Want Higher Picture Model Management? Use a DAM

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Should you’re utilizing a storage resolution like Google Drive or DropBox to arrange and handle your belongings, you’ll finally run into issues with duplicate, outdated, or incorrect asset variations cluttering your library. This may result in…

  • Wasted time weeding by asset variations and double-checking with managers or creatives about which asset to make use of
  • Customers by accident updating the wrong model of an asset
  • Groups publishing and utilizing the fallacious collateral
  • Poor model consistency and a nasty buyer expertise

You possibly can search for picture model management programs — typically referred to as revision management software program — that allow you to observe variations of your photos, however sustaining model management entails greater than conserving observe of model numbers. That’s why we advocate upgrading to a digital asset administration (DAM) system.

DAM goes past primary storage drives and model management software program as a result of it has further options that will help you 1) be certain that everyone has entry to and might use probably the most up-to-date belongings, 2) arrange guidelines to require compliance from anybody dealing with firm belongings, and three) maintain a constant model picture throughout on-line channels and advertising and marketing efforts. DAMs not solely show you how to maintain observe of asset variations, however additionally they will let you automate model administration duties when belongings are up to date.

Brandfolder is among the many most strong digital asset administration programs designed to scale together with your group. Regardless of what number of belongings you purchase, our system offers you the instruments that will help you set up, handle, and use these belongings in probably the most environment friendly methods doable. We put collectively this publish to clarify how we allow higher model management from importing to updating to publishing. We additionally present how our platform offers your groups the instruments to search out and use the belongings they want after they want them.

Brandfolder lets you handle all your model’s digital belongings, from photos and movies to gross sales decks, textual content recordsdata, and advertising and marketing collateral templates. To be taught extra about how one can consolidate and retailer all your branded content material in a single accessible repository and excellent asset versioning, contact our group for a free demo!

Conserving Monitor of Picture Variations in Brandfolder

Inside Brandfolder, you may entry a wide range of options that will help you:

  • Determine duplicates and merge comparable belongings throughout add
  • Collaborate with others on asset updates and block different customers from downloading and utilizing belongings throughout updating
  • Energy on-line content material instantly from Brandfolder and routinely replace belongings throughout the net
  • Keep a clear asset library at the same time as your library grows and customers add new belongings

Let’s speak extra about these options and the right way to use them.

Importing Property in Brandfolder (And Cleansing Up Your Asset Library)

In case you have a brilliant massive library of belongings, or an asset library that’s cluttered with asset variations, it could appear formidable to transition to an entire new storage resolution: How am I presupposed to migrate each single asset from one storage system to a different with out chaos and muddle?

Since we work with groups and corporations of all sizes — from start-ups to enterprise companies — we’ve designed our software program to make the transition clean and easy (whatever the measurement of your asset library). Earlier than you even start the importing course of, our group works with you to:

  • Decide which belongings must be prioritized for migration
  • Take away outdated or out-dated belongings out of your library
  • Put collectively a transparent asset taxonomy so your belongings are immediately organized upon ingestion

After that, importing is easy. You possibly can join Brandfolder to the storage resolution you’re already utilizing in order that our software program routinely pulls your belongings from the outdated resolution to the brand new.

Assets uploaded into Brandfolder

As Brandfolder ingests your belongings, AI comes into play in quite a lot of methods:

  • Analyzes each asset utilizing picture and product-recognition to extract textual content out of your belongings
  • Routinely provides metadata and tags to every asset to allow higher search and discovery
  • Detects duplicate asset variations in case you missed any through the preliminary clean-up.

When Brandfolder detects a replica asset, you the choice to both delete the asset or merge the asset with the newest model. While you delete an asset, it (clearly) is eliminated out of your asset library; however once you merge an asset, it’s “stacked” with the present asset model so you may entry the outdated model when/if you happen to want it.

View of image recognition in Brandfolder

It’s also possible to use asset “stacks” — generally known as asset containers — to consolidate duplicate belongings of various file sorts. For instance, you probably have your model’s emblem saved in a number of totally different file codecs (i.e., .jpg, .png, .PDF), you may stack all of them collectively for a cleaner group. That is particularly useful for groups who want social media asset administration or advertising and marketing asset administration software program to raised set up their belongings for various channels/use circumstances.

Updating Property in Brandfolder & Collaborating With Different Workforce Members

After all your belongings are uploaded and arranged, Brandfolder retains observe of asset updates and supplies instruments to make the precise updating course of much less cumbersome.

We’ll begin by explaining the right way to replace belongings, then talk about the place to verify asset variations.

Anytime you click on to view an asset in Brandfolder, our software program pulls up an Asset Overview. Inside this overview is a Workflow tab the place you may:

  • Remark forwards and backwards with different group members on what edits have to be made
  • View every asset’s remark historical past
  • Verify belongings out for updating
  • Push belongings to their native app for enhancing
  • Push belongings again over to Brandfolder when enhancing is full

View of asset workflow tab in Brandfolder

When an asset is checked out for updating, Brandfolder prevents different customers from downloading or utilizing that asset and locations a banner throughout the asset to let different group members know the asset is presently present process edits.

Then, when edits are full and the brand new model is pushed again to Brandfolder, it seems as “Prepared for Evaluate” so managers/creatives (or whoever you give admin entry to) can pop in and approve the asset for future use. As soon as an asset replace is accredited, Brandfolder routinely units that asset because the default, so your groups are at all times discovering and utilizing probably the most present variations of your belongings.

You possibly can view your complete model historical past of every asset by clicking “Model Historical past” throughout the Workflow tab. Our software program retains file of each asset model and allows you to observe adjustments that had been made throughout edits. If want be, you may obtain earlier asset variations or revert the asset again to a earlier model with a click on.

