2024 trend predictions for creatives: 10 strategies you need to know to grow your business this year

2023 was a lot. Twitter crashed, AI has taken over, and the landscape for creative businesses has been anything but predictable.

So what does 2024 have in store for us? I’ve got some thoughts, and I’m excited to share what I believe will be key focuses for creative business owners in the coming year.

Trend 1: Diversifying Income Streams

The first thing that I think is going to be important for creative business owners in 2024 is more diverse income streams, or potentially people focusing on multiple businesses (or doing multiple jobs), with the need being to strengthen and protect our cash flow. 

This is the reality of running a creative business. Of course, you need to make sure you’re having fun, but I think a lot more business owners are now realising that it’s difficult – not to mention unreliable – when you only have ONE income stream.

The pandemic was an eye-opener for this. A lot of in-person events were taken away from creatives, which forced us to go online, so online stores became very prevalent for creatives and that then became their main source of income.

So I think what we’ll see a lot more of in 2024 is people realising there are so many more ways to diversify your income streams. Whether that’s starting different businesses, adding digital products, doing paid collaborations with other people or getting a part-time job so they can supplement their income as an artist – this is the first trend I think we’ll see happen this year.

Trend 2: Pre-orders and Subscriptions

Following along with protecting our cash flow, I think we’ll see a lot more business models focusing on pre-orders and subscriptions in particular. 

Pre-orders are one of the best ways to protect your cash flow because you aren’t spending a bunch of money on products that people don't end up buying. People pay for those products before you make them. 

And then subscription-based business models (either through something like Patreon, Ko-Fi, etc) are great because you get paid upfront or on a recurring/monthly basis which is great. After all, we always want recurring revenue for its reliability. 

It's far more helpful as a business owner to have pre-orders and subscription-based things to make cash flow more consistent and reliable.

Trend 3: Creativity to Stand Out

My next trend is all about getting super creative to stand out. I have seen artists and makers do the coolest stuff and it does help them to stand out above everybody else.

“It’s about putting your thinking cap on and doing what you are meant to do, which is being creative and thinking outside the box!”

Ask yourself, “Can I do something truly special for a photoshoot to promote my collection? Can I collaborate in a way that’s fresh and unseen?” This kind of innovative thinking is what’s going to set you apart in 2024.

The same old flat lays and repetitive backgrounds aren’t going to cut it anymore. If you want to stand out next year, you’re going to need to mix things up, have some fun, and do something out of the box.

And I don't say that to scare you – it's to encourage you to get creative and have fun! Enjoy being creative, and innovative, and enjoy finding fun ways to do things.

Trend 4: Embracing AI

This next trend is already happening, and it’s all about the ongoing creative tension with AI. On one hand, AI has been known to steal creative work, which makes many of us uneasy. But there’s another side of AI that, as creatives, we can embrace, which is the side that can help us with ideation, admin tasks, and boosting productivity.

There is so much stuff that Notion AI and other tools can do. ChatGPT for example, can be incredibly useful for jumpstarting ideas, rewriting or reformatting something you’ve written, or even just automating things that you’re doing to make them that bit faster.

I know there’s a lot of hesitation around AI, and rightly so, because of the ethical concerns. But the reality is, if we don’t learn to use it, we risk getting left behind. We need to try to learn how to use it and embrace it in some ways because it can be helpful and make our lives easier.

In 2024, I think we’re going to see more creatives experimenting with AI, not for generating images (I’m not comfortable with that) but for handling admin tasks that can make our lives a bit easier because as creative business owners with a million things to juggle, anything that lightens the load is worth considering!

So, 2024 might just be the year for us to dip our toes into AI and see how it can work for us.

Trend 5: Personalised Customer Service

In 2024, personalising customer service and customising how we interact with our customers and our audiences will be even bigger. Yes, we’re already seeing it, but I think it’s going to grow even more this year.

For example, customised email funnels are a powerful way to create personalised journeys for customers based on their behaviour. Whether you're using ConvertKit or MailChimp, etc you can create customised, personalised journeys for your customers based on who they are, what they're clicking on, what products they're looking at, what things they select when they sign up for your newsletter, what they click on in your emails, etc.

You can also use chat functionality on your shop itself so that you can talk to your customers. If you're using ads to promote your products, you can customise that in really smart ways too. So instead of just putting general ads out to everyone, you can do really smart things where when somebody clicks on your ad, you can then send them a follow-up and offer a special discount specifically for them (because you know that they clicked on the ad). Ads, knowing that they've clicked on a certain product then retarget them and say Hey, I know you clicked on the ad.

