5 Ways to Speed Up Your Creative Approval Process

We've all been there: a campaign is ready to launch, but it's stuck in approval limbo. Days turn into weeks, and by the time everyone signs off, the moment has passed.

Here are five proven strategies to dramatically speed up your approval cycles.

1. Define Clear Approval Criteria

The number one cause of approval delays? Unclear expectations. Before any asset enters review, ensure everyone knows exactly what they're evaluating.

Create a simple checklist:

• Brand guidelines compliance
• Legal and regulatory requirements
• Technical specifications
• Target audience alignment

2. Set Realistic Deadlines

Deadlines without consequences are merely suggestions. Set clear, realistic timeframes and communicate them upfront.

Pro tip: Use automatic reminders to nudge reviewers before deadlines slip.

3. Limit the Number of Reviewers

Too many cooks spoil the broth. The same applies to creative reviews.

Identify who truly needs to approve vs. who just wants to be informed. Use a RACI matrix if needed.

4. Enable Async Reviews

Not everyone needs to be in the same room (or video call) to review assets. Asynchronous review tools let people contribute on their own schedule.

This is especially crucial for distributed teams across time zones.

5. Automate What You Can

Manual processes are slow processes. Automate:

• Notification routing
• Deadline reminders
• Status updates
• Version tracking

Putting It All Together

Implementing these strategies takes time, but the payoff is significant. Teams using Approvalbox typically see approval times cut by 50% within the first month.

Ready to speed up your approvals? Start your free trial today.