Digital Asset Management (DAM) refers to the organization, security, and accessibility of digital media such as images, photos, audio, and video files. These assets are vital to business communications, marketing campaigns, and internal operations.
However, many businesses struggle with implementing digital asset management systems in their operations. Some even make mistakes that could cause them more harm than good. This article examines four of these mistakes so businesses can avoid them.
#1 Not Having A Plan
A DAM system is a great tool to implement when organizing and easily finding assets for your online presence. However, you may want to be sure you have a clear plan before you start. That’s because implementing DAM can be time-consuming, costly, and may not even solve your problems if it doesn’t address the underlying issue.
To avoid this, it’s essential to determine your goal for its implementation. From there, you can also forecast the project expenses and timeframe, required resources, and the technical requirements of your preferred system.
When determining the goals of implementing a DAM system, first ask about its purpose. Is it for production or archiving purposes? How much are you willing to spend on its implementation? Other areas you may want to consider are the following:
- Who shall be responsible for the implementation of the project?
- Where will needed trainings be conducted
- When shall the implementation start? Finish?
- How can it improve your current business processes?
Also, you may consider if the implementation is a way for your company to adapt to current changes in the business world. If you’re unsure if it’s even needed, you may want to read this article here.
#2 Poor Training Procedures
Another common mistake some businesses make when implementing digital asset management is not having proper training procedures in place. Instead of reaping its benefits, its implementation only leads to frustrated employees and an eventual decrease in productivity.
To solve this problem, you can develop a detailed training plan. You can start by conducting a training needs analysis (TNA) to identify areas where training is necessary. Then, you can choose to whom you can delegate the training needed and conduct workshops or one-on-one sessions to your participants. You can also ensure remote workers are correctly trained by holding video conferences or sending out instructional materials via email.
You can also categorize training according to levels (such as new employee, executive class, or systems administrator). Hence, each person knows what type of content they’ll be learning. Personalized assistance, answering questions, and providing quick feedback are other good practices, particularly to those struggling with specific topics.
Finally, you may evaluate your training effectiveness by implementing monthly monitoring checklists that everyone can follow. The critical point is for managers and leaders to be clear about expectations for employees’ workflows and provide the correct tools for success.
#3 Lack Of Online Visual Brand Representation
Visual brand representation is crucial in any digital marketing strategy. People are more likely to purchase a product if they can see what it looks like and not just read about it. Thus, branding a company’s visuals on the internet is as essential as offline marketing and can help set a company apart from its competitors.
A DAM system can help companies improve their online presence by organizing digital assets like images, logos, screenshots, graphics, templates, content, and other elements used on a company’s website or e-commerce app. Its availability can even be helpful to web developers who can easily upload files explicitly curated for your business.
However, suppose your company has no coherent visual brand presence. In that case, spending money on this system may not make sense. It might be better instead to consider hiring a designer to develop a cohesive look and feel across your online channels. You can then proceed to produce more digital assets and implement DAM once needed.
#4 Overly Complex Structures
When done correctly, DAM can save your business time and costs by making it easy to find and reuse digital assets. It can also remove manual processes such as making copies of files and looking for where they are stored. You can also make your assets consistent by updating metadata about each file as needed and adding tags that make finding content more accessible.
However, there are instances when implementing a DAM system makes things more complicated. This is usually the result of building intricate databases with many sub-folders and categories, leading to confusion if you don’t have the right people to manage it. Sometimes, it can also result from creating a system that doesn’t follow an existing business process or workflow.
Conclusion
Digital asset management can help your business. With it, you’ll be able to save time and money and streamline your existing processes. However, there are some mistakes you should avoid when implementing digital asset management. Doing so can help you make the most of what you’re trying to accomplish.
Also published on Medium.
