Metadata Tagging

Metadata tagging helps your organization instantly locate assets through automated tagging and organize your content efficiently.

A Guide to Digital Asset Metadata Tagging

Tagging your creative assets and marketing collateral with metadata is a great way to stay organized and keep track of all of your most valuable assets. Metadata tagging can help you find what you need without having to sort through massive piles of data and assets. You can instantly locate what you need without unnecessary hassle. For this reason, you are likely looking for ways to better sort your assets to find exactly what you need when you need it.

Data tagging solutions allow you to tag data for easier sorting. Rather than having to sort through assets to locate a single file or tag each asset individually, you can group them by type. With the right data tagging solution, you can be well on your way to simplifying your workflow and getting more out of your marketing assets. Creating a system to sort your data and assets can help you find the right items when you need them without wasting time manually searching for them.

Canto is a global technology solution that helps you organize, find, and share your digital assets. With Canto, you can gather and curate your digital assets in a single, centralized location, configuring your content library to your unique specifications and preferences. The platform’s AI-powered search tools make it easy for you to find the right files. Your team members can efficiently distribute assets to the rest of the team. Canto simplifies the tagging and sorting process so that you can successfully carry out your marketing efforts.

Automated Content Tagging

Automated content tagging automatically labels digital assets, freeing you from the burden of having to go through and sort each piece of content by hand. For example, a video tag editor can be used to tag videos. Likewise, a video metadata editor can generate metadata for videos. Considering the amount of content that you share daily, it’s no wonder that you are seeking tagging solutions to manage your assets. Whether you have videos, photos, music files, or anything in between, it’s important to keep track of all file types for current and future use, and automated content tagging software allows you to do just that.

Automated metadata tagging attaches metadata related to content. If you’re looking for photos that were shot at a specific location, for example, your system’s metadata can help you find the content that’s tagged with the name of that location. Tagging content is a great way to quickly find what you need and keep track of the growing number of digital items you have. After all, you don’t want to clog your system with a bunch of irrelevant or useless content. Automated tagging can help you get a better idea of what you currently hold, so that you can determine how best to use assets.

Just as there are many different types of digital content, there are a wide range of automated content tagging solutions. Each of these are used to simplify content management so that you can quickly find what you need. Outlining your specific business needs and objectives is a good way to determine your organization’s best automated content tagging system. Choosing the right software or solution is critical to achieving greater efficiency with your digital asset management process.

Metadata Tagging Best Practices

Following metadata tagging best practices is important when working with metadata. For example, when using keywords, you should cover the five W’s (who, what, when, where, and why), as this can help you more easily identify assets. Tags should describe specific themes, places, or even seasons. This criterion can be useful in finding certain assets that are related to a specific place, time, or subject. Using relevant keywords and tags is crucial to identifying your assets and finding what you need without having to sort through every file you own.

By adhering to metadata tagging standards, you can ensure that your content is appropriately sorted and ready for use when you need to access it. Canto generates smart tags, which are powered by AWS Rekognition and automatically populate based on information detected in images. This is a great way to keep track of your digital assets and simplify the tag creation process. Canto even enables you to add metadata in bulk, which can be helpful if you are trying to include large numbers of tags and keywords in your files.

Metadata Tagging Example

If you’re just getting started with tagging, viewing a metadata tagging example can be a good way to learn more about the process and understand why it’s important to tag your digital assets. Seeing how others have tagged their assets can serve as inspiration for how to tag your own assets for easier access. Viewing examples can be especially helpful if you are considering implementing or just getting started with digital asset management (DAM) software. This is because it’s important to know how to organize your content before adding it to the system, which can save you time down the road.

In one example, the convenience store food broker Ultimate Sales partnered with Canto to develop a more efficient system for managing sales collateral. Those within the organization struggled to stay on the same page in terms of where and how assets should be filed. Using Canto’s platform, Ultimate Sales eliminated price tagging confusion by automatically removing seasonal collateral, so teams didn’t have to sort through loads of expired collateral in order to find newer, more relevant assets. By simplifying its asset management process, Ultimate Sales was able to achieve smoother workflows each step of the way.

Metadata Tagging Software

Metadata tagging software allows you to tag your assets for easy access. In the past, you were limited in terms of how you stored and organized your digital content. There weren’t many solutions for automatically tagging and sorting items, and s you were often faced with the laborious task of filtering through massive piles of digital assets in order to locate the desired piece of content—in many ways, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

With the advent of more advanced tagging technology, you can now automate the process with advanced tools. AI tagging, for example, sorts assets in much the same way that an actual person would, recognizing words, faces, and scenery to intelligently organize files by type. AI photo tagging software can make the lives of creative marketers like you so much easier, doing most of the sorting work for you so that you can hop on to the platform and quickly access the photos you need without having to pick out the right files by hand.

