What’s New in Your 2025 Internal Communication Strategy

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On 30th December, I was sitting with an old friend and partaking of his hospitality.

His 12-year-old son Parth was out at a classmate’s home.

To check when Parth would return home, my friend sent him a WhatsApp message.

Parth replied. But not on WhatsApp! On Instagram!

His message told his father in no uncertain terms that Insta DMs were the new ‘in thing’. WhatsApp was ‘totally old’.

On the way home, I wondered at this exchange of messages. And how it held potential  in the area of internal communications.

That led to musings about what would be the key drivers of Internal Communications in 2025.

Today, internal communications is not just about keeping a diverse and dispersed workforce informed. It’s about using communication to build engagement, reinforce values and shape culture – in a digital first landscape and with increasingly digital-native employees.

For those of you who are keen to improve your Internal Communication planning, here are some pointers:

1. Empathy will win in a world of division

People want a workplace that doesn’t just pay lip service to empathy and respect — they want to feel it, more so given the worldwide strife taking place all around us.

86% of employees say workplace empathy is crucial, yet only 50% believe their organisations deliver on it — underscoring a gap that leaders are aiming to bridge in 2025.

Internal Communications teams need to prioritise creating a culture where all voices feel respected and valued.

As an internal communicator, you could create communication guidelines that promote respect and open dialogue. Also consider how your content can be more inclusive not only with what it says, but how it says it. Greater gender diversity in imagery, informal video bytes from leaders (instead of lengthy written emails), audio formats such as success stories in the form of podcasts, and so on.

2. Digital tools will ‘feel’ more and more like Instagram and YouTube

This is the example mentioned at the outset of this piece.

The fact is that today, social media influences everything we do, and the workplace is no exception. More internal comms platforms are and will continue to add social media-style features to make work communication more engaging. So, from an employee experience point of view, the technology used in a firm is likely to be more on the lines of an Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Here are some ways organisations would encourage user-generated content:

•   Will enable employees to share daily updates, work wins, and personal highlights from their workday.
•   Will create digital spaces where employees can connect and chat about shared interests, hobbies, and personal passions.
•   This can help internal communicators curate your homepage as an internal news feed, showcasing an employee’s unique view of relevant content.

3. Mobile-first strategies will take centre stage

As an internal communicator, you need to see the mobile as the primary channel for reaching all employees. Here, you can create concise and visual content that’s easy to see on a smartphone — short videos, bite-sized news updates — to make important information instantly accessible and boost engagement.

4. AI will be a constant companion

From writing support to content recommendations, AI is becoming a game-changer to help internal comms teams boost efficiency and personalise content. And they’re already excited about the innovation: 75% of users are looking to automate tasks at work and use generative AI for work communications.

Generative AI has emerged as a powerful co-creator for internal comms, allowing teams to craft messages from scratch, refine drafts, or adjust tones with ease. Need to send a CEO message with a warm, motivational tone or an urgent update that’s clear and concise? Either way, generative AI’s got your back.

AI tools can also analyse how employees engage with content, helping internal comms teams understand what resonates and adjust messaging accordingly. For instance, if engagement spikes with video updates, teams can double down on that format.

5. Gamification will transform engagement

Gamification? In internal communications, you may ask? Yes!!

It is already being used and is making engagement fun and rewarding. This trend goes beyond simple points or badges — it’s about fostering healthy competition and building team spirit. In fact, 9 in 10 employees  (as per Talent LMS’s 2019 Gamification at Work Survey) say gamification makes them feel more productive and happier at work.

IC teams can create leaderboards around metrics like onboarding activities participated in, peer recognition received, or training modules completed. This can spark a friendly sense of competition, especially when teams work toward a collective goal.

Employees can unlock digital achievements for reaching milestones like work anniversaries, completing major projects, or receiving continuous positive feedback. These achievements can be showcased in their profiles or even appear as badges in chat interfaces.

6. Hyper-personalisation will redefine internal communications

In today’s data and AI driven world, internal communications teams can segment communications to targeted groups:

•  By role: If you’re a manufacturer, the messages your plant workers care about will likely differ from your employees at headquarters
•  By location: Similarly to role-based content, consider personalising communications by location because what is relevant in location A may not be relevant in location B
•  By channel: Use back-end analytics to identify the channels where employees prefer to receive their information so you can ensure optimal engagement

The above would create a more relevant experience that resonates with employees on an individual level.

7. More non-synchronous communications will be used

This will be owing to the fact that employees are increasingly scattered across time zones, locations and schedules/ shifts. Non-synchronous communication means that people do not have to be online all the time to receive and respond to communications updates.

To ensure this, create digital assets or content hubs which can be accessed by employees at different times/ in different places.

8. Use of internal influencers will increase

By tapping internal influencers, internal comms teams can champion messages and initiatives authentically, much like influencers do externally.

Start by identifying well-regarded and highly engaged employees across departments who can act as ambassadors for key company initiatives. These ambassadors can create and share their own updates, tips, or personal stories — like on social media — giving an authentic perspective that feels relatable and trustworthy. Use of these ‘influencers’ will also humanise a lot of the communications.

Lastly, if you would like to know about these trends in greater detail from experts in the field, do call us at TIC to see how we can add value to your internal communications program.

 

To get in touch for our services or any other communication requirement, please contact + 91 842 581 4016 / 17 or simply drop an email at solutions@ticworks.com.