Client Inquiry Stats for 2024

Well, the last year has been tough for all creatives, we all know that. I noticed significant fluctuations – some months were incredibly busy, while others were quiet. Maintaining consistent monthly work was probably the biggest challenge for many of us, myself included.

Though I've been tracking my business metrics for years, 2024 was the first time I did it more intentionally, looking to analyze the year-end statistics. And here we go! I've prepared a report about where my clients came from, what type of work they needed, and which income sources proved most profitable (obvious, but still interesting).

Inquiries

In 2024, I received 99 (lol) project inquiries (43% for Brand Illustrations) – mostly inbound as I didn't focus much on outreach. While I plan to incorporate more outreach into my routine this year to increase success rates and project opportunities, my goal isn't to get more projects – it's to take on fewer projects at higher rates, following the "work smarter, not harder" philosophy. Let's see how this plays out in 2026!

Lead Sources

Social media plays a crucial role in my professional work. However, I aim to increase client referrals from the current 8%. This low percentage doesn't mean clients are unhappy – 99% of my projects exceed client expectations, but I rarely actively ask for referrals after project completion. That's something I have to change this year!

Inquiry Results

23% of inquiries were successfully converted into projects, while 26% – disappeared after receiving a quote (despite follow-ups). There are several reasons for this: either the budget didn't align – though I always encourage clients to discuss this as we can often adjust the scope to meet their budget – or they chose another artist without having time to notify me. I understand and accept this as part of the process. There are many artists out there 🙂

Income Sources

While direct illustration work was my main revenue source, my studio Deeply brought in 27% of the total income – which I'm super happy about! It's the studio's first year, and while I was both excited and overwhelmed about managing it, I plan to focus more on studio growth this year. Consultations and digital products (Gumroad brushes/wallpapers) contributed less than 1%. I launched consultations recently without much promotion, so this makes sense. What I'd love to explore is more passive income through artwork licensing or print-on-demand. I'm still researching if this is the right path for me, but I definitely want to explore more options!

No matter what business you're in, the sales funnel remains consistent. From my experience in sales years ago, I noticed that regardless of our efforts, success rates typically varied between 10-15% - of course, this depends on the service and its necessity to others, but I'm comfortable with this conversion rate. Illustration is a business like any other, and for me, maintaining a strong reputation and client success is crucial – this will positively impact conversion rates in the long run.

Thanks for reading!