A Guide to Content Atomization (Benefits, Processes & Examples)
In a world of content overload, standing out can be challenging. So how do you maximize the reach of your content strategy? This is where content atomization comes in.
Here, we’ll dive deeper into content atomization, why it matters, and where to begin. We’ll also share examples of content atomization to get you started. And we’ll explore how GatherContent’s content operations platform makes managing content atomization a breeze.
What is content atomization?
Content atomization is a content marketing strategy that involves breaking down a piece of content into smaller components. Todd Defren—founder and former CEO of SHIFT Communications—first introduced the term in 2008.
During the content atomization process, marketers create smaller, more focused pieces of content. These pieces may adopt new formats or target different platforms than the original asset.
Some examples of content atomization include:
Turning a chapter of an ebook into a more in-depth YouTube video.
Taking a theme introduced in a podcast episode and expanding on it in a blog post.
Converting a question posed in a case study into a poll on LinkedIn.
Content atomization vs. content repurposing
When defining content atomization, comparing it to content repurposing can be helpful. While both strategies make content more valuable, how you use them varies.
Content repurposing involves taking an existing piece of content and adapting it for a new purpose or audience. For example, you might turn a case study into a Twitter thread or summarize a webinar on your blog.
Content atomization involves taking one theme from a larger piece and turning it into a whole newcontent asset. While the original asset serves as inspiration, the subject matter is different.
What are the benefits of content atomization?
In today’s competitive digital landscape, marketers are turning to content atomization as a cost-effective way to generate brand awareness and enhance the audience experience. Here are four reasons to add content atomization to your marketing strategy.
Expand visibility: With content atomization, companies develop a broader range of content. They also use different platforms to distribute it. This amplification allows organizations to reach a larger audience.
Build authority: By creating multiple types of content around a subject or theme, organizations showcase their expertise, maintain consistency, and build trust with the audience.
Drive engagement: Content atomization enables marketers to create content in different formats and explore topics in greater depth.
Improve SEO: By publishing content across different channels and platforms, organizations can improve their results on search engine result pages (SERPs).
In today’s competitive digital landscape, marketers are turning to content atomization as a cost-effective way to generate brand awareness, build authority, and enhance the audience experience.
How to add content atomization to your marketing strategy
Content atomization maximizes your content's impact. But it can be challenging to know where to start. Here are seven steps to add content atomization to your content marketing efforts.
1. Preparation is critical
Build content atomization into your content calendar. When developing a content strategy, outline your goals, key messaging, formats, and channels. What will resonate with your target audience?
When developing the core piece of content, consider the big ideas that excite your audience. For example, the wearable fitness brand, WHOOP, shares content around sleep, exercise, recovery, and mental health.
If content atomization is not part of your content roadmap, don’t panic. Instead, identify big-picture content assets in your library and look for opportunities to break them down further.
3. Identify key themes
When creating long-form content—such as a white paper—consider content ideas you may want to explore in-depth but lack the space to do so. For example, WHOOP may create content assets around sleep hygiene, how sleep affects exercise, or the power of sleep and productivity.
4. Determine the format
When brainstorming smaller pieces of content, consider the best format for the subject matter. For example, a question posed by a guest on a podcast may be a good question prompt for an Instagram story. But an infographic or longer blog post may not be appropriate.
5. Create the foundational piece of content
If it does not exist already, create the core content asset. Record any additional themes or topics you want to explore further as you develop them.
6. Create the atomized content pieces
Create each smaller chunk of content. Marketers should optimize each piece for its intended channel.
7. Publish
Share your foundational piece and build upon it with smaller pieces. Ensure that the foundational asset and atomized content pieces link back to each other to encourage deeper engagement.
3 examples of content atomization
From creating infographics to Instagram posts, there are endless ways to atomize your content. It can be challenging to know where to begin. Here, we’ve rounded up three examples for inspiration.
Placer.ai
In its recent white paper, Placer.ai explores the evolution of the entertainment industry.
The white paper explores the entertainment industry—including movie theaters, casinos, arcades, and dining experiences. The blog post analyzes movie theaters in greater detail.
The blog post begins by referencing the white paper, encouraging the audience to continue reading.
Sandboxx
Sandboxx shares the future of the F-35 in a recent blog post.
While the blog post and YouTube video are related, they cover different areas of interest. The Short explores why the F-35 is effective, while the blog post looks at its future.
The YouTube Short expands on one of the blog post’s subheadings: “The F-35 is the most successful stealth fighter in the world.”
Deloitte
Deloitte uses its podcast to discuss contemporary topics with experts.
Deloitte is an audit, consulting, financial, and risk management firm. The company recently published a report titled Tech Trends 2023. One of the chapters explores AI and trust in the modern world.
On a recent episode of its podcast—called The Green Room—the team explores the potential and drawbacks of AI.
Both pieces of content tackle the theme of AI and building trust. However, the podcast uses experts to dive deeper into the possibilities and limitations of AI software.
Embrace content atomization with GatherContent
Atomized content enables marketers to expand their reach, build authority, and better meet the needs of their target audience. But creating a content atomization strategy requires careful planning and collaboration. Here is where GatherContent can assist.
GatherContent is a content operations platform designed to scale your content marketing efforts. Our content calendar and workflow tools make developing a content atomization strategy easy. And with collaboration tools, you can ensure every stakeholder has the resources they need.
