How DAM Systems Bring Order To Content Marketing

Content has become a key part of marketing strategies, yet many organisations still struggle to scale their operations effectively. 

As AI enables faster content production, assets often end up scattered across numerous platforms, creating chaos instead of efficiency. 

This wastes time, leaving content professionals searching for assets they know exist but can’t easily find or reuse. It's no surprise that 83% of marketing leaders are looking to streamline workflows and reduce tool fatigue. 

Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems are becoming the go-to solution this year, helping teams organise and manage content more efficiently. 

The evolution of DAM systems  

Around 30 years ago legacy DAM systems were mostly used by publishing and print agencies for storing large files like high-resolution images or videos. Back then, these systems were mostly on-premise and only covered basic needs compared to what we see today. 

Later, other businesses acknowledged its storage and search functionality and started implementing it as one source of truth for all creative content.  

With the rising content marketing investments, marketers had a new priority – reuse the existing content. And DAM vendors quickly adapted to this need.  

In 2024, DAM systems allow marketers to scale their strategies, stretching each piece of content across multiple formats and channels. There’s also heavy investment in DAM integrations with ecommerce, marketing automation, and social media platforms.  

With AI in the mix, these systems can now handle automated tagging, asset recognition, and even help manage the entire content lifecycle. 

“As a DAM Manager, I’d estimate 70% of my weekly workload has been freed up since using AI search because I’m receiving far fewer asset requests from users,” says Cory Davis, Digital Asset Manager at Lucid Motors. 

Frankly, this year is an exciting time in the MarTech space. 

The content governance challenge 

Lack of governance is one of the most significant challenges in scaling content operations. 

Just think about it: before everything went digital, we had admins or librarians responsible for document storage and findability.  

With the switch to digital space, we went from librarians to Web masters. Then with time Web masters focused more on handling user experience, leaving no one in charge of content governance. 

Today, not every large organization has established content processes, and sometimes they are hesitant to admit it.  

The truth is, very few companies have it sorted. 

When we speak to marketing and communication managers, they want a better way to manage content. They know things could be done differently—they just need a better governance model and the right tools. 

Having content governance in place ensures: 

  • Consistency: All content aligns with brand guidelines. 
  • Accountability: Teams know who is responsible for each step in the content creation process. 
  • Efficiency: Centralised workflows ensure content moves through the organisation faster, with fewer bottlenecks. 

Without a centralised content governance model, it becomes nearly impossible to manage the content lifecycle manually—especially when businesses are expanding globally, increasing their customer touchpoints. 

Use cases for DAM: content reuse, personalization, branding 

DAM systems offer three core use cases that make them essential for modern marketing teams: 

1. Content reuse 

Content reuse is probably the number one reason companies adopt DAM systems. With 10000+ content pieces spread across various platforms, it can be a nightmare to find them. 

DAM systems solve this by: 

  • Centralizing content: All assets are stored in one place, easily accessible to the entire team. 
  • Tagging and categorization: Proper tagging makes content searchable, so teams can quickly find the assets they need. 
  • AI-powered search: AI can recognize content and help users locate the right asset through image recognition or automatic tagging. 

For example, CWS International, a supplier of health and hygiene products, centralised thousands of content assets in multiple languages across the EU using Sitecore Content Hub DAM. 

Read: Navigating the Content Crisis with Sitecore Content Hub - User Review 

2. Personalization at scale 

Personalization is a big focus in marketing - 90% of leading marketers say it significantly contributes to profitability. But it’s hard to manage manually.  

DAM supports personalization by: 

  • Automating content delivery: Personalized assets are served to audiences based on predefined rules and behaviour triggers. 
  • Enabling scalable campaigns: Instead of manually managing content for different segments, DAM allows teams to set up workflows that automate the process.   

3. Maintaining consistent branding 

Finally, branding. DAM systems help ensure that every piece of content aligns with your brand’s guidelines. You can lock down templates, manage version control, and ensure no one uses outdated logos or materials. It’s all about keeping everything consistent and on-brand. 

How to start with DAM systems 

Start small. Don’t try to address everything at once. Here’s how we’d recommend approaching it: 

1. Assess your needs 

Take a close look at how you currently manage content. What’s working? What’s a mess? Figure out where your biggest pain points are, whether it’s finding content, maintaining consistency, or streamlining approvals. 

Keep in mind that while DAM systems offer significant benefits for many organisations, they’re not for everyone. For example: 

Small businesses with limited content needs - If your content operations are minimal and your digital assets consist mostly of text, a DAM system might not provide enough value. 

Short content lifecycle - If your content is project-based or only used temporarily, the investment in a DAM system may not align with your business goals. 

Low content volume - Companies that produce a relatively low number of articles and other content materials or do so irregularly, might not benefit from a comprehensive DAM solution. 

2. Choose the right system 

Not all DAM systems are created equal. Look for one that integrates well with your existing tools. It needs to have the features you need, like AI tagging or automated workflows, and most importantly be user-friendly enough for your team. 

3. Start small and build 

Don’t overhaul everything overnight. Organize one type of content first, like images or product descriptions, and get your team used to the system. Then, gradually expand from there. 

4. Implement a governance model

Ensure you have a content governance model in place so that workflows are clear, and accountability is built into the process. 

What to expect next? 

As content marketing grows, the need for better management and organisation becomes increasingly urgent. DAM systems, combined with a solid content governance model, are the key to addressing content overload, poor reuse, and inconsistent branding. 

By centralising and automating content workflows, marketing teams can save time and resources, and maximise the impact of their content strategies in 2024 and beyond.