DAM software 101: Everything you need to know about digital asset management

Struggling to meet content demands? You’re definitely not alone. Brands around the world are racing to produce and distribute more content than ever before. 73% of content professionals will need to deliver more content this year than they did last year. And as companies adapt to changing markets, agility and speed are crucial, too. 85% of marketers say they’re under pressure to get content to market faster.

That rise in demand poses a real challenge — especially for teams that don’t have the right technology to scale their content operations.

Too often, digital content ends up spread across cloud storage accounts, cluttering employees’ desktops, or buried deep in the folder structure of an internal server. There’s no central location for approved brand assets the entire business can leverage as they create, manage, and distribute content. And even if people know where to look, they don’t have effective search tools — like AI-powered search — to quickly find what they need.

Without the right systems in place, brands struggle to create enough content to reach the right audiences, leaving potential revenue streams untapped.

The solution? A digital asset management (DAM) platform combines all the essential tools you need to manage and distribute your brand’s digital assets into a single system. In this introduction to digital asset management technology, you’ll learn the ins and outs of DAM software — including how it transforms content workflows and creates value for the brands that use it.

Why do businesses need DAM software solutions?

Modern businesses run on digital files, and every business needs a place to put them. But digital asset management is about much more than file storage. DAM software exists to optimize content workflows, so brands can get more value out of their digital content.

Traditional storage solutions — think SharePoint, Dropbox, Google Drive, or internal file servers — don’t address some of the most pressing content challenges businesses face. These bare-bones systems lack the comprehensive feature set brands need to scale content management, connect dispersed teams, or find the right files quickly.

Digital asset management (DAM) platforms provide that missing functionality, so teams can work more efficiently and leverage content more effectively.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest content challenges businesses face and how DAM software solves them.

Content isn’t centralized or searchable

The problem: Difficulty accessing assets drags productivity down and wastes budget as teams end up recreating content they can’t find.

The solution: A central, searchable DAM library makes it easy for anyone to find digital assets for campaigns, creative projects, sales pitches, and more.

Productivity is lagging

The problem: Inefficient workflows cause delays as teams produce, review, and distribute digital assets. These bottlenecks make it impossible to deliver content at the speed of business.

The solution: A DAM platform’s collaboration and review tools accelerate project timelines. And on-demand access to approved brand assets means nobody has to wait for the content they need to keep things moving.

Valuable content is underutilized

The problem: Content has a short lifespan and generates limited value. There’s no easy way to repurpose or customize existing assets for new markets, regions, or use cases.

The solution: With assets at everyone’s fingertips in a DAM system, each piece of content gets used to its full potential across multiple channels and campaigns — drastically increasing content ROI.

Lack of content insights

The problem: Without adequate reporting, there’s no way to know how content is used, how often, and by whom.

The solution: A DAM platform’s detailed reporting informs data-driven decisions. Teams can easily determine content ROI and identify emerging trends or content gaps.

Content isn’t always on brand

The problem: With no way to centrally manage brand content, off-brand or outdated materials appear in campaigns and on corporate channels.

The solution: DAM software’s brand management tools make it possible to create a strong brand identity that’s consistent across every touchpoint.

Unlocking business value with digital asset management software

If you work with digital content, you can probably understand the appeal of a DAM platform. All your brand assets are at your fingertips, sharing content with anyone is a snap, and daily tasks are streamlined and less stressful. But all that efficiency isn’t just about making marketers’ and content teams’ lives easier.

Images, videos, and other files are called “digital assets” because they have real financial value. You invest money to create them, and you use them to generate revenue. Digital asset management platforms exist to help companies maximize the returns on that investment — amplifying the impact of every dollar you invest in content.

Get higher returns on content investments

DAM software helps squeeze more value out of every piece of content you create. When impactful brand assets are easy to find, people are more likely to use them and share them — amplifying their reach and increasing their impact. New content circulates faster and farther across multiple channels. And old content continues to create value, resurfacing in new campaigns instead of languishing in some forgotten folder.

