Measurable results: here's how to get the most out of your DAM system
Has your team been convinced of the power of your DAM system for years, or are you still in the orientation phase and wondering if a DAM system can do anything for you? Whatever your situation, one thing is certain: you obviously want to make sure that your investment in a DAM system actually pays off! And how do you do that? By measuring!
Why measuring is so important
Imagine this: you buy a pair of new athletic shoes because you want to run faster. But how do you know if those shoes are actually doing anything for your performance? Right, by keeping track of your time! That's also how it works with a DAM system. There are several parameters you can look at to determine if your DAM system is doing its job. Think about how much time you save by having all your assets in one place. Improved efficiency is one of the first things you'll notice. Next, you can look at the quality of your content. Has it improved since you started using a DAM system? Another important aspect is consistency. Are you presenting your brand in the same way everywhere? This is critical to maintaining your brand identity. And ultimately, you want to know what your DAM system brings to your business. What is the ROI? By keeping an eye on all these factors, you can get a good idea of the effectiveness of your DAM system.
Here's how to determine the ROI of your DAM system
It may sound complicated, but measuring the ROI of your DAM system is not at all difficult. Just search online for DAM ROI calculator and you'll find all kinds of tools to help you calculate the potential savings. Highly recommended is this calculator. Tools like this one ask for certain quantities such as:
- Number of users: How many people within your organization work with your assets?
- The number of searches: How often are assets searched?
- Time spent searching for assets: How long does it take someone to find the right asset?
- The number of follow-up actions: How many assets are downloaded? What do you do with it afterwards? Do you crop it, share it, upload it in CMS, put it in your newsletter?
- Creation and production: How many new assets or duplicates of existing assets does your organization periodically create?
- Costs: What is the average hourly rate of yourself as a marketer or your employees? Or how much do you incur in outsourcing work externally?
From measurement to insight
Only when you measure these things do you gain insight. A simple calculation shows that with five marketers spending, say, an hour a week searching for and working with assets, you can quickly save €7,500 to €10,000 a year with a DAM system. If you're at the orientation stage, this gives you a number that justifies the purchase. And this is just the beginning; there are many more factors to consider. For example, I previously wrote a blog about the additional costs of storing files and their duplicates in different locations and the penalties you risk if you use files whose permissions have expired.
Understanding the ROI of a DAM system is always valuable
Whether you already have extensive experience with a DAM system or are still in the orientation phase, understanding the ROI of a DAM system is always valuable. For those still orienting, this insight helps to make a sound decision and justify the purchase of a DAM system. For experienced users, it provides an opportunity to evaluate and improve current processes, which can further increase ROI.
Tips to improve the ROI of your DAM system
It all starts with training your team. Make sure that everyone using the DAM system knows how it works and how to deploy it optimally. Next, it's important to optimize your metadata. Use clear and consistent metadata to make searching for assets easier, so everyone can quickly find what they need. Another way to increase ROI is to automate tasks. For example, consider automatically generating different file formats, which can save a lot of time. In addition, most DAM systems offer comprehensive statistics. Although few organizations take full advantage of this feature, it is enormously valuable to gain insight into the use of your assets and understand how they are being used and where improvements can be made.
Want to know more?
Want to know how to get the most out of your content creation with our DAM system? Download the white paper: How to make content creation scalable. Discover how Comrads can help your organization? Request a no-obligation demo right away. We like to think along with you. Now and in the future.