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Seekers of the digital future, gather close! You may know me as Kinda, but today I am Mystic K, reader of the tarot cards and your guide through the swirling winds of social media change.
Change is the lifeblood of innovation in the world of comms, which is why we’re here to guide you in the right direction. Let’s shuffle the deck and unveil the truths that will shape comms strategies in 2025 and beyond.
The Gen AI Visionary points towards unlocking new levels of creativity, giving brands the opportunity to create content at scale. With the likes of Sora and Veo 2 gaining more traction, expect to be creating videos in seconds. However, with this great power comes ethical challenges, including maintaining authenticity, respecting copyright and ensuring that AI tools enhance, rather than replace, human creativity.
For brands, it’s about embracing these new technologies and getting familiar with them. Consider the budget you need to invest in a range of AI tools that will empower you and your team. Do all this while ensuring you’re retaining your organisation’s authenticity when it comes to its comms strategies.
The Chaotic Tower looms prominently throughout 2025. It represents the volatility of social media platforms. From TikTok facing regulatory threats in the United States, to Elon Musk’s many changes to X which is making it less appealing for many businesses… even Mark Zuckerberg has announced that Facebook and Instagram are shifting from fact-checking to Community Notes, aiming to encourage more “free speech and fewer mistakes”. All of this highlights the importance of brands needing to be adaptable when it comes to navigating this unpredictable landscape.
For brands, they need to consider spreading resources and content across key platforms to reduce dependency on any single one, and of course, closely monitor platform updates and adapt quickly. Focusing resources on the platforms that deliver results is essential while staying agile in this forever changing industry.
The Frame of Attention recognises the changing audience attitudes to how video content is being consumed. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are experiencing an increase in videos surpassing 30 seconds, with engagement data indicating that audiences are gravitating more towards videos that last 1–2 minutes. Similarly, LinkedIn is leaning into vertical video formats, with early data showing higher engagement rates compared to traditional layouts. This suggests a demand for deeper, more informative and entertaining content.
For brands, it’s important to embrace the story you’re telling to foster a stronger connection with your audience, and don’t neglect the concept of having a diverse range of content themes to feed your content planning.
The Weighted Scales highlights that while social media enables the sharing of ideas, algorithms can prioritise sensationalism… essentially undermining true democratisation of thought. The danger of this happening is real. It reduces visibility for balanced or insightful contributions. The big question is whether this imbalance will further polarise discourse and diminish the value of authentic, diverse perspectives.
For brands, ownership and control of your content is key. Strengthen your content hub by optimising your blog with SEO-driven content, use newsletters to nurture audiences and record podcasts to strengthen your thought leadership. These tactics will help you engage with the right audiences no matter how niche or broad. For those seeking deeper insights read my take on this matter here.
The Empowered Advocate suggests a noticeable shift in how brands are going to be leveraging employee voices in 2025. Traditional external influencers will still be in the mix, but employees are going to be the stars of the show when it comes to creating authentic and relatable content that’s aligned with company values. These employees will draw audiences in by building trust with what they’re sharing online.
The marketers that recognise this shift will already be looking at ways for them to be cultivating the individuals within their workforce. The first step is to identify the employees who already have strong personal brands, and to give them the right guidance on effective storytelling. From executives to interns, seniority knows no bounds, as it’s all about those who have great potential to create shareable content and drive engagement on behalf of the brand.
The Circle of Belonging calls for a focus on building communities in 2025. Brands can give their audiences the deeper connections and interactions that they seek by cultivating spaces for shared purpose. A strong community will encourage passive audiences to become more engaged where members feel valued and heard. 2025 is the year to go beyond a transactional relationship, be brave and nurture that loyalty and advocacy.
Marketers, you should already be listening to your audiences. Find opportunities to connect with them through forums, groups or digital spaces where they can share their interests and values. Celebrate their loyalty by giving them exclusive content and rewards, give them something to engage and love. Don’t forget, taking your audience
The cards have spoken!
2025 will bring both challenges and opportunities. The comms professionals and brands who are able to balance authenticity with innovation are likely to have a great year ahead of them, likewise for those who are able to adapt to the many pending platform changes. The future is unwritten, so how will you shape it? Until your next reading, I hope your strategies thrive!
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