{"id":8891,"date":"2022-02-02T11:21:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T11:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/02\/youre-not-ready-for-a-dam-unless-you-do-this-first\/"},"modified":"2022-02-02T11:21:05","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T11:21:05","slug":"youre-not-ready-for-a-dam-unless-you-do-this-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/02\/youre-not-ready-for-a-dam-unless-you-do-this-first\/","title":{"rendered":"You’re Not Ready for a DAM (Unless You Do This First)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"With the amount of content organizations produce \u2013 and the sheer volume of multimedia assets and formats \u2013 it\u2019s time to consider a digital asset management system. A DAM can increase production efficiency, enhance cross-team operability, and improve marketing productivity and performance.<\/p>\n

Marketers spend over 60% of their time retrieving information or restructuring lost assets and other low-value tasks<\/a>. Implementing a DAM system may be the best way to reclaim that wasted time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, two operational challenges often stand in the way of effective implementation. The first is identifying the content processes the DAM should help facilitate. It\u2019s often an overlooked consideration, particularly for businesses without a structured content process or governance strategy.<\/p>\n

The second challenge arises in detailing the organizational criteria for a DAM system before completing the complex and time-consuming selection process. How will it be used? Where does it fit in the content workflow? If you don\u2019t have those answers, it\u2019s like shopping for a car without knowing if it will be used to haul bricks or compete in a street race.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t know your #content processes and organization criteria, it\u2019s hard to make the right DAM system choice, says @joderama via @CMIContent @Aprimo. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

These obstacles \u2013 on top of requirements like securing budget approval and executive buy-in<\/a>, and managing implementation, configuration, and integration \u2013 can make the very thought of working with a DAM system too intimidating to consider. But with a little advanced planning and a focused approach, you can lower some of those barriers and speed up your path to realizing the benefits these systems can offer.<\/p>\n

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: How to Manage Your Content Assets So They\u2019re Found and Used<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n

Clearing the content tech confusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At their simplest, DAM systems are used by enterprises to store, organize, and retrieve digital media assets for efficient use across all stages of the content creation lifecycle. They also enable effective governance<\/a> of those assets by managing the digital rights, access permissions, and other standards established for creating and applying content across all functions of the organization.<\/p>\n

Used in tandem with a web content management system (WCM) and\/or other marketing automation technology (like email management systems and social media publishing suites), a DAM can make it easier for content creators to locate brand assets<\/a> like photos, audio and video footage, animations, and other graphics, track changes as they move through production, and ensure they are properly sized<\/a>, formatted, and tagged for use on chosen distribution platforms and channels.<\/p>\n

While definitive statistics on content marketer adoption of DAM systems are hard to come by, it\u2019s logical to assume they are underused, given that CMI\u2019s B2B Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022<\/a> research found only 49% of marketers say their company uses a content management system (CMS).<\/p>\n

Only 49% of #B2B marketers say their company uses a #content management system according to @CMIContent #research via @joderama. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, CMI\u2019s chief strategy advisor Robert Rose thinks this finding may indicate a fundamental content tech misperception that a DAM system and a CMS are interchangeable: \u201cCompanies say they don\u2019t have a CMS. They do \u2013\u00a0at least when it comes to a system to manage content on their website (e.g., Drupal, WordPress). The confusion occurs because the term \u2018content management system\u2019 has become synonymous with digital assets management (DAM).\u201d<\/p>\n

While the two technologies have overlapping functions, neither can do the job effectively unless the enterprise aligns on the functions each system facilitates, who will use each, and how each can be used to its potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cA website CMS or social media tool typically manages media assets from their finalized state through publication and measurement<\/a>. Yet, they provide little consistency in how content gets handled across various formats. In contrast, a DAM system is going to provide full process efficiency from the spark of ideation<\/a> through creation, production, and multi-platform publication, as well as when and where the asset will ultimately be archived for future reuse and repurposing<\/a>,\u201d Robert says.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, managing those operational considerations is often the biggest challenge when adding any new technology to your content stack. Fortunately, Robert\u2019s exercise below might just save you a world of hurt and hassle.<\/p>\n

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Definitive Guide to Content Operations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Get a deep dive into Content Operations: what it is, why it\u2019s so important for organizations in every industry to embrace, what it\u2019s capable of, and how you can build the best content operations solution for your teams. Download now<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Right preparation begets increased productivity<\/h2>\n

To select the right DAM system, you need to know which teams will use it, how they\u2019re going to use it, and what they\u2019ll use it for. That\u2019s a lot of details and variations to sort through, and this is where many organizations trip up before they really get started.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, no DAM system will function optimally right out of the box. It must be configured to accommodate your use cases, governance decisions, and team workflows<\/a>. So, before you begin the purchase process, you need a clear view of the operational considerations and preparation involved to deliver a fully functioning system for your organization.<\/p>\n

A DAM system won\u2019t function optimally out of the box. It must be configured to your use cases, governance, and workflow, says @joderama via @CMIContent @Aprimo. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few questions to answer:<\/p>\n