In order to become a digital asset, a digital file must belong to a business or organization, it is discoverable, and provides unique value to the said organization.
Therefore, you can’t consider a text document that contains your company name and contact details a digital asset. However, if the same information is stored as a graphic file that can be printed as a business card, it becomes a digital asset.
Also, some pieces of Intellectual Property (IP) such as logos, ad copy, and graphics of trademarks (just to name a few) are part of the digital assets category. So you can see how these can be valuable to a business.
A Good Management System
We mentioned that a digital asset needs to be discoverable – this means that the file has specific characteristics (also known as metadata) that allow a user to find it with a simple database search.
However, as companies start using and creating more digital asset files, it becomes more difficult to keep track of all of them without a proper management system.
Here is where Digital Asset Management (DAM) software comes in. This piece of software was specially created to keep these files well-organized and easy to find by anyone with the proper access rights.
The best DAM software also helps improve marketing campaign productivity and brand consistency since it keeps digital assets discoverable. This is because a specialized system allows you to set varying levels of user access to files and put automated workflows in place that take care of updates, maintenance, and backup.
How to Use Digital Assets
In most cases, digital assets are valuable because they help improve online marketing strategies. For instance, a high-quality image you created during a photoshoot can be used to raise brand awareness on social media (this is a digital asset).
On the other hand, a screenshot of your desktop or phone screen to show a colleague or business partner something is not a digital asset. So, the best use for digital assets is in media campaigns or with business partners where you share or collaborate on various valuable digital files.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, digital assets are valuable digital files that you should organize for optimal use and protect against any intrusions. In fact, when working with such valuable items it is crucial that you avoid any cybersecurity blunders and keep a tight grip on who uses your work network and how.
