Consider comparing two people’s assets. What would be your criteria? How many homes, cars, yachts, etc. they own? Money in their bank? How many NFTs they’ve purchased? The amount in their investments or the value of their cryptocurrency? While assets used to strictly refer to property in a physical form, they now have a much broader definition. Those that aren’t physical – at least in terms of files like photos, logos, videos, online documents, etc. – are referred to as “digital assets”.
In general terms, a digital asset is anything that can be created and stored digitally, has value, and establishes ownership.
Just like physical assets, digital assets also need to be protected and maintained. Typically, they are stored on a blockchain or other digital ledger technology that enables secure and decentralized ownership and transfer of these assets.
For any file to be a digital asset, it needs to be:
- Valuable to the company
- Digital
- Searchable, shareable & distributable
Types of Digital Assets:
Whenever someone hears the word “digital asset” the first thing that comes to mind is images and videos, but they’re not limited to these file types. The following is a list of some common digital assets:
-
Images
Photographs, illustrations, graphics, and other types of visual content which can be used for online usage or print ads. -
Videos
All kinds of moving images such as animation, shot videos, and motion graphics, whether or not they contain sound. -
PDFs
Portable Document Format files that include text, images, and other types of content. PDFs can be password protected, which enhances their security and makes them a favored file type to transfer confidential information. -
Documents
All digital files that contain text, such as reports, articles, and presentations. -
Logos
Graphic designs or visuals that represent a brand or organization. Logos are often considered the intellectual property of a company/brand. -
Audio
Sound files, such as music or podcasts, that can be downloaded or streamed online are also part of a company’s digital assets. -
Presentations
Digital slideshows used for business or educational purposes. Most companies use presentations for client proposals because of their ability to showcase various digital assets, like images, videos, audio, and text, on one single screen. -
E-books
Digital books that can be read on a computer, tablet, or e-reader device. -
Social Media Posts
Content that is created particularly for a brand to be shared on social media platforms, including text, images, and videos, are considered digital assets as well. -
Web Content
Content used for websites, including HTML files, CSS files, and javascript files.
Why Are They Important?
Thinking through your average work day, it’s likely you wouldn’t go a day without using at least one of the digital assets listed above. Why? Because they are inseparably interwoven into our day-to-day life.
Regardless of your work day, it’s likely that you don’t go a day without coming across some sort of digital asset, whether that’s in your personal life or some other brand’s assets, like a promotional video or a streaming company’s new drama! That’s how intricately digital assets are knit into our world.
Apart from this, digital assets help us in a number of ways.
Easily Searchable & Shareable
When assets are in a digital format, they’re easily searchable and shareable by the team that’s involved in the utilization of those assets. Imagine how hard it would be to share physical copies of a 200-page market research report with one person, let alone an entire team located in different parts of the country!
Easy Management
All kinds of digital assets can be grouped together and put in the same folder, which makes them easier to sort and manage. When you’re producing a number of files every day, having digital formats of assets makes storing them all possible, where storing the physical copies can become burdensome.
Better Creativity
It’s easier to create multiple versions of an original asset in its digital form. This pushes the creativity and efficiency of these assets to be the best they can be.
Better Representation for the Audience
With the help of digital assets, a brand can bring itself closer to their audience for a better experience and understanding of the brand itself.
As you’ve discovered, digital assets are everywhere, and managing them can be quite a task.
That’s why a Digital Asset Manager (DAM), like Lariat Marketing Hub’s, is a no-brainer.
A DAM gives you the ability to store all of your brand’s digital valuables, allowing you to quickly find, share, and protect every file. Think of a DAM as your behind-the-scenes support, ensuring your digital world stays streamlined and efficient.
Considering the importance of digital assets in today’s landscape, it’s time you gave your assets the management they deserve with Lariat!
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