Making Regulatory Content Engaging

At 5 by 5 Design we believe it’s possible to change the world by posing the right questions, listening to the honest answers, and following the path that emerges from the dialogue. Today’s discussion focuses on how organizations can make regulatory content engaging.

Anne Anderson is a strategy leader who specializes in transforming complex, highly technical information into content that is both engaging and easy to understand. Over the past 10 years, she has worked with teams that serve tens of thousands of stakeholders, including the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology, developing approaches that bring clarity to regulatory and operational complexity. Her work sits at the intersection of communication, strategy, and technology, with a focus on making critical information more usable and impactful. We’ve asked Anne a series of questions about producing regulatory content in a creative way. Here’s what she had to say.  

1. What is your approach to producing and sharing regulatory content?

I follow a 5-step process to help me remain clear and approachable in messaging around regulatory topics that might otherwise seem complex or lackluster.

• Choose the topic: I start by finding topics that are relevant and important in the industry. Social media is a great tool for researching trends and one I use regularly, but I’ve found the best insights come from team members who work directly with industry professionals and business owners. In my experience, first-hand perspective creates more approachable content.
• Understand the audience and choose the format: Who is the audience and what about this topic is most important to them? The target audience often helps me determine what type of content to produce. For example, business owners will likely engage better with an emailed newsletter whereas a new industry professional may be more drawn to targeted social media content.
• Refine the message: What is the true north message to communicate on this topic? How does regulation apply? What do we need the audience to have gained from this content? How does the message fit with our desired tone and any long-term communication goals?
• Design: I start with our standard branding guidelines and templates while designing and then add creative touches to make the content stand out.
• Proof and publish: Every piece of content we create follows a proofing and approval process to ensure quality and accuracy of information. Once approved, I schedule it to be published or shared when most of our target audience is likely to see it.

2. How do you balance compliance and creativity for regulatory content?

Simplify, simplify, simplify! The more complex a topic or piece of information is, the less creative and less engaging your content will be. For example, if I’m creating a social media post for a complex statute, I might try to break down the information into a content series, so each piece is digestible while still covering the entire statute.

3. How do you encourage engagement and connect with your target audiences?

I’ve found that people want to see themselves reflected in content. This is a key part of step two in my process— understand the audience and choose the format. If regulators work with diverse communities, something like providing translated versions of content or using diverse imagery can make people feel seen and included. Even on a fundamental level, people seem to engage more with content that feels human. Using plain language, adding relevant human-interest stories, and even highlighting individuals and teams within the organization can help build trust and engagement with your audience.

4. What are some common mistakes businesses and organizations make when sharing regulatory content?

One of the most common mistakes I see in regulatory content is lack of brand consistency. I’ve been guilty of this myself! This happens most often when a business or organization is trying to learn what topics their audience finds engaging, and the result can appear as though they’re throwing content out at random to see what sticks. Branding isn’t something typically associated with regulation, but having a consistent look and tone helps audiences establish a familiarity with the organization that will build engagement over time.

5. Have you had any aha moments in your experience with regulatory content? If so, what was that experience, and how did it shift your thinking?

My biggest aha moment was a concept I mentioned earlier—audiences want content that feels human. I’d been creating content and communication with the idea that my audience only cares about what information we can provide them. When I started working with 5 by 5 Design, their team suggested we try to show the audience that there are real people behind the work. Even sharing things as simple as staff trainings and tips from the team helped make us more approachable. Almost immediately, we started to see an increase in engagement on posts and our team started fielding more regulatory questions from industry professionals. Having that rapport with the audience creates more productive, trusting, and engaged relationships long-term.