Digital assets are becoming increasingly crucial to an organization’s operation. While traditional accounting practices can manage some organizational assets, many companies struggle to manage other assets, such as intellectual property and customer data.
And that’s how digital asset management (DAM) comes in. What is digital asset management? It’s a system and strategy organizations use for managing all its digital assets, such as images, videos, documents, and other content. It enables businesses to easily manage their digital assets, making it simple to find information and protect against data loss.
Consequently, since a DAM strategy enables companies to reduce the time it takes for staff to access information, it helps increase staff productivity. Beyond that, it also improves security by allowing companies to track what users are doing online. It helps ensure clients don’t have access to sensitive information without authorization.
With that in mind, read the helpful steps below to learn about effective digital asset management practices when using a DAM system.
1. Audit Digital Assets
Auditing digital assets is a critical step in implementing a DAM system. It ensures that the company’s digital assets are properly stored and protected. It also contributes to the proper management of digital assets. It allows you to cut costs while increasing efficiency within a digital asset management system.
When auditing assets, it is necessary first to determine the type of asset and its purpose. But before starting this process, you must confirm that the collected data is relevant and valuable to your organization. For instance, a digital music file uploaded by a musician may not be as important as an image used by a marketing team. If that’s the case, the audit should not include it.
After determining the asset type, consider whether your organization must have that data. After gathering all the details, determine whether each asset will be deleted or archived. If the data is no longer useful or relevant to your company, you may want to delete it permanently. However, if you intend to keep the content, make sure it’s properly labeled. Users can find it when they’re looking for something specific.
2. Establish DAM Workflow
The digital asset management workflow is the core of a DAM system. It’s essential to keep your information secure, accessible, and manageable. Notably, setting up the DAM workflow will assist you in protecting your company’s digital assets from potential security threats.
That said, when creating DAM workflows, you must first determine what tasks must be completed. Some tasks may involve adding new information to files, while others may involve deleting old data or modifying it to improve its quality. Doing this step will enable your company to use its digital assets more efficiently and effectively.
Once you’ve determined which tasks to complete, devise a strategy for achieving them. This procedure entails deciding who will perform each task and when they’ll be finished. It also entails determining whether each task has been completed before proceeding to the next. This step ensures no time is wasted on unnecessary activities or work repetitions.
3. Leverage DAM Analytics
Many DAM tools include analytics features to help you evaluate asset use and creation. Notably, it provides analytics tools that allow you to track how much time visitors spend on your websites and apps. It also shows how frequently users click on links within them.
Furthermore, DAM analytics tools can assist you in identifying trending topics among your audience. With that knowledge, your creative team can create new content around those topics to meet the needs of your target audience.
You can also use DAM analytics tools to determine how effectively your content converts visitors into leads and customers. You’ll have an insight into your content’s effectiveness by tracking how many people sign up for your newsletter after reading an article or watching a video.
In essence, leveraging DAM analytics can help you determine which content is working best and which needs to be improved so that you can make appropriate changes.
4. Establish Naming Conventions
Establishing a naming convention will give your digital assets a consistent look and feel. They’re essential because they provide structure and clarity to your digital asset management process. They can make it much easier for you and your team members to collaborate and allow you to ensure that everything is in its proper place.
Naming conventions can also help ensure that your digital assets are managed correctly. They can help prevent confusion or mistakes when trying to find specific information or create something new.
When establishing a naming convention, it’s critical to consider the type of assets you’re working with and the type of assets your team will create in the future. For instance, if your team is creating digital assets for a new product launch, it’s best to use a naming convention that reflects the project’s theme.
Conclusion
Overall, digital asset management is integral to any business that requires digital asset management. It helps companies streamline their operations, increase efficiency, and lower costs. Keeping track of all the different types of digital assets is challenging. The good news is that you can use the above practices to effectively manage your organization’s digital assets.
