A key trend from the data is that, faced with muted growth and rising cost pressures, UK businesses are accelerating investment in AI-driven content and automation to work more efficiently and reach customers online.

The 2025 biannual edition of Fiverr's Business Trends Index – drawn from millions of searches across the platform since May 2025 – reveals the fastest-growing services shaping the way businesses operate. Although AI is accelerating workflows across industries, it is also heightening the need for human judgment, creativity, and storytelling.

Trending UK searches over the last six months

British entrepreneurs build globally minded, digital-first businesses

With only 14% of UK businesses seeing turnover rise in December – and over half reporting flat revenues – British entrepreneurs are increasingly leaning into digital-first, globally minded strategies to fuel growth.

Rising searches for translation, Shopify store design, app development, and lead generation show that entrepreneurs are expanding across borders, launching new businesses and competing for global customers.

Meanwhile, growth in contextual backlinks highlights the need to stand out in crowded online markets and drive search visibility. UK business owners are investing heavily in SEO and brand positioning to ensure their products and services stand out in a crowded global marketplace.

These trends reflect growing reliance on freelance talent to support cross-border expansion, digital storefront design and international marketing.

• Translation +127%
• Contextual backlinks +232%
• Shopify store design and redesign +275%
• Building a mobile app +166%
• B2B lead generation +94%

UK businesses seek AI expertise as low-code automation goes mainstream

As UK companies look for ways to increase productivity amid ongoing cost pressures, demand for AI-enabled content production continues to grow. Businesses are experimenting across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and emerging platforms,  while low-code and no-code tools are helping teams streamline repetitive tasks and reduce operational burdens. Yet even as these technologies mature, UK firms still rely heavily on skilled freelancers to build, refine and integrate AI systems.

• Faceless YouTube video creator +543%
• AI automation 76%
• AI video creator +66%
• Faceless YouTube video editor +61%,
• AI influencer +61%
• AI music video +45%

“Businesses are taking a multi-faceted approach in content creation and engagement,” said Esti Levy-Dadon, executive vice president of finance at Fiverr. “This shift toward agile, AI-enhanced creation to strengthen overall brand stories has created new categories of expertise for freelancers like 'AI directors', but it has also reinvigorated traditional storytelling – from book publishing to long-form content – showing that AI is most powerful when paired with human creativity and strategic vision.”

UK businesses focus on social media as it overtakes traditional media

With YouTube and TikTok now drawing more ad revenue than traditional media, UK businesses are rapidly redirecting their marketing budgets toward the platforms where audiences spend the most time. This shift is driving a spike in demand for freelance support across social media strategy, content creation and paid promotion, as brands look to maximise visibility and engagement in an increasingly digital-first advertising landscape.

• TikTok promotion +150%
• Social media post design +56%
• Meta ads manager +53%
• Social media manager +34%
• Instagram reels +31%
• Social media advertising +21%
• UGC video +20%

"As a business owner juggling countless demands, I didn’t have the time or team to manage the technical setup and creative content needed to grow on TikTok and Instagram,” said Merideth Jaskowski, Founder and CEO of Splitz Bedding. “Fiverr made the process simple by connecting me with talented freelancers who brought my vision to life quickly, seamlessly, and within budget."

Businesses embrace rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing

As UK manufacturers and product-led businesses navigate rising production costs and continued supply chain uncertainty, many are turning to 3D innovation to accelerate development and stay competitive. Fiverr’s data reveals a significant rise in 3D skills demand across the UK, suggesting that businesses are increasingly turning to rapid prototyping, product testing and small-batch manufacturing to stay competitive. Freelance 3D designers, engineers and animators are playing a growing role in helping companies iterate quickly and bring new ideas to market.

• 3D printing +198%
• 3D design +115%
• 3D animation +47%
• 3D artist +32%

Michelle Baltrusitis, Head of Community at Fiverr: “This year’s data reveals how UK businesses are leaning on freelancers to navigate a fast-moving economy. AI is reshaping everything, and for freelancers content development and design in particular are being impacted. We are seeing companies increasingly relying on freelance specialists to identify the right tools. Growth in areas like social media marketing, AI video creation and 3D design reinforces how organisations are using flexible talent to work more efficiently and reach new audiences. Freelancers continue to play a vital role in that transformation by providing the specialised expertise companies need to adapt, innovate and compete.”

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