Revolutionize your digital asset management with a DAM solution!
When a company produces a lot of marketing or communications content, and/or frequently collaborates with external parties, handling its media can quickly become a real headache.
How do you store, organize and share it? How do you maintain a strong brand image even as the media that represent it multiply and become more complex?
With a DAM solution, of course!
This type of tool has become a must-have for organizations facing major challenges in managing their digital assets. And if you're on this article, we bet you'd like to learn more about the subject 😉.
What is Digital Asset Management software , and what features does it incorporate ? What are the benefits of using it? How do you choose your DAM solution?
Follow the guide 👉.
What is DAM?
The acronym DAM, which stands for Digital Asset Management , defines a category of software used to :
- store;
- manage;
- share;
- distribute all a company's digital resources.
DAM solutions support a wide range of asset types, including :
- images, whether photos, illustrations, logos, etc. ;
- videos ;
- audio files ;
- prints/PDF ;
- advertising banners ;
- models and templates ;
- 3D files, etc.
💡 Note: DAM is sometimes referred to by other names, such as photo library software or media center.
These tools, originally simple storage spaces, have developed and enriched in response to the challenges posed by the proliferation of digital content within companies. Today, they include more advanced functions, such as media processing (cropping, for example) or integration with other business solutions, like PIM.
Who is a DAM solution for?
A DAM solution is primarily aimed at marketing and communications departments, which usually handle digital assets as part of their campaigns.
But the profitability of the tool induces the production of a large quantity of content, or regular collaboration with external parties or between the various entities of the same group.
💡 Worth knowing: Digital Asset Management software is particularly useful for organizations operating internationally, as it facilitates work between geographically dispersed teams. What's more, it often integrates functions supporting local marketing, i.e. the implementation of actions adapted to the particularities of each country.
How does DAM software meet business challenges?
DAMs are used by marketing and communications departments to meet the many challenges posed by new market realities:
- the increasing volume of information and number of distribution channels: the DAM centralizes all digital assets in a single location;
- the need to personalize campaigns: the DAM provides organized access to content adapted to different audiences, facilitating the creation of targeted messages;
- the need to work on and enhance brand image: DAM maintains the consistency and quality of branding materials;
- optimizing work time to increase productivity: DAM avoids wasting time searching for content or sharing information;
- security and rights management: the DAM protects sensitive files and controls access to data.
😀 In short, a Digital Asset Management solution enables you to work more efficiently, both in terms of productivity and the relevance of marketing actions undertaken.
5 benefits of a DAM solution under the microscope
#1 Better management of digital assets
Better asset management... this is undoubtedly the main advantage of a DAM solution!
We've just seen that the amount of information to be processed, and the channels through which it is transmitted, have multiplied in recent years: social networks, print and online media, websites, billboards, emailing.... In short, we now need tools capable of processing and organizing it efficiently, while avoiding the loss or degradation of files.
At the same time, with DAM, the time wasted searching for hours for specific media is a thing of the past:
- organize them according to your own logic, categorizing them with keywords for example;
- quickly find the assets you need via advanced search tools, taking into account a range of pre-defined criteria.
The result is faster production of your marketing campaigns and product sheets, and greater profitability.
#2 Smoother collaboration
With a DAM solution, file-sharing operations (even large ones) become much simpler, since everything is centralized in a single space.
👉 This is a major advantage if you use external service providers, with whom it's important to keep information exchanges as fluid as possible, without compromising the security of your data.
What's more, DAM allows you to set up automated workflows, so you don't waste time on document review and validation circuits.
#3 Enhanced security and compliance
If you don't use the right software, you also run the risk of having your company's content stored in an unsecured way . And that's a real problem, given the growing risk of cyber-attacks 🏴☠️!
Fortunately, you can count on DAM software, which doesn't skimp on security protocols and hosts your data in protected infrastructures. What's more, they traditionally include functionalities for :
- rights and access management, to ensure that a given individual only consults and/or modifies authorized documents - no more, no less ;
- traceability, to know who modified what and when, and return to previous versions if necessary.
Finally, Digital Asset Management platforms enable specific conditions of use to be associated with a file. The aim is to guarantee compliance with intellectual property obligations (image rights, copyright, etc.).
#4 A strong, consistent brand
Whether your company is large or small, and whether it owns several brands or subsidiaries, you often need to ask yourself how you can ensure that your marketing is always consistent.
With a DAM solution, you can create a single data repository. In this way, you provide the same level of information to all stakeholders, and ensure that assets are aligned with corporate guidelines.
