Atomisation is a term typically used to explain content repurposing where a creative content asset like a video or a whitepaper is broken down into smaller parts.
The aim is to ‘sweat the asset’ (nice expression), to increase its impact and the return on investment. By sharing each part in different content distribution channels, particularly social media, blogs and email marketing, there is more opportunity for more people in an audience to see it in their social feeds or inboxes. Plus, it can increase frequency if individuals see it more than once, so increasing response.
A more advanced form of content atomisation is repurposing content for different audiences.
The term was first used when the Web 2.0 was discussed around 2000, but is still used. Examples of atomisation include the stories and pages in individual feeds being syndicated to third-party sites and widgets.