6 advantages of integrating a DAM with your CMS

Managing content for a larger organization is no straightforward business. Different editorial teams across the globe, various jurisdictions to navigate, diverse markets with their own culture and lingo—there are many issues and challenges to consider.

Usually, a modern and flexible content management system (CMS) can handle these tasks with ease. However, if your organization already has a digital asset management (DAM) system and needs centralized control over images, rights, and the like, you should keep on reading.

If you’re thinking, “frankly, my dear, I don’t give a DAM,” it’s time to rethink that stance. Let’s explore some advantages of integrating your existing DAM with your CMS.

1. Brand consistency

When you pair a DAM with your CMS, you establish a robust safeguard for your brand. With every asset gathered in a singular, accessible location, preserving the consistency of your brand's aesthetic and message across diverse platforms shifts from being a daunting task to a more manageable process. 

Gone are the days of laborious searches for that critical logo file or the vital brand guideline document. The integration essentially acts as your digital brand custodian, ever-prepared to deliver the precise asset you require.

2. Centralized asset management

Consider the efficiency of a seasoned librarian, well-versed in the positioning of every book within the library. That’s the level of precision a DAM integrated with your CMS offers. Each asset, be it an image, video, or document, is meticulously archived in a unified location.

This integration resembles a neatly arranged toolbox, sparing you the inconvenience of sifting through clutter to locate your required tool. With this in place, retrieving your digital assets becomes a streamlined, efficient process.

3. Streamlined process and faster content creation

In the realm of content platforms, efficiency holds paramount importance. A DAM combined with your CMS serves as a powerful tool for optimization, expediting your content creation process. Gone are the days of extensive searches for assets or periods of waiting for the necessary ones to become available.

With a DAM, your assets are readily accessible across teams and geographies, poised to be incorporated into your carefully crafted content. This integration ensures a seamless workflow, aiding you in producing high-quality content with remarkable swiftness.

See also: Why editors should use structured content »

4. Optimized asset utilization

A DAM does more than simply house your assets; it provides comprehensive insights into their utilization as well. With asset usage tracking and analysis, you get insight into which assets are driving engagement and which ones are underused.

This valuable data facilitates informed decision-making regarding your content strategy. It’s akin to having a strategic advisor, well-versed in the performance metrics of each asset, guiding you towards creating effective and winning content.

5. Enhanced security

The security of your digital assets is a crucial consideration. An integrated DAM, equipped with appropriate management and access control, serves as a digital fortress, providing robust protection for your valuable assets.

This function could be likened to a vigilant gatekeeper, meticulously controlling access to your premium content, ensuring that only authorized individuals gain entry—both internally and externally.

6. Improved collaboration

Working with a team or an agency? An integrated DAM ensures smooth collaboration. With the capability to allow multiple users to access, use, and upload assets, while also providing an in-system communication channel, it promotes team synergy.

This system is comparable to a communal workspace where everyone can make their valuable contributions, without risk of overstepping boundaries or creating confusion. Also, all the added controls and communication measures is a great thing for collaboration with external agencies, when you need a tight brand leash on the assets they are using, both physically and digitally.

The CMS perspective

Even though there are several potential benefits of integrating your CMS with a DAM like e.g. Fotoware, there are possible pitfalls as well.

Firstly, an integration adds technical complexity to your organization. We’ll leave out the developer considerations for the sake of brevity and sanity, but with an integration there will be two disparate places to dictate identity and access management (IAM), not to mention that there now will be two systems to teach yourselves.

Secondly, a CMS/DAM integration might not be as good at serving and scaling images in real time for public websites and applications. This might seem like a minor point, but remember that SEO and rankings are determined by load speeds and user experience.

***

The bottom line: If your organization is large with a strong brand, has many collaborations with agencies, and has an equally strong presence both digitally and physically in terms of content rights management, a CMS/DAM integration should be considered. It’s time to give a DAM.