Tools like RightMessage even let you customise your website’s look and content based on who is looking at your website! So if they tell you they love the colour purple, then you can change your website to purple.

Another example is Many Chat. This can be used for automating personalised DMs on Instagram when someone comments on a post with a keyword. ManyChat will then send a follow-up private DM to that person with a download link, more info, or just whatever you want to say to start a conversation.

“It’s about creating seamless, impressive customer experiences that feel personal, even when automated.”

Trend 6: Raw and Unfiltered Social Media

Something that is already happening and is going to continue happening in 2024 is creatives sharing more of that “in the moment”, real raw and unfiltered content. We've been seeing it a lot over time with people wanting fewer filters, less makeup, and more “authentic” content. 

I noticed this big time when Threads came about – people were so happy to have somewhere to post and enjoy everyone else's posts that were unfiltered and exactly what people were thinking. It's less salty less shiny and polished and perfect and more just like “This is what I'm feeling, this is what I'm thinking, this is who I am. Take it or leave it. Let's be friends. Let's talk to each other. Let's be a community. And let's just be a raw and unfiltered place.”

So I love Threads for that reason because it’s very conversational, and I’m getting to help people and talk to people just by being who I am, and them being who they are. It is the raw, unfiltered and behind-the-scenes content that people want to see and people want to share so I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of that in 2024. 

Trend 7: Long-form Content Comeback

2024 is the year when long-form content will make a comeback, which I am very thankful for. I have never personally strayed from long-form content, but I know other creatives have and are now looking to get back into long-form content such as email newsletters, blogs etc. 

Email marketing platforms, such as Substack, Convertkit etc are all thriving right now because people are coming back to those platforms to connect with their audiences through that longer-form content. It’s the same with blogs, long-form videos, and also long-form interviews.

So if you’ve been prioritising short-form content over long-form and you are someone who processes better in long-form content and you've been waiting for it to have its comeback… now is your time! 

Trend 8: Private Social Media Communities

In 2024, private social media communities are going to thrive. Whether that’s through private memberships, masterminds, messengers groups, or platforms like Patreon, Substack, Ko-fi, etc… I think that more people will move away from public social media and focus more on creating smaller, more engaged groups.

Rather than competing with the algorithm and trying to fight for your work to be seen – like when you have 10,000 followers but only reach 500 of them – creating smaller, private social media communities allows you to create real, meaningful connections. 

“People want community. So whether you’re starting your private group, joining one, or growing something like a Patreon, this shift is definitely worth prioritising in 2024.” 

I mean, broadcast channels on Instagram are already taking off, and I expect we’ll see even more of this trend in the coming year.

Trend 9: Artist Collaborations

Number eight – we are going to see more artist collaborations, and I think it’s something worth focusing on. With social media algorithms making it difficult for a lot of artists this year, collaborations are a great way to work with the algorithm and make the most of each other's audience (and have a little fun along the way!)

Some of my best moments on social media have come from collaborations, like the hundredth episode of the Brand Your Passion podcast, where I got to celebrate and promote fellow creatives. It’s all about networking, championing each other, and growing together.

Psst. You can listen to that podcast episode right here – How to grow your creative business in 2024 with Mia Saine, Renata Paton, Whitney Manney and Penelope Wickman

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So, whether it’s on social media or through creative projects you do in person, collaborating with other artists and makers can push you both creatively and help you reach new audiences too!

Trend 10: New Apps and Features

The last trend that I'm predicting for 2024 is one that you may or may not be happy about and that is that I think there are going to be more new apps and new features.

After Twitter (now X) crashed, we saw a flood of new platforms like Threads and Blue Sky. And there’s likely more to come in 2024. 

We are also losing guides on Instagram in 2024, which I’m sad about because I think they could have been so good, but nobody used them and Instagram didn't promote them well enough.

“I think the key for creatives is to stay open and willing to try new things because you never know how it could go.”

Threads could be the thing that kicks off your business and propels you into the next stage of your career, you just never know. Try it before you write it off, be open, and be prepared for more new apps, and more features. But most importantly, be open to the possibilities of what it could bring to your creative business.

So those are my predictions for 2024 trends for creatives! I’d love to know what you think (and if you have any predictions of your own!)

Send me a message on Instagram or find me over on Threads and let’s keep this conversation flowing!‍