These wise words come from none other than the incredible force that is Suz Chadwick. As a business and mindset coach, Suz is passionate about helping female founders build a profitable business with a courageously bold and magnetic brand. With stacks of masterclasses, training courses and events under her belt, Suz teams up with business owners to help them become a bold and powerful voice in their industry. We sat down with her to chat about how she’s built such an engaged community on social media, her top tips for businesses on social media and what’s next for her business in 2022 (and beyond). Let’s dive into her story below!
Growing a supportive and empowered community
A post shared by Business & Mindset Coach for Female Entrepreneurs (@suzchadwick) “When I started my business in 2015, I mainly used Facebook. Facebook groups and lives were all the rage, and so that seemed like the best place for me to build and grow my audience. I started a Facebook group called EPIC Women in Business and grew that group to around 4000 women in business without too much effort. It helped me to grow my brand as members would let other people know about the group, which was great. I would do live broadcasts in the group and share business tips and advice, and I got many of my first clients from that group. I was also on Instagram but not using it the way I use it today. I was trying to figure Instagram out back then and didn’t see the point of growing it, which I’m kicking myself now about. I was also using Facebook for paid advertising to spread the word about the live events I was hosting in Melbourne, which helped me get the word out and build a local audience.”
Building real-world connections through social media
A post shared by Business & Mindset Coach for Female Entrepreneurs (@suzchadwick) “Right now, with Instagram being my main platform, I just love the people you meet and the access to many people I love and admire personally and professionally. It’s helped me grow my audience and attract amazing clients; it is just so much fun. If I can grow a community and make great money with something that feels (most of the time) easy and fun, then I’m all in!”
Life before and after Plann
A post shared by Business & Mindset Coach for Female Entrepreneurs (@suzchadwick) “I can’t remember what it was like before I had Plann. I think I had another platform but didn’t use it. I’m such an aesthetics girl. I want to work with tech that works, is beautiful, and I love all the bonuses you get with Plann, like the content calendars and masterclasses. I also think (from memory) I wasn’t near as consistent as I am now because I can plan and schedule. Also, being able to cross-post is one of my favourite things. Because I’m such an Instagram girl, that’s where I’m creating my best content, so being able to share a lot of that across Facebook and Linkedin when I want to is fantastic. Such a time saver!”
Creating meaningful relationships with social media
“It’s where the majority of my community has come from—collaborating with other businesses and having a place where people can get to know the real me behind the scenes. When I speak to my clients and community, they usually find me through my book, ‘Play Big, Brand Bold’ or The Brand Builder’s Lab Podcast, and then they come and follow me on Instagram, where the relationship is built. The DM’s have been excellent for growing that more profound connection with people. People want to be seen and heard, and social can sometimes feel like you get lost in the crowd. So making time to connect with my community through IG lives or stories make it all more meaningful and personal.”
And Suz’s favorite Plann feature?
A post shared by Business & Mindset Coach for Female Entrepreneurs (@suzchadwick) “I’m a little obsessed with the Stats tab, and I like to check my growth numbers, engagement and website clicks. Being able to see all of my stats across all of my platforms is excellent. I’m a numbers girl, so it’s important to track how my content is performing, but it also helps me make informed content decisions based on what my audience engages with the most.”
Helping clients excel in their businesses.
“I tell all my clients about Plann because it’s so amazing, and it’s always getting better too, which is exciting. For me, it’s saved so much time. I love having access to all my social accounts and being able to create content and hold it for later, post it now, schedule it across platforms, and so much more. Social content is just part and parcel of business, so if you can get one software (which Plann is) that helps you be everyone at once, why wouldn’t you do that? I always tell my clients about everything I can do, and they are always amazed. I love the Plann team and all the additional things they do and share. As a business coach from a brand background, I always value the customer experience and the surprise and delight factor – which Plann does well.”
How to find social media success with Plann
“I think making life easy for yourself with great photography and templates works so well. With reels coming in now, the aesthetic is a little harder, but I also think it’s not as important as it used to be. As video grows, the quality of the content is getting more attention. I still try to keep my color palette as consistent as I can. I use solid color in my feed for carousel content. I have a lot of professional photography, so I use that as it’s on the brand too. Everything you create is on brand automatically makes creating a beautifully aesthetic feed much easier.”
Top tips for brands looking to rise on social media in 2022
“Utilize the features that each platform is prioritizing. Social media and their algorithms are changing quickly. To grow and perform well, it’s best to utilize a feature that a platform releases. If the app prioritizes it, then you have a greater chance of reaching more people. For example, Instagram is prioritizing reels the most. So, therefore, as a creator in the current times, using reels the most is the best way to approach Instagram.”
What’s next for Suz?
A post shared by Business & Mindset Coach for Female Entrepreneurs (@suzchadwick) “I like to keep my business simple and clean, so I work with my clients (stage 1) in Bold Business Academy (BBA) and then (stage 2) in my Amplify Mastermind. I’m always building and growing those two programs, speaking at events, running retreats a few times a year, and writing my second book. That keeps me busy, makes me happy, and allows me to have the impact I want as well – so that’s enough for me!”
Ready to supercharge your success on social media?
Looking for an all-in-one content creation suite that allows you to manage your social media channels effortlessly? From mapping out your strategy and designing your graphics to saving plug-and-play hashtag sets, you’ll find everything you need inside Plann. Go on, and redeem your 7-day free trial of Plann Plus. If you don’t like it, keep using Plann for free!