View of version history in Brandfolder

Brandfolder integrates with inventive instruments like Adobe’s Inventive Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, and so forth.), Canva, and Figma so the enhancing course of is seamless. Our software program can be constructed with an open supply API so you may join any picture enhancing instrument you employ for simpler updating. To view our full checklist of integrations and be taught extra about customization, take a look at Brandfolder’s integrations web page.

Sharing Property With the Groups Who Must Use Them

Past sustaining an up to date asset library, you additionally want simple methods to be sure that everyone who wants to make use of these belongings can entry them. So we offer simple sharing choices to share digital belongings with each your inside groups and exterior customers (stakeholders, retailers, distributors, and so forth.).

To share belongings with different staff or groups inside your group, you may add them to the asset or belongings you wish to share with permissions.

View of user settings in Brandfolder

When constructing your asset library, belongings are organized inside Brandfolders and Collections.

  • Brandfolders home all the belongings associated to a particular model
  • Collections let customers set up subsets of branded belongings for various use circumstances

You possibly can even take group a step additional by creating Model Portals with teams of belongings for various finish customers.

In Brandfolder, you may add customers to Brandfolder, Collections, or Model Portals. Then, they will discover and use all the belongings housed inside.

Be aware: Should you solely wish to share a single asset or a gaggle of chosen belongings, you will have that choice, too.

To share belongings with exterior groups (a.okay.a. Non-Brandfolder customers), you may ship a easy share hyperlink as an alternative of attempting to electronic mail massive recordsdata.

View of asset sharing options in Brandfolder

All the share hyperlinks in Brandfolder are customizable: You may give every hyperlink a particular title, set expirations for hyperlinks, lock asset downloading, add watermarks to belongings, and require an electronic mail handle to unlock and consider belongings. You need to use these share hyperlinks to ship single belongings, teams of chosen belongings, or complete Brandfolders, Collections, or Portals of belongings. We don’t put limitations on sharing, both. We offer all of our customers with limitless visitor seats, so you may share belongings with whoever, at any time when, and by no means fear about further charges.

Preserving Model Consistency Amongst Your Groups

Along with sharing choices, Brandfolder additionally has options to make sure that everyone you’re sharing belongings with can use your branded content material appropriately. Our platform additionally makes model administration duties simpler by permitting you to energy all your digital content material instantly from Brandfolder.

Let’s speak extra about sustaining model consistency with Brandfolder.

For starters, our Brandguide function lets you create and home model tips proper in Brandfolder for everyone to entry. When placing collectively model tips, you may embrace data on every thing out of your model mission and persona to directions on the right way to publish belongings throughout totally different mediums.

If you wish to get much more detailed, you may also go away notes on particular belongings inside their descriptions — for instance, we see a whole lot of groups publish “Dos and Don’ts” for asset use on the precise asset stage. That method, there’s by no means any confusion round asset utilization.

View of brand guidelines in Brandfolder

Brandfolder additionally assigns each asset a singular CDN hyperlink; your groups can use that hyperlink to host your content material on web sites, electronic mail advertising and marketing campaigns, and different locations throughout the net. This supplies some consolation figuring out that groups are posting probably the most up to date variations of belongings.

View of asset insights in Brandfolder

While you use CDN hyperlinks for posting, you may automate asset updates. That means, once you replace an asset in Brandfolder, it’ll routinely replace each place the place the CDN hyperlink is embedded. We offer insights and analytics for every asset so you may observe the place it lives throughout the net and see how persons are partaking together with your digital content material.

Sustaining an Organized Library As You Obtain New Property

Since most groups don’t have a static library, and it’s not unusual for groups to obtain belongings from a wide range of sources (i.e., the design group, entrepreneurs, exterior inventive businesses, freelancers), Brandfolder additionally supplies instruments to keep up group as your asset library grows.

First, we provide you with whole management over the evaluate and approval tips. You possibly can select who has the flexibility to evaluate and approve belongings, and select which workflows you wish to put a evaluations course of in place. Should you don’t wish to obtain notifications to evaluate and approve asset updates, you may nix that evaluate course of. If you wish to evaluate each new asset or asset replace, you are able to do that, too.

View of approval settings in Brandfolder

Should you obtain a whole lot of belongings from exterior sources, you may streamline the importing and group course of by sending them a visitor add hyperlink. Earlier than sending this hyperlink off, you may select precisely the place you need the asset saved. Then, after you ship the hyperlink and the visitor person uploads their content material, it’ll seem in Brandfolder within the spot you selected. Once more, we offer limitless visitor seats, so you may obtain belongings from whoever and we don’t nickel-and-dime you over asset uploads.

View of guest upload link in Brandfolder

Duplicate detection additionally comes into play right here, as effectively: If any of your customers add an asset that already lives in your library, our system will detect the dupe and immediate the person to both delete or merge the asset.

Study How one can Arrange and Handle All of Your Groups’ Property in Brandfolder

Attempting to keep up picture model management in easy storage options like GDrive, Microsoft’s OneDrive, and even instruments like Dropbox and Field is nearly not possible. Even you probably have the very best processes in place, it may be onerous to stop others from going rogue. DAMs aren’t solely extra superior of their storage and sharing, however additionally they provide you with larger management over asset versioning and utilization.

Brandfolder is designed to profit all your groups: It retains everyone on the identical web page, permits groups to search out and use the belongings they want (with out bugging different departments or group members), and improves productiveness and effectivity. To be taught extra concerning the ins and outs of Brandfolder, get in contact with our group for a free demo!