There's an abundance of marketing tools on the market. But are they really all they're cracked up to be? What if you could use just one tool that could save your hours every day?
Well, we know one tool that's certain to change the way you work. Digital Asset Management (DAM)!
Join us on The BIG Bright Podcast where you can learn all about DAM just by kicking back and listening to us with a cuppa. We chat with Libby Marks, our expert DAM copywriter who delves into the benefits of this fantastic tool and why marketers need it in their lives. We cover:
Our mission to dispel the myths around DAM
Why DAM is a game-changer for marketers?
How to know it’s time to purchase a DAM?
Take a listen to the full episode via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Buzzsprout. Or, enjoy our summary below.
Our mission to dispel the myths around DAM
We’re well aware that Digital Asset Management (DAM) has a fairly corporate ring to it and at Bright, our mission is to dispel these untruths. The phrase itself can be a bit of a barrier to entry and, as Libby acknowledges, people often think DAM is something to do with money and finance.
She says, “Somebody the other day thought that I worked in Bitcoin because they thought that's what digital assets are. And it's such a shame because it is such a transformative tech.”
So what are digital assets? And what is DAM?
Libby defines DAM as a methodology. “It's about having a systematic and strategic approach to managing your digital assets to make sure that you can use them efficiently and you're not wasting time and money by mishandling them.
Digital assets just mean any of the building blocks you use to create your marketing collateral. That might be photos, illustrations, video, podcasts, logos, artwork, PDFs - anything that you need to be able to put your hands on to deliver your marketing campaigns and collateral.
A digital asset management system is the software that you use to achieve that. It’s a centralised place where you store, search, share and use your digital assets.”
It seems fairly straightforward when you think about it. So have so many people not heard of it? We believe there might be a conspiracy at play…
Why can DAM be a game-changer for marketers?
Now we’ve established that DAM is nothing to do with finance. How can it really transform the way your marketing team works?
“I think DAM is absolutely essential for overstretched marketing teams. And let’s be honest, is there any other kind? I don’t know any marketers that have enough time, team members and budget to deliver their strategy comfortably.
Marketers are constantly being asked to do more with less. Channels are multiplying, budgets aren’t always keeping up… so anything that can reduce wasted effort and improve productivity is a must in my book.”
To delve into the top five reasons marketing teams need a DAM, you can check out Libby’s blog post here. It covers the following key benefits:
Speed - having a DAM system eradicates manual processes and inefficiencies that slow your team down. It reduces friction in your workflow and makes automation possible.
Collaboration - DAM makes it easier, faster and more secure to work with internal and external agencies, so you can add extra capacity to your team and work in a more agile way.
Brand consistency - this is particularly important for businesses with regional offices or isolated groups of creators that have to create collateral. A DAM can make sure they’ve got what they need to do a great job.
Reduced legal exposure - It’s far too easy for people to accidentally misuse digital assets. Imagine you have a staff member who has only given permission for you to use their image on your website… but then you plaster it all over an ad campaign? Not ideal!
Check out the blog post for reason number 5.
Another key benefit of DAM is the way it can help marketers get back to the creative stuff. If you’re not spending hours hunting for lost assets, you can get back to the exciting work you’re employed to do!
How to know it’s time to purchase a DAM?
Libby used to work for a well-known university based in the UK. This was the time she discovered DAM (and our solution, Asset Bank).
“As a large university, we had four global campuses. We had around 3 faculties, 20 departments and the central marketing team simply couldn't do everything. So people had to be entrusted to create their own marketing materials. Some of them just didn't have the skills or the digital assets that they needed to be able to represent the brand in a consistent way. If you're in that kind of situation, maybe a big global corporation, maybe you're a charity with divisions around the globe, you need a DAM to be able to support and encourage teams to present your brand in the best way possible.”
- Some other tell-tale signs to look out for are:
- If your team are wasting time fielding requests for digital assets from other teams
- If you’re constantly searching down the latest versions of assets and artwork
- If you’re recommissioning lost assets, working in silos, lacking transparency
- If you’re planning to scale your content production or working more with external agencies
These all point towards one solution. 💡
These are just a few areas that Libby covers in our podcast. Take a listen to learn how DAM integrates with your current tech stack, what the implementation process looks like and how you can get your senior management on board.
If you’re interested in learning more or checking out some helpful resources, head over to The DAM copywriter or drop Libby a message on LinkedIn. Take a browse through our blog to read some examples of her work and, if you have any other copywriting needs, head over to Libby’s sister site, Write-on-Tyne.
