The Importance of Digital Asset Management in Content Marketing… and How to Go about It

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Digital media has become an integral part of content marketing. Whether on social media or websites, content marketers often use digital assets such as videos, photos, articles, music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc., to attract followers, engage them, and ultimately convert them to customers.

However, one major challenge that marketers face is the organization and storage of these digital assets. The good news is that the market is awash with digital asset management (DAM) solutions that facilitate and automate storage, management, and organization of content to enhance ROI measurement.

Before we look at some of the common benefits of managing digital assets as a content marketer, let us first understand what makes a good DAM system.

Choosing the Right DAM Software for You

When choosing a DAM platform for content marketing, the first step should be defining your needs and goals. That way, it becomes easy to highlight and get an insight into some of the must-have features for your DAM solution. 

For instance, if you are looking to solve issues related to browsing through endless folder structures to just find the right piece of digital media, your DAM software of choice should have a comprehensive search function. This will help you filter content by date, file type, author, project, and more so you can find what you want quickly.

Similarly, if you want to get insights into the performance of your digital assets, your DAM solution should have a content analytics function to help you spot underperforming assets.

Other features the right DAM solution should include: 

• Video compatibility
• Scalability 
• Easy to customize 
• Compatible with mobile devices 
• User privilege settings 
• Easy integration with other content creation tools 

No matter what must-have or desirable features you expect to see in your DAM software, don’t go for the cheapest option. Instead, look for a vendor whose product best fits your organization’s needs and provides adequate support.

Four Benefits of Digital Asset Management in Content Marketing

Advanced search

One of the main benefits of DAM solutions is allowing team members to organize and find content on a company shared drive easily. They have comprehensive search functions that enable users to filter content by date, author, file type, etc. By allowing sales teams, content collaborators, and other stakeholders to find what they want quickly, team members are left with more time to focus on what matters most.

Eliminate the cost of lost or misplaced work

As a content marketer, you will need to consistently create digital assets. That means you will soon have more files than you can manage, making it possible to lose or misplace some. 

Fortunately, DAM platforms have an intuitive hierarchy for storing digital media. This ensures duplicate files are not deleted, eliminating the costs of creating lost/misplaced assets.

Enhanced security 

Security is another significant reason why content marketers turn to DAM solutions. Compared to sharing videos and images via email, DAM systems, including open source options, ensure that files are protected in all channels they are sent through and in your storage centers.

Better still, they have user privilege settings, meaning your digital assets have restricted access. DAM system’s security and controlled access give you peace of mind knowing that your digital assets are safe.

Improve measurement of return on investment (ROI)

DAM platforms feature usage analytics tools that track assets, including where, when, and how they are being accessed. As a result, it is pretty easy for content marketers to identify the most valuable assets and make informed decisions based on their digital media performance.

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