Digital asset management systems (DAM) and content management systems (CMS) are two useful systems that brands can use to help manage their content. Understanding the key differences, and how they can be integrated to work together, is essential for seamless content management across your business.
What is a content management system (CMS)?
A content management system (CMS) is a software that helps users create, manage, and modify content without the need for specialized technical knowledge. Instead of building your own system for creating web pages, storing images, and other functions, the content management system handles all that basic infrastructure so that you can focus on the front end of your website. There are so many CMS options, but some of the most popular are WordPress, Drupal and Magento.
What is a digital asset management system (DAM)?
Digital asset management systems manage content on a greater scale. Looking at your company’s entire media, such as videos, images, graphics, PDFs, templates and more, a DAM platform allows brands to easily store, distribute and retrieve these assets. DAM systems provide a central source to manage your digital assets.
For a more comprehensive guide to understanding DAM, see our guide to DAM essentials.
What is the difference between a CMS and DAM?
The main difference between a CMS and DAM is therefore the scale and type of content that these systems manage. While a CMS supports website content, DAM manages assets on a wider scale throughout your entire organisation, allowing for communication and distribution across multiple channels.
For brands in industries that manage a range of visual content, such as fashion, eCommerce and interiors, consistent brand management is key. With the right DAM system, you can integrate your CMS or seamless content management.
Key features of a CMS
- Ability to store, edit and publish website content
- Manage user roles giving permission to access, edit and view content
- Searchable content library
- Can also handle SEO copy
- Storing and indexing web pages and copy
- Format management for brand consistency
- Control of past versions of content
- Publishing and reporting on content
Key features of a DAM system
- Organisation of content in one central location
- Boosts sharing and storing of up-to-date media assets
- Stores content to be transformed and reused
- Finding and retrieving assets using advanced searches
- Assets can be enriched using customised metadata (such as key words)
- History tracking of all media assets
- Resizing/ manipulating of file size and type
- Access permission can be granted both internally and externally
Can you integrate a CMS with DAM software?
Now that we understand the difference between these two management systems, it’s worth knowing the different ways to integrate your DAM and CMS to optimise your company’s productivity and collaboration. When used in conjunction, CMS and DAM platforms make it even easier to share, edit and manage digital content across your company. By integrating the two systems, all media used by the CMS for web content can be shared on the DAM platform and can immediately be made available to the entire company.
Importantly, introducing a DAM system to support your CMS will improve workflow and collaboration across teams in your business. For instance, your brand team will be able to update assets within the DAM, which can then be accessed via your web and marketing teams directly within the CMS. Seamless integration like this, therefore, grants all teams access to the most up-to-date media, helping to retain brand consistency across all web platforms.
How to integrate your CMS with a DAM software
BOOM’s worksite, which includes DAM solutions, makes use ofan open API which makes it easy to connect to a range of systems within your tech stack. Easy integration allows you to make the most out of a DAM platform by seamlessly connecting to everything from social media channels and email management systems to your website content management systems (CMS).
Get started with BOOM Worksite
Interested in introducing a platform that manages your digital assets to your business? The process is simple with BOOM. Simply book a demo with one of our experts today.
