Any digital asset management solution requires a proper management strategy. There are a lot of factors that need careful consideration before you settle onto a plan for managing your digital assets.
To help you through the process, we have curated some of the most effective DAM strategies that will work wonders for your business.
According to experts from top DAM organizations, the first thing is to prepare a robust digital asset management plan. “Marketing technology tools such as digital asset management systems are ultimately helping marketing departments right now to save time and as a result save money,” confirmed Tessa Court, CEO of IntelligenceBank, one of the leading Digital Asset Management software providers. “For those marketers who are yet to adopt a digital approach and are currently trying to balance the tension between the speed and quality of their branded communications, they need to think through how simplifying and automating processes across their digital assets will have impact on their daily marketing operations.”
1. Consider auditing your assets to locate and judge your assets
Understanding what your assets are and how they are used is a primary step towards creating a management plan. Thoroughly examine the relevance of your assets and how you will be able to utilize them in the future. Your digital asset managers will be able to produce a list of requirements for you once you have analyzed the assets’ storage and access points as well.
2. Collaborate with your co-workers
Associating with co-workers to formulate a digital management strategy may give you some valuable insight into how the assets can be used to facilitate daily corporate duties. Involving people who will be working with the assets will help you earn their trust.
3. Design solutions for your team
At the end of the day, you want your digital asset management plans to align with the daily workflow of your employees. Thereby, you need to devise solutions that fit in with each individual’s professional requirements, so that no one is left out of the bandwagon. A well-planned solution will promote easy user adoption and application.
4. Think before settling on a Digital Asset Management manager
Creating DAM plans is quite challenging and requires an optimum amount of effort and time. There are several different components to the job that require an equal amount of attention. While you should definitely hire one full-time DAM manager, it is better for you to have a team in place. That way, each admin can focus on a different aspect of business management and drive better solutions.
5. Combine technology with adequate strategizing
Although you will be aided by technology every step of the way, you cannot substitute strong corporate protocols. You may be blaming faulty software for something that is essentially the problem created by a lack of policy.
6. Associate with third-party providers who are experts at initiating Digital Asset Management plans
Although there are plenty of businesses that are going to use digital asset management, only a few expert personnel will be able to leverage the situation. The companies that can adapt to other solutions and features for better business augmentation. Companies that know how to use the proper industry expertise, will emerge successful.
Although there are plenty of businesses that are going to use digital asset management, only a few expert personnel will be able to leverage the situation. The companies that can adapt to other solutions and features for better business augmentation. Companies that know how to use the proper industry expertise, will emerge successful.
Now, there are certain considerations for establishing workflows and practices for digital asset management.
Take into account if your assets have a naming convention that can procure metadata
You should put together a working document with the assets that you wanted to be transferred. These will help you understand if the assets have a proper naming convention to infer specific metadata and enhance visibility.
Consider the Digital Asset Management as a part of the larger network of customer service
DAM solutions are not entirely siloed, so you can think about how to incorporate them within other vital operations like content management and e-commerce systems.
Have a team by your side
It is definitely going to be difficult for you to engineer digital management solutions all by yourself. You can use the combined knowledge of your peers and associates to devise efficient solutions that can facilitate business development. Ask other people in the organization to help you throughout the process.
Take small steps instead of initiating the transformation at once
If you want the DAM to be appreciated by each user group in your company, you can resort to introducing it using small steps. Thereby, your team will be able to learn important lessons from the installation process on how to make it better than before. Doing this will also help you identify the people who want to be a part of this digital progress. Take a number of digital members in the team who will represent the methods before their peers.
Make sure the project objectives are known
Conduct some meetings with your stakeholders and investors to lay down the goals of your DAM project. This will help you discover all the critical issues that your clients and customers want to be solved through the process. Once you lay down a project guideline and objective, it will be easier for you to promote its implementation.
Figure out your software needs
Once you have decided on investing in DAM, the next step is to get the right software for your endeavors. Not all software will be appropriate for your individual enterprise, so you will have to examine and note your company’s individual needs and necessities. Take into account marketing processes, media coverage and distribution facilities, and product sales. It is possible for your business to have multiple objectives, but focusing on one overarching demand would be a better option.
Understand handoff coordination with several team members
For a company-wide digital asset management operation, it is rare for a single team to be able to carry out all the necessary responsibilities. That is why you need to create handoffs to distribute responsibilities amongst different teams. Everyone should have a clear picture of their individual responsibilities, the tasks that they will be required to accomplish, and the places in which they have to store their data.
DO not overcomplicate the process
Start with simple implementations like content ingestion, archiving, and approvals before busting out the big guns. This way you will be able to revise the workflows and improve their automation capabilities to establish workflows that will eventually become indispensable to your DAM usage. Your employees will appreciate the simplification of their daily duties and implement the tool to complete their daily tasks.
Determine who gets how much access
You will have to figure out the exact number of people who need access to the system as well as the amount of access they require. Not everyone will need to upload assets or update metadata, so be vigilant about your choices.
Lay down a minimum acceptable data set for each asset
This vital step will require you to delineate the minimum amount of data that will be accepted for each asset. This data will include modification histories, file sizes, and types, and so on. You should either hire people from within the company or delegate the responsibility to an external agency to ensure that your metadata and information collection necessities are being met.
Have a recovery plan in place
It is not pessimistic to fear the worst when you are initiating a DAM plan for the first time- in fact, it is a smart business decision. Always have a recovery plan in place so that you can dispel any unpleasant situations with wisdom and prudence. Challenges are often inevitable in a business situation, but it is imperative for you to have proper measures in place that act as disaster management.
Final words
No matter what system you or your team you choose to work with for digital asset management, ensure that all its aspects correspond with your brand image. Managing your digital assets must reflect the message you want to convey to your customers.