in-store and out by tapping into the sense of sharing that is micro-blogging platform Tumblr’s core.

Bow Truss isn’t just a cafe in Chicago, it’s also a coffee roaster that provides artisanal roasts to restaurants like Maude’s, Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf and Doughnut Vault in additional to online sales of whole beans and partnership with companies like Mistobox. We work hard to tell a larger story about coffee that is as accessible to readers around the world as possible. We frequently release special labels, unique blends and fun project collaborations like our recent Threadless Specialty Coffee design contest. Suddenly, Tumblr viewers who followed the #Coffee hashtag to find gorgeous photos of a warm cup of coffee can be linked to our online shop where they can buy the beans we’re talking about and brew them up at home.

Read the rest of our tips for building a community using social media here.