New Efficiencies to Expect from a Digital Experience Platform

Efficiency would never be confused as a synonym for marketing. With the number of platforms marketers use during the day, the number of assets that continue to accumulate, the sheer number of channels that messages need to be shared on, and the number of potential places all these assets and messaging are stored, efficiency is something that most people in marketing wouldn’t recognize if it was right in front of them.

The simple truth is that many marketers don’t even know that their operations are inefficient. They operate like they always have without putting a lot of thought into it. There are platforms available that do encompass every bit of what a marketer needs to master their day to day operations and then some.

The organization of assets should begin with a digital asset management system or DAM system, which is hardly a revealing comment. DAMs have evolved steadily over the years as companies have been overburdened by data. Many DAM platforms have eventually become leaders in certain areas and some in multiple areas, in other words, a digital experience platform.

To understand how a digital experience platform or DXP will help solve an efficiency issue, it’s first important to know what one is. A DXP is not a storage platform. While storage is a function of digital asset management it is, by definition, more robust.

Let’s take a look at a few areas that you are likely using different platforms for that a digital experience platform could centralize and make your internal and external communications more efficient, consistent and cost effective.

Collaboration and process management

True collaboration and process management will likely be the single biggest change a DXP will instill in your company. Collaboration can be quite difficult if the system you are using doesn’t allow for it. If you’re having to use a public file sharing program or email attachments as part of your workflow then your processes are simply not working. No matter the size of your company, if you’re not able to have some sort of version control then you’re setting yourself up for disaster. It is also beneficial to be able to set permissions so you know the right people are working on the right content.

Digital Asset Management

Anyone, in any kind of creative role, somehow manages their assets. Whether or not it’s done in a consistent and efficient way is something completely different. A pure digital asset management system, even without the bells and whistles that make it a one stop marketing solution, will allow for organization, management and archival of all of your assets. You should be able to save, import and export any file type and with the proper metadata be able to easily search and find any asset that correlates with any particular campaign.

Product Information Management

Where do you even begin with something as vital as product information management? If you’re a retailer and need to sort, describe, categorize and market hundreds or thousands of products, how is it possible without the right system in place? Not only will the imagery assets be stored, but text will correspond, based on the metadata it will be easily findable and because of the semantic network the relationship between other similar assets will be recognized and leveraged based on consumer searches and preferences.

Omnichannel Content Management

If you could manage all of your content distribution from one system how would that affect your brand? your messaging? your time? An omnichannel content management solution allows you to maintain consistency across everywhere you post content to. Whether you need to publish to the web, mobile or print publications, your content will be easily manipulated to the perfect specs for each channel. Do you market in different languages across different cultures? A DXP with translation capabilities will bring your omnichannel network to a new level.

Brand Management

Your brand is the most important thing you have. It’s what defines your company. If your branding is inconsistent then your products are inconsistent. At least that would be the consensus from the outside world. Without a central repository and strict version control it’s beyond easy for the wrong logo to slip through, especially when local marketing departments work on their own campaigns. A DXP not only includes the necessary central repository but also editing capabilities, version control, permission settings and efficient workflows and approval processes that will ensure your brand management is under control.

Marketing Resource Management

A marketing campaign begins with a plan in mind. Organization is key to carrying that plan out. With the right DXP you can set your KPIs, budget allocation, assign tasks to team members and manage their projects and timelines seamlessly. There’s no excuse for a target being missed because it wasn’t properly documented with your marketing resource management software to begin with.

While marketers may never be known for efficiency, with the right tool their workflows and processes can become as seamless as possible. With content control and every publishing channel, whether they be print or web, integrated into one system as well as a detailed and easy to navigate storage system along with budgetary tools and project management capabilities, marketers can actually market rather than keep familiarizing themselves with different software.