Photos and images for your business are your digital assets. A single image is often edited multiple times for sharing on social media sites, your website, your newsletter, printing brochures or even billboards! Each of these outlets requires different editing parameters so you find yourself with not just one great final image but 5, 10, or more ‘final’ images that you will need to store taking up data space. Don’t forget the original image will likely be needed for future business marketing.
Each time I send a proposal for an artwork Call for Entry, the request is for a different size image and in veritably it must be changed to a .PDF! After completing each application I have a scattering of images spread throughout 2 or 3 different computer programs. By the end I never wanted to see the images again and used simply close my computer to make them go away. But there is a better way.
1. Decide where you will store the originals AND the edited images. Yes, both. I usually keep a sub folder of originals with in the folder I keep the edited images. Consider the cost and available data space for the long term. Do you need to keep them in a cloud account for others to access or for your convenience? Should you keep them on your computer’s hard drive? Or on a separate USB? Or a combination of all of the above?
2. Organize the images by event, location, materials, date, or other way you know you will use to search them in the future. It’s ok to not be perfect with your filing as improvements with searches has made it faster to “search” than to have to click through layers and layers of folder trees.
3. Consider SEO (Search Engine Optimization) when naming your photographs that will be used on the internet. Search engines will read the title of these photos.
4. Most importantly, schedule the time to regularly declutter your digital assets. This is a marathon. Be patient with yourself!
5. An easy out? It might be possible for you to sweep your digital assets up to this point into an archive folder and to start over from today. You know your business and your digital assets best.
Digital Declutter CEO 
You must be logged in to post a comment.