As we approach Q4, it’s crucial to take stock of where your communication strategy stands and how to align it with your 2025 goals. Careful planning now will ensure you’re ahead of the curve and ready for the ever-changing landscape. 

Here’s a roadmap for approaching your communication strategy and some trends to keep in mind as we look toward 2025.

Take Stock: Where Are You Now?

The best starting point in building a communication strategy is to take a step back and reflect on where you currently are.

  • Audience Engagement: Who are you engaging with and are there key stakeholders you might be missing?
  • Communication Channels: What methods are you using to communicate, and are they effective?
  • Internal and External Communication: How well are your internal teams communicating with external audiences and within the organization itself? 
  • Key Messages for 2025: What are the most important things you need and want to communicate in the year ahead?
  • Risk Tolerance and Crisis Readiness: How comfortable are you and your organization with risk? How prepared are you to handle a crisis that could interrupt or derail your communications plan?
  • Resource and Budget Allocation: What additional resources might be needed to address the changing market conditions? What budget considerations might be needed to achieve your goals?
  • Results: How will you measure the outcomes of your communications programs and initiatives?

2025 Trends in Communication Strategy

Several key trends such as the convergence of technology, remote work, and evolving human interaction will shape the way businesses and nonprofits communicate in 2025. It’s important to be mindful of these trends as you develop your communication strategy to anticipate shifts and position your organization effectively.

AI-Enhanced Interactions:

AI-driven tools like chatbots and virtual assistants are getting smarter, making customer interactions more seamless with natural language processing (NLP). While generative AI can boost efficiency by creating content like emails and reports, it’s essential to verify outputs for accuracy. AI will also continue to transform video conferencing by offering real-time transcription, translation, and summaries, enhancing communication clarity.

Navigating Hybrid and Remote Work: 

Hybrid work isn’t going anywhere. Asynchronous tools like Slack and Loom allow teams to collaborate without needing to be online at the same time. Expect technologies like virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) to play a bigger role in meetings, providing more immersive experiences. Decentralized platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom will further bridge the communication gap across time zones and locations.

Building Emotional Intelligence and Soft Skills:

In a world where virtual interactions are increasingly the norm, organizations need to invest in developing open communication, empathy, active listening, and tone awareness among their teams. Additionally, as businesses communicate with more diverse and global audiences, it’s crucial to adopt culturally sensitive and inclusive strategies that resonate across different perspectives.

Visual and Short-Form Content:

Quick, visual content will continue to lead the way in communications. Short-form videos, GIFs, and infographics will dominate, making messages more engaging and digestible. User-generated content (UGC) will also see a rise, as both employees and customers contribute more directly through real-time collaboration.

Personalized, Humanized Messaging:

Personalization will become a must-have, with messages tailored to the individual preferences and needs of your audience. On top of that, brands will lean into conversational marketing—using chatbots, direct messaging, and social media to create more human, two-way interactions that build stronger connections. And while these tools can augment your communication’s effectiveness, never lose sight of what “real humans” can do. 

Common Mistakes In Setting Communication Goals

As you develop your 2025 communication strategy, be mindful of these common pitfalls:

  • Vague Goals. Goals that are too generalized and not time-bound have no accountability. An example of a general goal would be to “grow influence among the target audience”. A better goal would be, “By Q3 2025, we will increase market share among women aged 40-55 by 3%.”
  • Overly Ambitious Targets. While setting big goals is important, being realistic about your capacity is equally important. A goal like, “doubling our donors by January” may be too aggressive without the right strategy.
  • Misguided Focus. Ensure your goals align with where your target audience gets information. For example, if your goal is to have positive stories about your brand placed in the NY Times or the Wall Street Journal, but your audience isn’t reading those outlets then it won’t serve you well.
  • Inadequate Capacity. Don’t set plans in motion without the people and skills to execute them. If you’re aiming for a social push, but lack a dedicated and knowledgeable team, the plan is likely to fall short. 
  • Not Ambitious Enough. On the flip side, don’t set goals that are too easy to achieve to check the box. Stretch goals push you to innovate and grow, even if they carry some risk of failure.
  • Disconnected Leadership. Make sure there’s alignment between the communications team and executive leadership. If leadership expects media coverage in top outlets, but your strategy focuses on social channels, the misaligned expectations will cause a great deal of angst internally.

Your Q4 planning should focus on building a robust communication strategy that’s ready for 2025 and beyond. By being proactive, staying aligned with trends, and setting clear, achievable goals, you can position your organization to communicate effectively and thrive in an evolving landscape.