The future of financial influence

Sophie Bell, Managing Director, Toast, reflects on how regulation and customer expectations are reshaping the influencer world in financial services.

Talking about money has never been easy. And with financial promotion rules tightening even further, alongside proposed Finance Bill amendments championed by Stella Creasy adding new layers of scrutiny, it’s about to become even harder for influencers (or finfluencers) to discuss personal finance in ways that are both engaging and compliant.

The thing is that audiences are still actively seeking out financial content on social media. They want shared experiences. But at the same time, the frameworks that govern how that information can be communicated are changing fast. That awkward gap is where financial brands are operating.

Financial brands still need to build reach, trust and relatability – something influencer marketing has traditionally been very good at delivering! Unfortunately, that same model often requires brands to give up a level of control that regulated industries like finance simply can’t afford.

Why traditional influencer marketing is under pressure

Influencer marketing, driven by content creators, has thrived on personal storytelling and a sense of “speaking freely.” The intimacy of that format is arguably exactly what has made it so powerful.

The trouble is, in regulated sectors like finance, those qualities are in direct opposition with the realities of compliance. Financial promotions legally have to be fair, clear and not misleading. All of that leaves very little room for ambiguity.

Off‑the‑cuff opinions, loosely worded experiences, or anecdotal claims without context (all typical of classic influencer content) can accidentally cross regulatory lines. Even when content creators act with good intent, the risk of misunderstanding is too high.

This is now a more challenging environment which could lead brands to thinking twice before engaging in influencer activity. But this creates a new problem: removing financial education and conversation from the platforms where audiences actually engage. It also risks creating a situation where unregulated or less responsible voices dominate the conversation.

So what happens to “authenticity” when regulation enters the room?

A lot of these issues rest heavily on the foundation that influencer content is the only route to authenticity (what the audience wants), and that regulation kills that opportunity altogether. But in reality, neither of those things are true.

Authenticity doesn’t have to mean unfiltered opinions or improvised financial advice. It doesn’t have to rely on personalities alone, nor does it have to sit exclusively within the creator economy. And regulation doesn’t have to mean abandoning influencers altogether, either.

For audiences, authenticity is increasingly tied to clarity, responsibility and transparency. People want to understand the difference between lived experience and recommendation; between storytelling and advice.

In fact, when done well, structure can actually work to enhance authenticity rather than diminish it. Clear context, thoughtful framing and responsible storytelling can build deeper trust than even purely spontaneous content could.

We don’t need to throw the baby out with the bath water. There is still enormous value in working with influencers and bringing real voices and lived experiences into the conversation. But the way we collaborate needs to evolve.

There is a middle ground! And that’s where the opportunity lies.

Brand‑produced influencer content

A model where we still see a lot of untapped potential is brand‑produced influencer content. These are campaigns where brands retain editorial responsibility and compliance oversight, while influencers provide tone, perspective and relatability.

Although previously overlooked in favour of the more raw-looking influencer-led campaigns, this approach shouldn’t be about stripping away influencer personality. It’s about reframing the role of the influencer within a more considered storytelling framework.

Done well, it allows brands and influencers to co‑create content that is compliant by design, but still creative, engaging and human. Importantly, it shifts the focus from personality‑led content to story‑led content.

That distinction matters. When content is led by story, something grounded in real experiences, with context and nuance, it becomes easier to ensure accuracy and compliance without losing emotional resonance.

The most powerful branded content doesn’t come from inventing narratives, but from uncovering real ones. It’s about drawing on authentic, lived experiences and shaping them with editorial rigour. At Toast, we combine AI‑driven discovery through our platform StoryX with human oversight, to identify stories that align with both audience interests and brand objectives.

This is particularly relevant in finance. For example, in our work with organisations like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, we made sure that our storytelling wasn’t about simplifying complex financial systems into soundbites. We  focused on spotlighting real people and real moments of change (influencers!) and telling those stories in a way that feels human, relatable and responsibly framed.

Content driven by story, not platform

We need to move away from content driven purely by personalities or platforms, towards content grounded in authentic stories.

When marketing is built around authentic, real‑life experiences rather than simply the reach of the person delivering them, it resonates more deeply. The focus shifts from who is saying it to what is being said and why it matters.

This becomes especially important in financial services. Let’s be honest, financial decisions are rarely simple, and the content that reflects them shouldn’t be either.

This is where structured brand-led storytelling really comes into its own. By shaping narratives around real experiences, brands can maintain compliance while still delivering content with emotional resonance.

The future of financial influence

Regulation isn’t going away. If anything, it will continue to tighten as governments and regulators attempt to keep pace with the way financial information spreads online.

But neither is the public’s desire for accessible, human conversations about money. People will always seek out stories that help them make sense of their financial lives.

Financial brands have an opportunity here to recognise this isn’t a question of one of the other – compliance vs creativity. It’s an opportunity to rethink how financial stories are told.