Content Atomization: How Breaking Down a Piece Can Increase Its ROI

Remember the Bop It? You might if you were a kid or had kids in the mid-90s (or if you’ve found one in your parents’ basement since). Bop it, twist it, pull it, all in one shiny plastic toy.

Content atomization is like a Bop It, only way cooler. It’s a marketing strategy that uses planning and creativity to make the most of a single piece of content, increasing a company’s SEO ranking and building trust. And content atomization should not be confused with repurposing content. The ideas are similar, but the outcomes are different.    

What is content atomization?  

Atoms are the microscopic building blocks of life. An apple, skyscraper and toddler may all look very different, but at their essence, they are all made of atoms. Atomizing content (anything published by a company) breaks one large, central topic down into a bunch of smaller standalone ideas. These ideas produce separate content that relates to the main topic. 

Here’s an example. A tripod manufacturer writes a white paper brimming with beautiful charts, solid research and compelling real-life stories on camera stabilization and tripods. From that white paper, the content manager produces six unique pieces of content (Figure 1). The infographic, Instagram post, blogs and articles are all very different but link back to the white paper.     

Figure 1. Content atomization example

Atomized content vs. repurposed content

Repurposed content modifies a published piece for a different medium or channel, like summarizing a blog for a LinkedIn post. Repurposing content is a smart way to get the most out of each piece you write and put it in front of different eyes.

Atomized content, in contrast, creates a new piece of content along a similar theme for a well-defined target audience. Unlike repurposed content, atomizing content doesn’t happen after publication—it is part of the content creation plan. Atomizing content takes intention and forethought.

Creating atomized content saves time and money by reusing sources and riffing on major themes. However, it is also a smart way to get your company in front of the people who need your product or services. Each piece of content increases a business’s chances of ranking for SEO and gaining public interest without being too repetitive.

Every time the company name is tied to the benefits of its product or service (think tripods and stabilization), the public will notice and increase the chances of relating the two the next time they need to make a purchase.  

How to atomize content

Content atomization starts with a solid piece of content that holds value for your customers and is what you want to be known for. Consider your mission statement, a core benefit of your product or service, or another highly relevant theme.

As you research and write about your main topic, identify related ideas and fresh takes. Note all the detours and rabbit trails that appear—these may be the beginning of new but related content. Also, consider your chosen platforms and niches. What would go best where? What is the best way to reach your audience?

Ideas for how to break down content:

• Review headers for your piece—what could be expanded on?
• Consider practical tips or processes you’ve put into your piece. Could those be made into an infographic?
• What new ideas does your piece bring up that could inspire an opinion editorial for a trade journal or industry publication?
• Is there a metaphor within your piece that you could create a visual for and publish on a social media platform?
• Re-read the piece from the perspective of each of your marketing personas. What would appeal to them most? What would they want to know more about? What would they want to share with their friends? These observations may spark new ideas for targeted content.

When to atomize content

Although atomizing content is a great way to get ROI from what you publish, it doesn’t need to be the strategy for every piece you create. For example, blogs about current events or interviews with executives make great standalone pieces. Marketers and other business owners do well to repurpose all published content, but atomizing each piece is unnecessary.

Atomizing content makes the most of pillar and evergreen pieces. And it gives you the freedom to constructively explore different aspects of your product or service. Let’s talk if you’re interested in optimizing your content or need a hand putting your existing strategy into practice.  

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