 The creator economy has reached staggering figures in 2023. There are now more than 207 million content creators fueling an industry worth over $100 billion. These creators run over 51 million YouTube channels, uploading 500 hours of content every minute to the platform. Influencer marketing alone is now estimated at $16.4 billion, with brands putting more and more of their ad dollar on creator brand deals. There are also no signs of this boom stopping, and the creator economy is expected to double its value by 2027. So whether you're a multi-million dollar company or running your own personal brand, it's clear that you need to be present in this global market. But how can your brand stand out in the sea of content and what strategies should brands take in 2024 to stay ahead of the game? We're here to make sense of it all, taking you through four actionable trends from the latest Artlist trend report, gathering insights from over 7,000 creators and industry experts from Google, Amazon, Meta and more. 2024 is set to be a truly unique year. The technological advances we've seen in 2023 have triggered an entirely new generation of enthusiastic creators who are exploring new directions. Technical expertise is no longer a barrier to entry. Creativity can be unleashed by anyone from anywhere. It's going to be a wild ride. So let's take a look at the first big trend for 2024. Less technical work, more content. According to the report, 52% of creators are already using AI tools in their workflow with the number expected to rise next year. The most obvious implication is that the entry barriers for creativity have been largely removed. The easier it is to create content, the more people will do just that. Creativity is no longer the domain of a select few. With the tools and resources now available to everyone, anyone can create and share their ideas with the world. This democratization of creativity is leading to an explosion of new and innovative content from art and music to video and writing. Moving on to trend number two, push the boundaries of your brand. Having more and more content out there and technical barriers being broken thanks to new technologies means that to stand out you must experiment and take calculated risks with creative use of visuals, sounds, video and motion design. We recommend experimenting with eye candy content. Consumers love to see something different. Minimalism is out, while surrealist visuals have become the norm thanks to generative AI tools. At Artlist, we can see firsthand how much people love eye candy content that might not have obvious use cases but is beautiful and striking. Like this clip, this was one of our top three downloads in the past quarter. We expect this maximalist approach to also apply to design. Boundaries are going to break all over the place this year. With experimental typefaces, for example, we'll see letter contrast, endurance and consistency pushed to the limits by the display family typeface. Look for text styles that include whimsical lines, color schemes and letter shapes, like this template, which was one of our most popular downloads recently. Generally, we'll see more new, unconventional or unsettling designs. In addition, the rise in popularity of first-person view drones, in addition to other immersive video technologies such as the Apple Vision Pro or the Las Vegas Sphere, have shown us that consumers love awe-inspiring experiences that put them at the heart of the action. These new opportunities and exciting experiments also presents a challenge. Brands are approaching 2024 with two polarizing needs, the need to innovate and push boundaries with the need to balance their risk-taking and keep their brand safe and stable in the long run. How brands balance these two opposing trends will depend on the creators they collaborate with and the worlds those collaborations open up. Find and articulate your tone of voice. In an age where everyone has access to AI, you should be able to rise above the noise and make sure you bring something unique that reflects your personality and creation. The real challenge of 2024 is to use the tools to push what's possible. The future belongs to those who can unite their creative spark with the ability to explore and leverage technology. Moving on to trend number three, you and your brand should prioritize hiring creative fire. The more creators there are and the lower the technical barrier to entry, the more true creative talent will make the difference for brands. This is because creativity and strategic thinking matter more than ever. It's the magic that makes the difference between good, which everyone can do now, and exceptional. It's those creative people who can help you create a consistent and engaging brand identity, which is crucial to build your brand and stand out across multiple media channels in an ever-changing landscape. This is true both to your close creative team, but also to your brand's use of influencer marketing. Next up, trend number four, Creators have hacked an authentic, creative and empathetic way to connect with followers and are considered to be more reliable than the brand itself when engaging with branded content. 65% of people who follow creators state this opinion in a recent survey by Meta. So how can brands make sure they spend their influencer marketing dollar as smartly as possible? Expand your influencer marketing strategy. Think both big and small. Get the most relevant creators in your niche while also scouting for emerging talent. Value authenticity. Let the influencers you work with create content that's true to their style. It will resonate with their audience much more than strict briefs that require approval from everyone in the marketing team. To get even more insights and predictions for 2024, download the full Artlist trend report now with the link in the description. We made this resource completely free, so make sure to check it out.