Staying creative and compliant: content governance for financial marketers

If you're a marketer in a financial institution, you know the struggle: you want to write engaging, creative content—but you also have to keep your compliance team happy.

The good news? Creativity and compliance don’t have to be at odds. With the right systems and processes, you can deliver relevant, human messaging and stay within the lines.

1. Start with pre-approved messaging blocks

Work with your compliance and legal teams to create a library of pre-reviewed language snippets. These can include:

• Common disclosures
• Product descriptions
• Benefit statements
• CTAs and headlines

Having this library ready to go shortens review cycles and increases consistency.

2. Define a workflow

Set up a structured review and approval process that includes:

• Clear ownership (who writes, who edits, who approves)
• A shared content calendar or project tracker
• Reasonable SLAs for feedback and sign-off

Use collaboration tools like Google Docs or project management platforms to streamline communication.

3. Stay aligned with brand and tone

Regulations might dictate what you say, but you still control how you say it. Create tone and voice guidelines that help teams stay compliant and conversational.

Tip: Write two versions—one that's highly creative, one that's conservative. Use these to find a middle ground that works for both marketing and compliance.

4. Audit and refresh regularly

Compliance isn't a "set it and forget it" task. Build in quarterly or biannual audits to ensure your content is still accurate and relevant. Tag high-risk content for more frequent review.

5. Educate cross-functional teams

Host internal trainings or lunch-and-learns to bring compliance and marketing closer together. The more they understand each other's goals, the smoother the process becomes.

Final thought

Compliance doesn’t have to kill creativity. With a proactive approach to governance, you can produce content that connects and protects.