Swatara Coffee Co. uses tools from Meta to boost business

The co-owner of Swatara Coffee Co. is using the tools she gained from Meta’s Booster Gather Conference in May to improve business at the company’s two locations. 

Joanna Guldin-Noll, co-owner of Swatara Coffee Co., with locations in Annville and Jonestown, said this summer she has seen an uptick in business. 

“Being in a more rural area, we don’t have ready access to same tools that people in city might,” she said. “So, to be able to network and talk to people from all over country who are doing innovative things is cool,’ she said of the conference that was held in Washington, D.C. 

 Meta hosts the conference to give small business owners from across the country an opportunity to network with their peers and participate in a series of educational workshops aimed at helping them “boost” their social media presence and leverage Meta’s digital tools, she said. 

 Guldin-Noll has been using reels on Instagram. The short videos can showcase a product in a creative way using songs or audio from television shows that are remixed with video she takes. 

 “This is the second anniversary of our Annville location, so I used a party vibe with clips of the cookies we are serving and moments from the past two years,” she said, adding she has been getting between 3,000 and 6,000 views per reel.  

 “Attending the Meta Boost Conference was a fantastic opportunity for us to learn from experts and small business owners across the country,” she said. 

Swatara Coffee Co. began as an idea by Guldin-Noll’s husband, John, when he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012-13. After serving more than six years in the United States Navy, Noll knew he wanted to start a business that provided a sense of community and could be a destination for people to relax and congregate. 

Today, Swatara Coffee Co. employs more than 25 full- and part-time employees. The Jonestown store opened in 2017 and Annville in 2020. The stores are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Guldin-Noll said the stores encourage people to hang out and socialize or conduct business. 

 “Our mission is ‘To Build Community’ and we do this through myriad ways. One is that we choose to source many of our products locally to highlight the good works of our neighbor businesses, reduce our carbon footprint, and serve a unique product,” said Noll. 

 Guldin-Noll noted that opening a new location at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic required them to maximize their social media presence in order to drive orders, promote products and establish an online retail presence. Swatara Coffee Co. ships its products across the country and is especially proud of its growing client base to APO and FPO addresses.  

 “Rural businesses serve a need in the community that would otherwise be unmet by large, big-box establishments, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that Meta has given us,” added Guldin-Noll.