How to Reverse Atomize Your Content Marketing

When we work with our clients on content marketing strategy here at Convince & Convert, two of our most consistently used maxims are “bricks and feathers” and “content atomization.”

“Bricks and feathers” describes the two primary types of content marketing. Bricks are hefty. Bricks are permanent. Bricks require more production time. Bricks are saved, shared, or printed. A webinar is a brick, for example.

Feathers are lightweight. Feathers are ephemeral and somewhat disposable. Feathers are easier to create. They are noticeable but less persuasive than bricks. This blog post is a feather, for example.

“Content atomization” (coined by Todd Defren) means taking your content marketing “big idea”—usually a brick of some sort—and deconstructing it into a series of smaller feathers. This gives you more juice for the squeeze, increases the efficiency of your content creation efforts, and allows the brick premise to live in multiple places and formats (social media, for instance).

Typically, we advise a one-to-eight ratio for atomization. That means you should repurpose and repackage each brick into at least eight feathers.

For more on bricks and feathers >>>

For more on content atomization >>>

Reverse Content Atomization

Last week, I was sent a very interesting example of content marketing from ManageFlitter where the atomization process was turned on its head. Instead of splitting a big idea into a bunch of smaller executions, they took a large batch of feathers and rolled them up into a brick. Here’s how they did it.

#SocialROI is a recurring Twitter chat that takes places each Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET. This weekly feather is hosted by consultant and Twitter expert Madalyn Sklar (who was a great guest on my Social Pros podcast), who is joined by a special guest. But, like all good Twitter chats, the tuned-in community participates significantly too, asking and answering questions with aplomb.

The Australian Twitter optimization software firm ManageFlitter is the exclusive sponsor of #SocialROI, and this reverse atomization system maximizes the value of their sponsorship.

Feather: Each week, ManageFlitter posts social graphics on their accounts promoting the show and that week’s special guest.