DAM and CMS - How do they differ?

When working with content production or distribution, it’s common to rely on helpful software to ensure effective management and publishing. Today’s tech stacks are often complex, including multiple systems that are integrated to create complete content ecosystems.

In such instances, people don’t work with single systems; they work with numerous software at once, and the lines between them tend to get blurred.

This article will look closely at two systems commonly used by marketers and communication professionals: Digital Asset Management and Content Management Systems, or in short, DAM and CMS. Since these two are often integrated, the differences can be challenging to spot. However, as you will discover below, DAM and CMS are not excluding but significantly complement each other. Combining the two will allow you to produce, manage, and distribute content effectively and successfully.

What is a CMS?

A Content Management System (CMS) is an application that enables you to manage digital content and distribute it on web pages. There are many different CMSs to choose from that vary greatly depending on their complexity and available features. You may have a highly configurable open-source CMS or a more limited one; what is suitable for one organization may be the wrong choice for another.

LEARN MORE: Top 10 CMS platforms your business should consider using

Benefits of CMSs:

• Minimizing the need for technical expertise when managing websites
• Enabling the creation, editing, and publishing of digital content
• Offering analytics of your website(s) performance
• Offering built-in modules and features for faster site development
• Improves online SEO

What is a DAM system?

While a CMS is mainly used for editing and publishing content, a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system is more useful when managing your visuals. In short, a DAM system helps organizations store, archive, retrieve, share, and publish visuals from one central hub.

LEARN MORE: 6 key benefits of Digital Asset Management (DAM) solutions

Since the DAM structures content using metadata, it greatly improves the search- and workflow capabilities. For example, a DAM may automatically move, edit, publish, or revoke a file when something triggers a change in its metadata. Automations of this type are highly configurable and essential tools for enterprises that manage high volumes of visual content.

Benefits of a DAM:

• Allowing for advanced workflows, structures, and rules for user access
• Ensuring that all content is easily found and available to the right people
• Enabling team members to collaborate on media files from one single location
• Keeping track of all information related to every file in one central hub
• Automating tasks related to content management and streamlining the publication process
• Making it easy for organizations to scale their content ecosystem