In today’s fast-paced digital world, the way we connect with audiences online is constantly evolving.

As we move further into 2025, short-form videos remain popular and essential to incorporate into your content strategy; however, this is only one piece of the puzzle.

Here are four tactics currently making waves and driving real connections with audiences:

1. Storytelling

Content isn’t king—storytelling is. People connect with stories. Storytelling serves four purposes: to inform, to entertain, to persuade, to educate. When deciding what kind of content you want to create, figure out the purpose you want it to serve and add a human touch to make it resonate.

For example, when CBL worked with a Chicago-based real estate developer to raise its business profile in the city, we worked with the team to create a content strategy that humanizes the company’s story, crafting a monthly content plan that targeted their ideal audience of investors, elected officials, and prospective tenants showcasing the firm’s specialized services, sharing its success stories from newly unveiled commercial real estate projects, and telling personal stories about how the founder embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. Consistently sharing this authentic message helped foster connection and relatability with the company’s audience while continuing to grow its following.

2. Interactive Content

Don’t be afraid to lead a conversation online. All it takes is a thought, unpopular opinion, or fresh perspective on a buzzing topic. For example, TikTok creators do this all the time by sharing their view and getting people talking in the comments. The responses you get can even inspire a series of future content ideas.

Interactive content—like quizzes, polls, and stories, can help boost engagement on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC) + Employee-Generated Content (EGC)

While user-generated content can be created by users or customers, employee-generated content (EGC) is created by employees. Both approaches can include everything from photos and videos to reviews and social media posts.

Encourage your followers to produce content about your organization. A growing trend in UGC is employees advocating for their company or its products—this ultimately builds trust and authenticity.

Let’s look at an example of employee-generated content (EGC) related to the real estate developer scenario mentioned earlier. We collaborated with the team to create content that highlighted the company’s work and included their personal reflections on the importance of being part of the firm’s building phase. Over time, an employee-driven EGC like this can help boost morale and build trust, as testimonials allow your audience to connect with your team on a deeper, more personal level.

View more examples here.

4. Nostalgia Marketing

What’s nostalgia marketing and why does it matter? Nostalgia taps into powerful emotions by taking people to “a great escape” or to a past memory they long for. Brands have caught on to this, using it to create more meaningful connections with their audiences, and oftentimes leaning into this tactic following a crisis.

In 2017, Pepsi faced a major crisis after releasing a campaign ad featuring Kendall Jenner that was criticized for trivializing social justice protests. Many viewed the ad as tone-deaf and exploitative. In response, Pepsi later turned to nostalgia marketing with the “Pepsi Generations” campaign, which highlighted the brand’s history and its connection to pop culture icons. This approach helped shift focus away from the controversy and allowed Pepsi to reframe its image, though it couldn’t fully erase the damage caused by the initial ad.

In essence, if there’s one thing you should take away from this article, it’s this: it’s not only about what you say, but it’s also about how you make people feel!

To truly connect with your audience in 2025, get creative with these tactics, be intentional about fostering authentic connections, and see what sticks!

This article was written by Cianna Reeves. Cianna Reeves is a communications expert specializing in media, digital marketing, and crisis PR. Passionate about branding, reputation management, and staying ahead of the curve, she blends cultural moments into her writings on industry trends, new media, and AI, to educate and inform her audience.