First off, if you’re researching digital asset management (DAM) for the first time, welcome to the world of DAM puns. You’ll have plenty of DAM meetings, DAM calls, and DAM work to do.

You’ve likely heard that DAM provides benefits like increased brand control, improved productivity when finding and sharing content, and an accelerated time to market. But is that just marketing speak? If not, how do you make that a reality for your organization?

In an earlier article, we walked through the key abilities of a successful DAM admin. In this article, we’ll explore five core concepts that build out the value of DAM. These foundations lay the groundwork for businesses to realize its benefits.

As employees and companies see the benefits of remote work (fewer distractions, flexible schedule, higher employee retention, just to name a few), it’s no surprise that working from home (WFH) — or working from anywhere (WFA) — is becoming more widely accepted and expected.  Tasks that could once only be done only from the office are now being completed in homes, coffee shops, and coworking spaces around the world. With this increase in remote teams, the need for reliable, flexible technology is at an all-time high. 

If you want to get somewhere in the quickest way possible, you map your course. The same is true for metadata. 

Metadata powers search within a digital asset management (DAM) system. Without it, your assets become unfindable and ultimately, unusable. But we know entering metadata can be time-consuming. So how do you ensure you’re entering metadata in the quickest way possible? Metadata mapping. 

Building trust is tricky. And as the saying goes, trust is hard to earn but easy to lose. So what does that have to do with digital asset management (DAM)? A lot!

Each year, the Widen Summit focuses on concepts that are key to DAM success. 

In 2017, we honed in on what it takes to set better goals. Expanding on that in 2018, we learned how to tackle those goals using a strong strategy framework. This year though, we took a step back to realize that in order for people to believe in your goals and strategy, you need to first earn their trust. And this theme carried throughout our three days together — taking center stage in workshops, sessions, and keynotes. 

Media asset management (MAM) is sometimes used interchangeably with digital asset management (DAM). They both help manage assets, but are they really the same thing? Sort of…

Anyone who has worked in digital marketing knows that marketing and technology go hand in hand. Successful marketing strategies rely on a variety of tools to evaluate data, connect with audiences, and create engaging content. With thousands of martech tools to choose from, the key is determining the right ones for your team. 

Compelling images move people. Marketers and creatives have known this for a long time and rely on strong visuals as a foundational element of brand storytelling. They also rely on dependable, easy-to-access tools, so they can spend more time crafting the story itself and less on a cumbersome process.

If you’ve ever managed digital photos you already know many of the challenges. Like how organizing hundreds or thousands of photos can quickly get out of control. How time-consuming it is to search endlessly for the right photo. Or how risky it can be to use a photo that you may or may not still have permission to use. The bottom line is ⏤ if you want to make your brand story more effective, you can’t afford to compromise on managing your assets. You need a robust photo management software solution.

Your brand is your company’s most important asset. It’s more than just words on a page or images on a screen ⏤ it’s how you communicate with and attract your audience. From your logo to every customer interaction, it’s the identity of your organization.  

To stand out in a competitive market, consumers need to easily understand who your company is and what you provide. Brand consistency helps consumers feel confident in their decision to become a customer because they know exactly what to expect from you with every interaction.

So, how do you ensure a consistent experience that builds brand loyalty? Develop strong brand guidelines.

In about 15 years social media has gone from an entirely new concept to an integral part of everyday life. Now, any marketing mix that doesn’t include social media is unusual. With nearly 80% of Americans possessing a profile on a social networking platform, marketing through social media is one of the best ways to reach members of your target audience — no matter who they are. Plus, almost all prominent social platforms have paid advertising options that brands can leverage to increase exposure to relevant audiences. If you want to reach potential customers and key stakeholders, you need to be using social media.

But that doesn’t mean that social media marketing is easy, or even altogether straightforward! You and your team have probably struggled with how to create the right kind of content to engage the right people, and how to best measure success online. Don’t worry, you’re not alone — social media is a difficult and confusing tool for many marketing teams. A great step toward demystifying social media marketing is to streamline your social media workflow.

As your business grows, so will your library of assets. Assets include everything from videos to photos to graphics and more. And, as you know, creating assets takes time, money, and resources which are all lost if you don’t have a plan for creating, maintaining, and storing them.

How you interact with your assets should be dictated by where each falls in its lifecycle. For instance, you will treat a new asset differently than one that’s been around for years. In some cases, as an asset reaches the end of its lifecycle it may be time to retire it altogether. Having a solid understanding of your digital asset lifecycle will help you keep track of your assets during each stage of its life.