Creative Business Growth Strategies Beyond Social Media

We explore why creative folks are saying goodbye to social media, why it’s not as helpful for promoting yourself anymore, and share some real-life options to help your business thrive once more.

Glenn Burgess

No matter which social media platform you prefer, you might have noticed something lately. Your favorite creative individuals are posting less, while there’s more random and time-wasting stuff. This isn’t just because of algorithms that keep showing irrelevant content. It’s also clear that fewer creatives are using social media these days.

It could be a temporary thing, but it feels like a significant change to me. I hopped on the Twitter train back in 2008 while working on a web design magazine. At that time, the web development community had wholeheartedly embraced it as their go-to platform.

It was the place to be, filled with friendly and helpful folks, a hub of creativity & inspiration, an excellent spot to connect with others (many of whom became real-life friends).

For folks in fields like illustration, graphic design, animation, and photography, platforms like Instagram played a similar role. However, the good times couldn’t keep rolling, and now, nearly two decades later, many of us are feeling a bit worn out by it all. If we’re being frank, some of us are quietly allowing our social accounts to fade away.

We haven’t formally abandoned or canceled these platforms, and it’s unlikely that we ever will. We might still drop a post now and then. However, for the majority of us, it’s no longer a crucial part of our professional lives.

Digital burnout

Recently, we’ve delved into the question: Is social media still the go-to for self-promotion? The short answer is increasingly, no. And there are well-documented reasons for this shift.

We’re all exhausted from the constant pursuit of clicks, likes, and other validations, which takes a toll on our mental well-being. From a practical standpoint, we’re not seeing the same level of engagement, and this creates a cycle as more of us step away from social media and interact less with each other.

Additionally, with the emergence of new platforms like Mastodon, Blue Sky, Threads, and more, there’s simply an overwhelming number of networks to keep up with these days. At its core, we’re all grappling with digital fatigue. Especially after the pandemic, it turns out that real-life interactions are what we’ve been missing all along.

This applies not only to our psychological well-being but also to our careers. While platforms like Twitter helped us build connections for many years, we’ve come to realize that it’s word-of-mouth recommendations and networking opportunities that have yielded the best results.

In essence, today we’re pondering the purpose of social media from a professional standpoint. If it’s about staying connected to the creative community, that’s perfectly fine (and we’d love for you to continue doing so through our Twitter – although we can’t quite bring ourselves to call it ‘X’). However, if the goal is self-promotion, it might be time to redirect our efforts elsewhere.

Wondering how to grow your freelance creative business without relying on social media? Here are some friendly suggestions to help you out.

1. Get networking IRL

First and foremost, it’s essential to venture into the real world. You don’t need to reside in a big city like London to meet fellow creative minds. Wherever you live, even in more rural areas, you’ll likely find kindred spirits. It might take a bit more effort to discover them or even create your own group.

Regardless of your location, make it a goal to attend at least two networking events each month. Approach these gatherings with a friendly demeanor and a genuine eagerness to forge new connections.

2. Email people!

Secondly, it’s time to reach out directly to clients and potential clients. Posting cool stuff on social media used to do the trick, but for most of us, that’s not as effective anymore, unless you’re exceptionally talented or super lucky. So, let’s focus on different approaches.

For your existing clients, shoot them an email. Share some news that might affect their business and offer a solution proactively. It could be as simple as discussing what they plan to do with Twitter turning into X.

Now, for potential clients, go find the people you’d love to work with. Write them a friendly message explaining why you admire their work and suggest ways you could help improve their business. Who wouldn’t appreciate a message like that? Even if they’re not interested at the moment, they might pass your name along to others.

If emails seem to be ignored, consider sending physical mail. That’s how we used to do things in the “good old days,” and people still enjoy receiving something tangible and personal in the mail.

3. Build your own platform

Thirdly, invest some time in building and nurturing your own platforms. These could be things like your own website, a newsletter, or a blog. Yes, it requires some effort, but think about how much work it takes to constantly post on various social platforms.

And on those platforms, you don’t even have full control over your content or how it’s presented to others – the platforms do, and they can restrict, hide, or even delete it at their discretion.

On the flip side, when you create your own platform, you have complete control and ownership of your content. Your followers will always get to see your content just the way you intended it.

4. Optimise your website for Google

Fourth, keep in mind the power of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Google has the potential to drive a significant amount of traffic to your website or blog if you set it up correctly and consistently publish inspiring and valuable content.

It’s not about cramming keywords into your text; it’s about making your content genuinely useful and relevant to your audience. You also need to do a few technical things to ensure that Google can access and rank your content properly on its search pages, like adding descriptive alt text to images.

By doing this, you’ll attract more organic and relevant traffic compared to the sometimes chaotic world of social media. This makes it easier for potential clients to discover you.

5. Look locally

Lastly, consider searching for opportunities close to home. Let your friends and family know that you’re available for work and ask them to spread the word. Pay a visit to local businesses you admire and let them know you’re available to assist them.

Many times, you could be the first designer, illustrator, photographer, etc., who has ever reached out to them, so you might find a welcoming reception. You’ll be pushing on an open door.

6. Ask for testimonials and reviews

No matter how polished your website looks, what truly sways people into booking your services is hearing how satisfied your previous clients are. So, reach out to everyone you’ve worked with, both past and present, and request testimonials and reviews.

If they’re glowing five-star reviews, proudly display them on your website, in your newsletters, and perhaps even a short snippet in the footer of your emails. Even if the feedback isn’t perfect, it gives you a chance to gather valuable insights on how to improve in the future.

Moreover, simply asking for a testimonial can remind past clients of your existence and may prompt them to book your services again!

These suggestions might come across as straightforward and, well, not as exciting. We have to admit that many of them require some effort, and you won’t experience the instant gratification of likes and comments from your social media followers.

However, when it comes to actually securing paying clients who support your livelihood, trust us: these strategies will be much more effective. In times when rent, bills, and food costs are on the rise, these methods will ultimately bring you more satisfaction than the fleeting and often superficial interactions on social media.