# Reference — Atomization (1 flagship → 10 derivatives)

Offloaded detail for `content-engine`. The body states the 3 phases and the rule; this
is the derivative menu, a worked 1→10 example, and per-channel Bad→Good rewrites.

**Leverage:** aim for ≥10 distinct derivatives per flagship. Repurposing yields ~3–5x
reach, ~60% less creation time, and 94% of B2B marketers say it extends content ROI
(DigitalApplied, "Content Repurposing: One Piece, Ten Formats", 2026-01-16).

## The three phases

1. **Audit** — pick the source by traffic / search intent / conversion, not by recency.
   Atomize your proven winners, not your latest post.
2. **Atomize** — extract reusable atoms: **stats**, **quotes**, **frameworks**,
   **how-to steps**, **case studies**. Each atom can seed several derivatives.
3. **Reformat** — reassemble atoms into platform-**native** formats. Adapt length and
   language to the destination; never paste the same text everywhere.

## Derivative menu (with length specs)

| # | Derivative | Source atoms | Length / spec | Routed to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LinkedIn insight post | one framework + one stat | 1,200–1,800 chars, ends in a question | `social-publisher` (copy: `marketing`) |
| 2 | LinkedIn carousel | how-to steps | 6–10 slides, one idea/slide | `social-publisher` |
| 3 | X / thread | hook + 4–6 steps | tweet 1 = bold hook, last tweet links back | `social-publisher` |
| 4 | Short-form video | one how-to step | 20–45s vertical, hook in 2s | `video-shorts` |
| 5 | Short-form video #2 | a surprising stat | 20–45s vertical | `video-shorts` |
| 6 | Newsletter section | the full framework | 200–400 words + CTA | `newsletter` |
| 7 | Quote graphic | one quote | single image, attributed | `social-publisher` |
| 8 | Infographic | stats + steps | one tall image | `social-publisher` |
| 9 | Email nurture beat | one objection handled | 80–150 words | `newsletter` |
| 10 | Internal-link / FAQ update | a how-to step | added to a related article | `article-writing` |

(Beyond 10: paid cutdowns, a webinar segment, a SlideShare — for multi-stakeholder teams.)

## Worked 1 → 10 example

**Flagship:** "The SaaS User-Activation Checklist" (guide, ~2,000 words, pillar Onboarding).

1. LinkedIn post: "We watched 50 trials. The 3 setup steps teams skip — and the
   activation hit each one costs. Which do you skip?" (framework + stat)
2. LinkedIn carousel: the 8-step checklist, one step per slide.
3. X thread: hook "Most trials die in week one. Here's the autopsy 🧵", steps 2–7,
   final tweet → the guide.
4. Short #1: "The one setup step 60% of teams skip" (single step, 30s).
5. Short #2: "Activated users retain 4x longer" (the stat, 25s).
6. Newsletter section: the full 8-step framework + "get the checklist" CTA.
7. Quote graphic: "Activation is a week-one problem, not a month-three one."
8. Infographic: the 8 steps + the retention stat as one tall image.
9. Email nurture beat: handle "we don't have time to onboard" objection.
10. FAQ/internal-link update: add "What is user activation?" answer to the pricing page,
    linking the guide.

## Per-channel native adaptation — Bad → Good

**LinkedIn**

- Bad: paste the guide's intro paragraph verbatim with a link.
- Good: "3 setup steps most teams skip in week one:" → numbered insights → "Which one
  is your team guilty of?" Native = scannable + an engagement question.

**X / thread**

- Bad: one tweet with the headline and a link.
- Good: tweet 1 is a bold standalone hook; the thread delivers the steps; the final
  tweet links back. Native = the hook earns the click before the link appears.

**Short-form video**

- Bad: a 3-minute screen recording reading the guide.
- Good: 25–45s, hook in the first 2 seconds, ONE step, captions on. Native = one idea,
  vertical, no warm-up.

**Newsletter**

- Bad: dump the whole 2,000-word guide into the email.
- Good: one framework + your take + a single CTA to the full guide. Native = a curated
  beat, not a re-host.

The rule across all four: **reformat to the channel's language and length, never
copy-paste.** Copy-paste cross-posting is an anti-pattern (see `../SKILL.md`).