Lower costs and use resources more efficiently

Of course, returns are just one half of the ROI equation. The size of investment (the cost of creating content for your brand) matters just as much. That’s why maximizing efficiency is so important. With a dedicated platform to organize, find, and share your content, you can do more with fewer resources — boosting content output without increasing the size of your team or spending more on agencies.

Another factor keeping costs down: easier ways to rediscover existing content. If you can find the perfect brand assets for your next campaign in your content library, there’s no need to waste resources recreating them.

Get content to market faster

DAM platforms speed up production and eliminate bottlenecks, empowering teams to create and distribute content at record speeds. Creatives can create efficiently. Review and approval cycles move faster. And marketers can launch amazing campaigns on demand. By repurposing content for diverse audiences and verticals, your team can launch more campaigns faster with targeted messaging and visuals.

DAM platforms also offer several ways to publish approved content quickly, as well as integrations with other tools your team uses every day.

Scale your business and expand your reach

Growing businesses need systems that work at scale, and content workflows are no exception. A DAM platform provides the infrastructure your business needs to support your content program for years to come.

Content requests by email and Slack don’t work at scale, but a self-service content library does — no matter how large or complex your team becomes. Rolling out different products in different markets? DAM software gives you the tools to juggle it all. And with more efficient workflows to adapt content for different audiences and verticals, your team can enter new markets with just the right messaging and visuals to resonate with your customers.

Improve productivity and streamline collaboration

One of the biggest ways a DAM platform boosts productivity is by helping teams and individuals work together efficiently with fewer mix-ups, miscommunications, or delays.

With a single source of truth for digital content, everyone’s always on the same page. And a whole host of DAM features — including dedicated workspaces, commenting features, and content controls — keep projects flowing, optimizing workflows and maximizing productivity.

Ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints

An organization with a consistent brand builds customer loyalty and increases revenue. But as brands grow and more people have a hand in creating and distributing content, it can be hard to maintain quality standards and a consistent brand identity. A digital asset management platform makes it possible to ensure a polished, consistent brand experience at scale. Brand managers have central oversight. Contributors have direct access to approved assets and brand style guides. And brand management tools ensure only content you want representing your brand makes it out into the world.

Reduce risk and ensure compliance

Using copyrighted or licensed materials incorrectly can expose your organization to liability in the form of fines or lawsuits. DAM software stores essential copyright and digital rights information alongside each digital asset. That way, everyone using your content can be confident all the necessary rights and permissions are in place. And when rights expire, it’s easy to take content out of circulation, preventing costly mix-ups and mistakes.

What features does DAM software have?

DAM systems come packed with features designed to optimize and streamline content operations. While not every DAM software offers the exact same features, a robust DAM system optimizes all kinds of content workflows — helping brands leverage digital content more efficiently to achieve strategic goals.

Organize and search

Leverage a searchable content hub to put digital assets at everyone’s fingertips.

• Folders and albums
• Collections
• AI-powered search
• Facial recognition
• Customizable filters
• Auto-tagging
• Locations, hex codes, and other metadata

Manage and collaborate

Empower your team to effortlessly access digital assets and create on-brand content.

• Brand management capabilities
• Customizable workflows
• Collaborative workspaces
• Approval settings
• Content controls, such as version control, digital rights management, and asset expiration dates
• User permissions
• Photo and video editing tools

Distribute and analyze

Expand your content’s reach and use data-driven insights to improve your content strategy.

• Distribution portals
• Sharing links
• Video embedding
• CDN functionality
• Dashboards and customizable reports
• Asset utilization and performance metrics

Integrations with other tools

Your DAM platform serves a hub for your digital content ecosystem — accelerating projects, tasks, and workflows of all shapes and sizes. Put digital content at your teams’ fingertips in the tools they use every day, including:

• Project management platforms
• Content creation tools
• Social media and publishing platforms
• Collaboration tools
• Marketing platforms
• Analytics tools

Security and data privacy

DAM software’s robust security architecture prevents unauthorized access, ensures compliance with data privacy regulations, and protects your digital assets from environmental and structural threats.