Start a free trial today to see how GatherContent enhances your marketing content creation strategy.
Here, we’ll dive deeper into content atomization, why it matters, and where to begin. We’ll also share examples of content atomization to get you started. And we’ll explore how GatherContent’s content operations platform makes managing content atomization a breeze.
What is content atomization?
Content atomization is a content marketing strategy that involves breaking down a piece of content into smaller components. Todd Defren—founder and former CEO of SHIFT Communications—first introduced the term in 2008.
During the content atomization process, marketers create smaller, more focused pieces of content. These pieces may adopt new formats or target different platforms than the original asset.
Some examples of content atomization include:
Turning a chapter of an ebook into a more in-depth YouTube video.
Taking a theme introduced in a podcast episode and expanding on it in a blog post.
Converting a question posed in a case study into a poll on LinkedIn.
Content atomization vs. content repurposing
When defining content atomization, comparing it to content repurposing can be helpful. While both strategies make content more valuable, how you use them varies.
Content repurposing involves taking an existing piece of content and adapting it for a new purpose or audience. For example, you might turn a case study into a Twitter thread or summarize a webinar on your blog.
Content atomization involves taking one theme from a larger piece and turning it into a whole newcontent asset. While the original asset serves as inspiration, the subject matter is different.
What are the benefits of content atomization?
In today’s competitive digital landscape, marketers are turning to content atomization as a cost-effective way to generate brand awareness and enhance the audience experience. Here are four reasons to add content atomization to your marketing strategy.
Expand visibility: With content atomization, companies develop a broader range of content. They also use different platforms to distribute it. This amplification allows organizations to reach a larger audience.
Build authority: By creating multiple types of content around a subject or theme, organizations showcase their expertise, maintain consistency, and build trust with the audience.
Drive engagement: Content atomization enables marketers to create content in different formats and explore topics in greater depth.
Improve SEO: By publishing content across different channels and platforms, organizations can improve their results on search engine result pages (SERPs).
In today’s competitive digital landscape, marketers are turning to content atomization as a cost-effective way to generate brand awareness, build authority, and enhance the audience experience.
How to add content atomization to your marketing strategy
Content atomization maximizes your content's impact. But it can be challenging to know where to start. Here are seven steps to add content atomization to your content marketing efforts.
1. Preparation is critical
Build content atomization into your content calendar. When developing a content strategy, outline your goals, key messaging, formats, and channels. What will resonate with your target audience?
When developing the core piece of content, consider the big ideas that excite your audience. For example, the wearable fitness brand, WHOOP, shares content around sleep, exercise, recovery, and mental health.
If content atomization is not part of your content roadmap, don’t panic. Instead, identify big-picture content assets in your library and look for opportunities to break them down further.
3. Identify key themes
When creating long-form content—such as a white paper—consider content ideas you may want to explore in-depth but lack the space to do so. For example, WHOOP may create content assets around sleep hygiene, how sleep affects exercise, or the power of sleep and productivity.
4. Determine the format
When brainstorming smaller pieces of content, consider the best format for the subject matter. For example, a question posed by a guest on a podcast may be a good question prompt for an Instagram story. But an infographic or longer blog post may not be appropriate.
5. Create the foundational piece of content
If it does not exist already, create the core content asset. Record any additional themes or topics you want to explore further as you develop them.
6. Create the atomized content pieces
Create each smaller chunk of content. Marketers should optimize each piece for its intended channel.
7. Publish
Share your foundational piece and build upon it with smaller pieces. Ensure that the foundational asset and atomized content pieces link back to each other to encourage deeper engagement.
3 examples of content atomization
From creating infographics to Instagram posts, there are endless ways to atomize your content. It can be challenging to know where to begin. Here, we’ve rounded up three examples for inspiration.
Placer.ai
In its recent white paper, Placer.ai explores the evolution of the entertainment industry.
The white paper explores the entertainment industry—including movie theaters, casinos, arcades, and dining experiences. The blog post analyzes movie theaters in greater detail.
The blog post begins by referencing the white paper, encouraging the audience to continue reading.
Sandboxx
Sandboxx shares the future of the F-35 in a recent blog post.
While the blog post and YouTube video are related, they cover different areas of interest. The Short explores why the F-35 is effective, while the blog post looks at its future.
The YouTube Short expands on one of the blog post’s subheadings: “The F-35 is the most successful stealth fighter in the world.”
Deloitte
Deloitte uses its podcast to discuss contemporary topics with experts.
Deloitte is an audit, consulting, financial, and risk management firm. The company recently published a report titled Tech Trends 2023. One of the chapters explores AI and trust in the modern world.
On a recent episode of its podcast—called The Green Room—the team explores the potential and drawbacks of AI.
Both pieces of content tackle the theme of AI and building trust. However, the podcast uses experts to dive deeper into the possibilities and limitations of AI software.
Embrace content atomization with GatherContent
Atomized content enables marketers to expand their reach, build authority, and better meet the needs of their target audience. But creating a content atomization strategy requires careful planning and collaboration. Here is where GatherContent can assist.
GatherContent is a content operations platform designed to scale your content marketing efforts. Our content calendar and workflow tools make developing a content atomization strategy easy. And with collaboration tools, you can ensure every stakeholder has the resources they need.
Start a free trial today to see how GatherContent enhances your marketing content creation strategy.
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