You know how they say, “If you want something done, ask a busy person”? I’d say the same goes for DAM success. Ideally, your DAM will be closer to vibrant, organized chaos than a stately, cold, dead archive. Am I justifying the number of sundresses I happily added to my wardrobe this weekend when this colder-than-normal NYC Spring finally warmed up enough to do the clothes changeover? Maybe, but minimalism isn’t always the way. How can you achieve this balance without getting overwhelmed?
Structure
Maybe you missed the “wardrobe” part of my story. Part of maximalism is figuring out how to let each piece shine without overwhelming the rest. Structure - built by metadata, naming, (controversially) folders, and more in the DAM - can allow you to include several times more assets than simply keeping the numbers low.
Curation
KISS (keep it simple, stupid) doesn’t just apply to politics. Before panicking when a new area of content is approved to add to the DAM, welcome it as a breath of fresh air. Dust off the “finished” areas and see what is no longer up-to-date or needed. Don’t wall off areas if you can help it. Like new art at home, rearrange your space to include the new work and create a more beautiful and interesting whole.
Backup
Review the DAM data to see who is downloading which assets to determine any overused imagery or underserved departments. If everyone is still downloading the same photo of a happy family watching a movie, it’s time to prioritize a new shoot or stock photo search to add more options. Use the data from reports as a backup of your request for more assets.
Welcome
Resist the urge to say no to more assets or users accessing the DAM. More means more interest, integration, and maybe importance meted out to the DAM too. Assess your current training documents, video series, and live-training options and see if you need to update anything to support the new assets or people. How can you champion the DAM and attract more DAM champions along the way?
Share
Don’t hide the new assets or users under a bushel, let their light shine. Highlight the new additions via whatever communication methods - monthly update newsletters, Slack channel, team Zoom call - you like so your current users know about the new content and new users feel connected to the team.
Adding more to manage might be tough on lean teams but if we want DAMs to remain front-of-mind as a valuable resource when budget time comes around, it’s usually worth the effort to find a way to make it work. More is more when it comes to the long-term success of a DAM project.