How to implement DAM software across your organization

Why is optimizing content operations with a DAM platform so important? Nearly everyone at your organization works with digital content, no matter their role.

Sales reps need materials to win over customers. Marketers, designers, and web teams need brand imagery to craft collateral and campaigns. And nearly everyone at your organization uses documents, templates, and other digital assets every day. Multiplied across multiple teams, the efficiency boost a digital asset management platform brings ripples across an organization.

Here are just a few examples of teams that can harness the power of DAM software to make their strategic goals a reality.

Marketing teams

With any brand asset just a quick search away, marketers can easily craft campaigns powered by just the right visuals — and adapt them to target different audiences. More effective campaigns mean more impressions, clicks, and conversions, feeding a steady pipeline of leads.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. As they commission content, craft campaigns, distribute collateral, and refine strategies, marketers get efficiency boosts from nearly every feature a DAM platform has to offer.

Content and creative teams

Content and creative teams use DAM software to accelerate and scale content production. Creative contributors and content managers can work faster and smarter — increasing productivity and optimizing creative flow.

And when other teams can access approved brand assets on-demand, content and creative professionals can spend less time fielding asset requests and more time refining strategies and crafting masterpieces.

Sales teams

With persuasive collateral at their fingertips, sales reps can react agilely to customer demands and close more deals. Have a complex sales organization? Segmented content collections make sales enablement for different regions and verticals a breeze.

Brand management teams

A central location for collateral and content gives brand managers centralized control. No matter how big a team grows, brand management tools — like approval statuses, version controls, expiration dates, and style guides — ensure a consistent experience across every touchpoint.

Selecting a digital asset management system

A well-chosen DAM can increase content ROI, enhance collaboration among your team, and even boost your overall content strategy. But with so many providers on the market, how do you choose the one that’s best for you? Here are some essential factors to consider as you look for a DAM provider. These considerations will help you find a DAM platform that meets your current needs — and also adapts with you as your organization grows and changes.

Experience and innovation

The digital landscape is always evolving, so you need a DAM provider that not only understands the current trends but is also preparing for the future. Look for a provider with a track record of innovation and the ability to adapt to new technologies — like AI and analytics. They should be building solutions for tomorrow’s challenges, not just today’s.

Advanced capabilities

Modern DAM platforms offer more than just storage. Cutting-edge features can drastically improve how you organize and find your assets. Advanced features like AI capabilities, image recognition, and automatic tagging and sorting help you locate your assets more efficiently. And extras like sophisticated video tools and built-in CDN capabilities streamline and automate tedious, resource-intensive workflows.

Integrations with other tools

Your DAM software should integrate with other tools you use every day. Whether it’s creative tools, project management systems, or marketing automation software, a good DAM acts as the hub of your content ecosystem, making it easier to create, manage, and share digital assets across multiple platforms.

Customer service and implementation support

Good customer service and implementation support are crucial for quickly setting up your new content library, reducing the time it takes to see benefits, and ensuring long-term success. Read reviews and talk to current customers to get a sense of how responsive and helpful the provider is. Choose a provider that takes a hands-on approach to making your DAM experience a success.

By keeping these factors in mind, you can find a DAM provider that not only meets your current needs but also supports your future growth.

Canto is the leader in digital asset management solutions

A leader in the digital asset management space for over 30 years, Canto is one of the most powerful DAM platforms on the market.

Packing tons of sophisticated features into one easy-to-use platform, Canto provides powerful solutions to enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and extract more value from your digital content.

Everything you need to manage your brand’s digital assets, all in one AI-powered platform:

• Industry-leading AI tools
• Automated publishing to websites and storefronts
• Unlimited Portals to share with any audience
• Enhanced video capabilities
• Productivity-boosting collaboration features
• Advanced content controls to manage your brand
• 40+ integrations with other tools you use every day
• Best-in-class implementation and support
• State-of-the-art security and encryption
• Straightforward pricing and scalable storage

Ready to see Canto’s industry-leading DAM software in action? Book a personalized demo and let us show you around.