AI Whisperers + The End of Corporate Blah Blah: The Internal Comms Trends + Skills You Actually Need in 2025

Feeling the pressure to deliver HBO-quality content on a PowerPoint budget? Dafna shares her thoughts on the trends and top internal comms skills for 2025.

Oh hello there, fellow comms nerd! 2025 is right around the corner and we have to get ready for what’s coming.

I know you’re here expecting to read a trendy guide on IC insights, just like the title promised. But oopsie – this article is different. Because this time, we're focusing on you. Yes, YOU, the one-person communications team who’s somehow expected to be a writer, event producer, data analyst, crisis manager, video editor, and AI-prompt engineer all at once. 

I feel you, I see what’s going on. Let’s get our shiz together and win this year!

From micro-communities to ending corporate blah blah: 2025 internal comms trends

1. Welcome to the era of the solo communicator

Remember when we had teams? 

*NOSTALGIC GOOSEBUMPS* 

These days, if you're running internal communications with actual team members, you're either working for a Fortune 500 or you're a part of a huge global enterprise. The rest of us are out there flying solo, juggling more plates than a circus performer, and yet are somehow expected to deliver HBO-quality content on a PowerPoint budget.

But look at us: we’re not just doing our best, we're killing it. Because we've gotten smarter about how we work. And, because we have very strong tools at the tip of our fingers.

2. AI supports you

We still spend our days working on the perfect one-size-fits-all message that will make our colleagues think, feel and do – but we can’t stop there. Using AI in a smart way we can take corporate messages to the next level by turning them into hyper-personalized, multi-language, inclusive, resonating bites. 

3. Daily crisis communication

Gone are the days when crisis communication was a special skill. In 2025, it's just... Tuesday. From reorgs and layoffs to polarizing elections worldwide and major market shifts, we're constantly in crisis communication mode. 

How do you handle this responsibility? 

The trick is to stop treating every special announcement like it's the end of the world. (Though if it actually is the end of the world, please use the crisis communication template we’ve made for you – right at the bottom of this article!)

4. Taking EGC to a new level 

Everyone’s talking about Sarah, the meme-sharing nurse, and Abe from IT posting weekly tech tips on Workvivo. User-generated content (UGC) or, in this case, employee-generated content (EGC) is the best thing that can happen on your EXP. All you need to do is support it, help out, and remind people around you that you can make them internally famous! 

5. Hybrid communications that actually work (finally!)

Remember the 2020 panic? Well, it feels like we finally figured out how to communicate with a hybrid workforce. Be sure to design your comms with both office and remote workers in mind from the get-go. Think gamified town halls where the online chat is as lively as the room banter, and team updates that land perfectly in your timezone, whether you're at your messy kitchen table or in a snazzy HQ. 

6. The rise of micro-communities 

I know everyone loves to get millions of notifications every day from their company-wide chat channel, but 2025 is all about tiny, purposeful communities – small groups of colleagues chatting about what matters to them and working on things together. 

7. The B in DEIB is on U

Belonging is the new engagement, darling. But before you roll your eyes at another buzzword, hear me out: it’s more than a feeling.

Making people feel like they belong is our true mission. It’s all about less company updates and more real conversations. And no, writing “we’re a family” as part of a reorg update doesn't count. In fact, it’s a big NO-NO! 

Instead, swap those sterile corporate updates for stories that make people feel like they're part of something bigger than their daily grind. 

8. Mobile-first? Try mobile-only

If your content isn't responsive or optimized for mobile, does it even exist? 

Keep it short with the bottom line upfront; no need for 4k anything. And always experiment. 

Try sending out short texts or cheeky voice messages instead of long newsletters. Keep your messages snappy and engaging, and try not to use ‘Please find attached a 53-page comprehensive policy file’ emails. 

9. The end of corporate blah blah

Look, we're finally admitting that nobody actually knows what ‘leveraging synergistic opportunities’ means.

2025 is the year we're eliminating the corporate dictionary and speaking like actual humans. 

If you’re already doing it, try to get legal teams on board…

The internal comms skills you actually need in 2025

1. Data-driven comms

Gone are the days of ‘the engagement feels alright’. You'll need to start working with those analytics dashboards, turning numbers into nuggets of gold. 

2. AI whispering

If you’re planning on using AI to do your job, you have only two options: either upskill and master prompt engineering, or watch GenAI spit out messages that sound like they've been written by an average robot who's swallowed a mediocre version of nothing. 

3. Crisis-proof nerves

Here’s a reminder: internal communication is external communication. So plan your next crisis, because your internal memo gone wrong can trend faster than chocolate snacks disappearing from the office cupboard.

4. Snackable video skills

Forget BBC-style documentaries. You don’t need fancy equipment or even a script, just tell a short story with your phone and perhaps a friendly CEO.

5. People sense

Understanding what makes colleagues tick, click, and actually read your stuff. No psychology degree necessary – just listen to your colleagues. How else will you know that Ben in Sales loves your gifs, but that Sophie in Legal needs everything in bullet points?

A year for experimenting 

These aren't just trends to drop into your next strategy presentation to make you look up to date (though feel free to use them!). 

They're about making work feel a bit more human, a bit more connected, and, dare we say, a bit more fun. And if you’re sitting there thinking “Oy, we haven't even sorted out our legacy newsletter yet” — don't worry, we've all been there. 

Start small, test things out, and remember: even the fanciest internal comms strategy started with someone thinking “There must be a better way to do this…”