When looking for a file metadata editor, it’s important to consider your unique business needs:

  • How many assets do you have?
  • What do you typically use these assets for?
  • To what extent do you hope to utilize AI in your sorting and tagging process?

Outlining your needs can help you make a more informed decision when it comes time to actually pick a solution. There are many different types of online metadata editor tools, and choosing between them can be difficult. This is why it’s important to identify your pain points and do your research to find the software that’s most aligned with whatever it is you’re trying to achieve with your tagging efforts.

Canto’s DAM platform is unique in that it delivers advanced capabilities in a simple, intuitive solution. Ranked the top DAM platform by G2, Canto is trusted by a myriad of brands all over the world for help organizing and distributing their digital assets. What’s more, you can leverage AI facial recognition to instantly search your library and find the right assets for your marketing initiatives. Canto enables seamless collaboration, allowing you to achieve a more streamlined workflow that aligns your teams on common goals and objectives. In addition, Canto offers out-of-the box integrations so that you can use Canto in-app, right where you already work.

Metadata Management

Metadata management can be complex and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. With software like Canto, you can do more with your assets and achieve your top marketing goals without the extra hassle. DAM software can be especially helpful for large organizations with large numbers of varied assets. Trying to sort through hundreds or thousands of photos and videos can be challenging to say the least. But with the right software, you can find the asset you’re looking for in a matter of seconds.

By simplifying your metadata management process, you can improve your marketing efforts across the board, getting everyone on your team on the same page as far as which assets to use in various contexts. Instead of wasting time trying to sift through piles of messy digital content, you can search by desired criteria to find exactly what you need in any given situation.

The benefits of digital asset management software

Simplified Organization

Manages digital assets in a central location

Streamline Workflows

Enables automation and enhances team creativity

Quick Search

Locates media files with ease using sophisticated search capabilities

Brand Consistency

One platform to manage your brand across every touchpoint

Flexible Sharing

Securely share content with any audience – with expiring links, public Portals, and more

Advanced Security

Manages permissions with extensive copyright functionality and governs access from a central platform

Choosing a digital asset management platform

Choosing a digital asset management system can be overwhelming. What features matter most? What do you need to know to compare options? To make the process easier, we’ve put together an overview of key considerations, so you can shop confidently and pick the best digital asset management software for your team.

How does the pricing work?

At its core, DAM pricing is based on number of seats and storage requirements. But teams shopping for a DAM software also need to be on the lookout for hidden costs. Some digital asset management companies charge extra for basic functions, like sharing portals, smart-tagging, reporting, and integrations with other software.

Can you share collections with specific audiences?

Most teams’ DAM requirements go beyond simple digital asset management. They also need to deliver content collections to different audiences – internally and externally. That requires a DAM software with flexible sharing tools, like Canto Portals. Consider who needs access to your content – including sales teams, distributors, customers, and agencies – and ensure your new DAM solution will allow you to easily deliver curated collections to anyone.

How steep is the learning curve?

DAM software makes your organization’s content accessible. Look for a system that packages all of the powerful DAM features you need in an intuitive interface – so your team can hit the ground running. Also consider ease of use for external users. Do they need an account to add and retrieve content? Or can you share individual assets, upload links, and public or password-protected portals without much fuss?

Does it integrate with the other tools your team relies on?

Integrations speed up your workflows by connecting your content library with the software you use every day. Look for out-of-the-box integrations with tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Workfront, and Microsoft Office. Need something more niche? Your DAM solution should offer a robust API, so your developers can connect it with any application you like.

Is it video compatible?

If video is part of your content strategy, the best media asset management software for your team will make it easy to work with video. Can you preview video files without exporting them? Can you trim videos to download just the clips you need? Is there a Premiere Pro integration? Not all DAM systems are video compatible, so make sure to try before you buy.

Can you configure it to make it your own?

Every organization is a unique ecosystem of people, processes and procedures. Your DAM system should adapt to your team and industry. Are there customizable fields to categorize assets and filter search results in a way that makes sense? Can you brand the interface and external portals with your logo, colors and imagery? Consider how easy these configurations are to implement. Is it a simple setting adjustment, or does it require custom code?

Is it secure?

Keep your digital assets safe by ensuring your DAM provider uses proper encryption and security protocols. Where will your assets be stored? Is the data center secure? A reputable DAM provider shouldn’t hesitate to discuss security and data protection.

Do they offer high-quality, ongoing customer service?

Choose a trusted vendor with an established track record of providing DAM services to major brands. DAM is a complex field, and it takes time to build up the expertise to serve clients well. Digital asset management is an ongoing process, not just a one-time installation. Look for a DAM vendor that will provide ongoing customer care from an experienced support team.

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