From eBooks and blog posts to social media campaigns, businesses are generating more content than ever before.  

In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic drove demand for digital content up by 207%.  

To effectively manage a growing content library, businesses regularly find themselves debating whether traditional software like OneDrive or more advanced DAM solutions are the right fit. 

Or perhaps you’re already using OneDrive, but feel like you’re outgrowing its features and capabilities? 

Here, we’ll take an in-depth look into Microsoft OneDrive and DAM solutions, answer your questions on what they offer and which is the most beneficial for your team. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

What’s The Difference Between OneDrive & DAM?

The key difference between OneDrive and DAM software is the types of files they host and the functionalities they offer.   

OneDrive largely works with text-based files like documents, spreadsheets and PDFs. It is specially designed to simplify collaboration between team members when working on projects.   

DAM software, on the other hand, works with a broader range of file types, from marketing images to reporting spreadsheets and everything in between. Its functionalities support all teams at all stages of the digital asset lifecycle, from creation and editing to reviewing and publishing.  

Let’s take a closer look into each.  

What Is OneDrive?

Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud-hosted file storage and sharing software.  

OneDrive caters to small businesses and individuals, allowing users to securely store, access and share documents, spreadsheets and other text-based files.  

With productivity features like automatic file syncing, project tracking and version control, OneDrive streamlines file storage and collaboration between teams. And as it’s cloud based, OneDrive allows individuals to access their important files from any device, anywhere.  

As part of the Microsoft 365 suite, OneDrive seamlessly connects with other Microsoft applications like Word, SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.  

3 Notable Benefits Of OneDrive

• Better asset security: With features like passwords, expiry dates and access rights, OneDrive gives users control over who can view, edit and share important files. 
• Streamlines collaboration: OneDrive allows multiple users to work on the same document at the same time, making editing, receiving feedback and finalising projects simple.  
• Central storage: OneDrive cuts out the need to search through countless folders to find the file you’re after. With a central cloud-based location for all company files, employees can access important content from any device, anywhere. 

Use Cases For OneDrive

• Businesses with remote workers or interstate/international teams who need to work simultaneously on files. 
• Individuals who want to securely back up their files on the cloud as opposed to a USB. This could be anything from university assignments and resumes to holiday photos.  
• Freelancers like writers and photographers who need to back up their content and share it with clients. 

OneDrive vs SharePoint vs Dropbox

OneDrive, SharePoint and Dropbox are all cloud-based software platforms. They allow users to easily store and collaborate on their files from any device, anywhere.  

The difference between the three is the audiences they target and the capabilities they offer. 

SharePoint is a highly specialised document storage and collaboration platform. Its advanced features like large file support and folder sharing target larger businesses. 

OneDrive is tailored towards individuals and small businesses looking for a central location to back up their files and easily share them with others.  

DropBox is also a file storage service that lets you save your files to the cloud and sync them to other devices. However, unlike the other two, DropBox is not a Microsoft product.  

What Is DAM?

Digital Asset Management (or DAM) software creates a single source of truth for digital assets like images, videos, spreadsheets and documents.  

Either on-site or cloud-based, DAM gives users the freedom to easily store, edit and distribute assets securely from a single platform.  

By ensuring content is always up to date and easy to find, DAM software saves employees roughly 5 hours a week that would have otherwise been spent searching for content. In turn, it extends the lifecycle of your assets, ensuring employees no longer lose, forget or accidentally recreate valuable existing content. 

5 Notable Benefits Of DAM

• Instant search: When we spend endless hours searching for digital assets, it bottlenecks our workflows and timelines. DAM makes storing, locating and sharing marketing material simple with AI capabilities, advanced searches and keywords.  
• Extends digital asset lifecycle: Don’t waste time and money recreating lost or forgotten assets. DAM increases the lifecycle of your digital assets, ensuring they’re always easy to locate, reuse and repurpose.  
• Seamless integration: Collaboro’s DAM platform integrates seamlessly into any of your existing software applications, enhancing established workflows instead of disrupting them.  
• Advanced digital asset security: With secure cloud hosting platforms, access permissions, passwords and version control, DAM ensures you never have to worry about data breaches and copyright infringements. Everything is safe, secure and on-shore.   
• Collaborate effortlessly: With DAM, gone are the days of collaborating back and forth via email or WeTransfer. Creating, editing, sharing and reviewing all happen on a single platform accessible to both internal and external parties.  

Use Cases For DAM

• Teams looking for a comprehensive solution to store, organise and share large volumes of rich media files like photos, videos, documents and spreadsheets.  
• Agencies, retail and Ecommerce businesses who frequently collaborate with third party freelancers, influencers and designers.  
• Businesses looking for a comprehensive storage solution that benefits all teams, instead of a select few. 
• Businesses with remote or international/interstate teams who need instant access to company files. 
• Government, education and other enterprise businesses who need to maintain brand compliance and consistency across multiple channels and platforms.  

DAM or OneDrive: Which Is Best For Me?

It all comes down to the type of content you work with and the functionalities you’re after.  

If you’re a small business or freelancer working exclusively with text-based documents, you may not think you need the extra functionalities of a DAM system.  

However, to stay ahead in today’s digital age, businesses need to do more than just provide a service. They need to be informational, consistent and speak to their customers on a personal level. 

And to do that, you’ll need a software that can do more than simply store files.  

So, while OneDrive is great for storing, organising and sharing text-based files, it falls short when it comes to managing and distributing a large volume of rich media files.  

That’s where DAM software really shines.  

A DAM platform like Collaboro not only securely hosts an array of file types and sizes, but acts as an integral part of the media content creation process.  

Collaboro’s DAM integrates with your existing creative tools and offers functionalities for video and image editing, resizing and reformatting. Armed with these functionalities and a library of on-brand, up to date assets, businesses effortlessly deliver consistent, quality content to the right audience at the right time.