Photography is one of those hobbies that’s easy to turn into a lucrative business. If you have the skills, the patience, and the drive for it, it’s rather easy to find customers in today’s market. Business websites, blogs, e-commerce stores, social media, and every other type of online or printed media need visual content to catch the eye of their target audience.
However, being a good photographer is not enough to start a business. You also need a bit of entrepreneurial spirit and some tools to help you get started. For instance, how do you keep your photos and graphic creations organized?
After all, taking photos is not the only part of the job. You also have to sort through, select the good ones, and edit them. Plus, once this part of the job is done, you either need to ship your photos to the customer or post them on various platforms where interested buyers can see and purchase them.
These are time-consuming tasks that keep you away from doing what you love – taking photos. However, if you are organized and use a system that keeps everything consistent and scalable, things become easier with time. And this is where we need to talk about a DAM (Digital Asset Management) system that works for you.
What is a DAM & Do I Need One?
A Digital Asset Management platform or system is a centralized location where you can store, organize, and optimize all your images, videos, graphics, and other media assets. Plus, a DAM can also take care of all your sales channels, which are a big part of making money out of your photos.
Plus, you can add, organize and manage other files as well. For instance, if you’re looking to learn how to do product photography, you can store educational files and various projects to measure your progress.
But, most importantly, Digital Asset Management for photographers comes with a series of benefits, whether you are a solopreneur or working with a team.
Here are some of the most important ones:
It Helps You Save Time
Do you ever wonder how some professionals get a lot more work done in the timeframe it takes you to take a few photos?
While it’s true that experience and skill are a factor, it’s also about staying organized. When you have to spend tens of minutes per project looking for the files you want to work on, you are not working efficiently and waste valuable time.
It Encourages Collaboration
When you’re working with a team, especially in a remote environment, things can get hectic. And, if your digital assets are not well-organized and structured, it’s easy to mismanage files. This leads to mistakes, wasted time, and missed opportunities.
A DAM solves all these issues by creating an easy-to-follow system where everyone knows where their work files are. Plus, two or more people can use the DAM system to collaborate on the same files without stepping on each other’s toes.
Consistency
Photographers often work with several customers at a time, so you need to make sure project files don’t get mixed. But you also have to keep track of changes in your customers’ visual branding and requests for edits on your own materials.
Overall, it doesn’t take much to lose track of tasks and requests. This often translates into a loss of contracts and reputation since unsatisfied customers are often loud about it. Luckily, you can avoid such a grim scenario if you’re using a DAM system designed for media files.
Wrap Up
A DAM platform can help aspiring and professional photographers keep their files under control. Plus, as your business grows, it will be increasingly helpful to have a system that keeps track of everything.