Ultimately, Digital Asset Management software makes a positive contribution to your brand image, giving you the means to develop a visual identity that is both strong and consistent.
#5 Taking into account local and individual specificities
However, brand consistency doesn't mean ignoring consumers' heightened expectations of personalization.
Indeed, with the acceleration and improvement of creative processes resulting from the use of a Digital Asset Management tool, teams have more bandwidth and technical means to create more targeted content.
What's more, DAM simplifies the management of local specificities in your marketing strategy:
- you gain better visibility of compliance issues associated with each country;
- you benefit from functions dedicated to handling localized versions of assets, taking into account cultural and linguistic specificities.
The main features of an IT DAM
DAM functionalities obviously vary from one solution to another. But here are the most common ones 👉 :
- centralization of digital assets within a single interface, even in large numbers ;
- metadata management, for adding and organizing descriptive information to digital assets;
- advanced, multi-criteria search;
- user access and permissions control;
- versioning and modification history, to guarantee better traceability of actions;
- automated workflows to speed up approval processes, among other things;
- file format conversion;
- integration of the DAM with your other business solutions, such as your PIM or e-commerce software;
- media processing tools (cropping, resizing, editing, etc.);
- collaboration options, such as the ability to add annotations or comments;
- reporting and analytics;
- media rights and license management;
- secure file sharing, even of large files;
- data backup and restoration;
- availability of a mobile version of your DAM solution.
How much does a DAM solution cost?
The answer to this question seems complex, as prices vary considerably depending on the features offered and your actual needs.
As an indication, DAM solutions for small businesses can start at around €50 per month, while more robust software for large organizations can cost several thousand euros per year.
We advise you to contact the suppliers of these platforms directly for personalized quotes. All that's left for you to do is make your calculations to identify the software promising the best return on investment.
💡 Please note: if, in the interests of saving money, you're tempted to look into open source DAM (whose licenses are often available free of charge!), beware of other possible costs associated with its deployment, maintenance or technical support.
How do you choose your Digital Asset Management software?
To choose your DAM software, start by looking at the question of functionality. As we saw earlier, there are quite a few of them. Concentrate on those you consider essential to your organization's needs and size.
You'll then need to look at a number of other criteria, in particular:
- hosting mode 👉 your heart will swing between :
- a SaaS DAM, whose advantages include support for updates by the publisher ;
- on-premise hosting on your own servers, guaranteeing total control, but requiring resources for maintenance;
- the software's scalability, i.e. its ability to grow with your company and handle an increasing volume of assets;
- the ability to customize the system to your specific requirements;
- the simplicity of the solution 👉 observe the intuitiveness of the interface and check the availability of training resources for users ;
- data protection 👉 choose a system that hosts your data on a server located in Europe, with high security standards;
- the quality of customer support 👉 it must be available and responsive in the event of a problem.
But above all, it's preferable to benefit from real support throughout your (often complex!) DAM implementation project, whether it's for formalizing your requirements, deploying the solution or ensuring that users adopt the software.
🛠️ Example of a DAM solution:
On the market for over 18 years, Ephoto Dam is a robust platform for SMEs, ETIs and major accounts. This comprehensive solution centralizes all the key functionalities of a good DAM: hosting and searching for digital content, asset sharing, workflows, rights management, etc., all via a dynamic, personalized interface. All via a dynamic, customizable interface that adapts to your needs. What's more, its many integrated plugins (Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc.) make it an ergonomic tool for gaining efficiency in managing your digital assets.
👉 Discover our selection of the best digital asset management software here.
Finally, how do you make a success of your DAM project?
Convinced by the benefits of a Digital Asset Management solution and ready to take the plunge?
To end this article on a high note 🎉 here are 6 tips to follow to successfully complete your DAM project, i.e. to ensure both that you choose the right software and that it is successfully implemented in your company 👉.
- Before getting started, identify precisely, with the teams concerned, what you want to achieve with your DAM solution to guide your choices.
- Involve all stakeholders, especially end-users, from the outset. Understanding their needs is the key to successful adoption.
- Carefully compare possible options, and don't hesitate to ask for product demonstrations or test free trial versions.
- Plan implementation carefully, with a detailed timetable, milestones and allocated resources.
- Organize training sessions for users, an essential step in bringing the DAM up to full speed.
- Evaluate the results of your project, specifically the impact of the solution on business performance.
Armed with these recommendations, you're ready to take your media to the next level, no longer seeing them as mere resources, but as strong pillars of your marketing and communications strategies 💪!
Article translated from French