In today’s digital world, the way we consume and create content is more fragmented than ever before.
With new platforms emerging, changing consumer behaviors, and the explosion of social media, marketers face a growing challenge—how to create cohesive, impactful content in an increasingly fractured landscape.
Casey Nobile, SVP of content at Skyward, offers invaluable insights into how brands can not only survive but thrive by embracing strategic content creation approaches like connected storytelling and strategic atomization.
The Fragmentation of Content: A New Reality
The shift in how consumers engage with content is undeniable.
As Nobile explains, “The fragmentation of the content landscape is the result of a few factors—changing market dynamics and consumer behavior being at the forefront. People are spending more time online, and that’s led to an explosion of platforms.”
For marketers, this means reaching audiences is more complex than ever before. Rather than focusing on a few key channels, brands must diversify across a wide range of platforms—TikTok, LinkedIn, podcasts, Facebook, and more—to keep pace with consumer behavior.
But the challenge doesn’t stop at diversifying. Platforms are no longer one-dimensional; they now host an array of content types within themselves.
From TikTok Shop to LinkedIn Podcasts, marketers must manage a growing number of options. This content explosion, paired with the non-linear buyer’s journey, creates a web of complexity that requires thoughtful, purposeful strategy.
However, Nobile points out that many brands have fallen into the trap of simply churning out content in response to these changes. “Many content marketing departments have reverted to being content fulfillment centers, churning out content rather than practicing strategic content marketing.”
The key to escaping this trap? Connected storytelling.
The Importance of Connected Storytelling
Connected storytelling offers a solution to content fragmentation. By focusing on a cohesive narrative that spans platforms and channels, brands can create meaningful engagement and consistency.
“We have to get back to connected storytelling,” Nobile says. “It’s about creating content that’s cohesive, yet adaptable, across multiple platforms. Your core narrative stems from your brand’s purpose and the value you bring to the market. Everything ties back to that overarching purpose.”
In essence, connected storytelling ensures that all the content a brand produces is interconnected.
Whether on TikTok or LinkedIn, every piece of content should reinforce the same overarching themes, making it easier for audiences to connect with and remember your brand.
This is particularly important in today’s noisy digital world, where standing out requires more than just frequent posting—it requires a clear and consistent narrative.
The Power of Strategic Atomization
Creating cohesive content across multiple platforms can feel overwhelming. How do you maintain quality and consistency while producing content for so many different spaces?
This is where strategic atomization comes into play. Nobile explains, “Strategic atomization means creating core assets that reinforce your authority in specific topics and then repackaging those assets for different channels. Instead of working in silos, where each team is creating its own content, we aim for connected storytelling.”
Atomization is not just about repurposing content. It’s about breaking down a larger, core piece of content into smaller, contextually relevant pieces for different platforms, all while keeping the core narrative intact.
For example, a long-form blog post could be turned into an infographic for Pinterest, a video tutorial for YouTube, and bite-sized social media posts for Twitter.
This method helps maximize the value of each piece of content while ensuring consistency across channels.
Consistency: The Key to Brand Success
In an age of fragmentation, maintaining brand consistency across platforms is essential. Consumers expect to experience the same brand identity, whether they are engaging with you on social media or reading your blog.
“By consistently tying your content back to your brand’s purpose, you establish a clear identity in your audience’s mind,” Nobile advises. “It’s crucial to stay within that frame and ensure every piece of content delivers on that purpose.”
A clear, consistent brand identity helps build trust with your audience. It signals that your brand knows who it is and what it stands for, making it easier for your audience to understand and engage with your message.
Brands that succeed in this aspect are often those that become known for something specific. Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, they carve out a niche and focus on dominating that space.
Adapting to the Content Landscape with Flexibility
One of the biggest challenges of modern content marketing is staying flexible and adaptable in a constantly changing environment.
The rapid pace of platform evolution, algorithm changes, and shifting consumer preferences means that marketers must be ready to pivot at any moment.
“Flexibility is key,” Nobile emphasizes. “The landscape is constantly changing, so brands need to be able to adapt. That means building a hybrid workforce of full-time employees and freelancers, leveraging generative AI, and implementing a process for ongoing change management.”
By building a flexible content creation process, brands can respond to changes quickly without sacrificing quality or consistency.
Leveraging generative AI for adaptation—rather than relying on it for the creation of original content—can also help marketers keep up with demand without overwhelming internal teams.
Case Study: Tom’s of Maine and Drift
To see connected storytelling in action, let’s look at two brands that have mastered this approach—Tom’s of Maine and Drift.
Tom’s of Maine, a Colgate subsidiary, embraced its eco-conscious identity early on. They created content experiences across multiple platforms that reinforced their focus on three core topics: natural ingredients, natural hygiene, and sustainable living.
Whether they were producing YouTube tutorials or Pinterest tips, all their content tied back to these core themes, allowing them to build a clear, cohesive brand identity.
On the B2B side, Drift, a conversational marketing platform, created a similar strategy.
By coining the term “conversational marketing” and centering their content strategy on educating people about this concept, they established themselves as thought leaders in the space.
Drift used long-form playbooks as core assets and then atomized that content across various platforms, including sales, marketing, and customer success channels.
This helped them scale their content marketing while maintaining consistency.
Conclusion: Building a Future-Ready Content Strategy
In today’s fragmented content landscape, brands must be more strategic than ever.
Connected storytelling and strategic atomization are essential tools for creating content that is cohesive, adaptable, and impactful across multiple platforms.
By focusing on a core narrative and tying every piece of content back to it, brands can build authority, consistency, and trust with their audiences.
As Nobile wisely advises, “Flexibility is key.” The brands that thrive in this new reality will be those that embrace change, remain adaptable, and leverage strategic content creation to build lasting connections with their audiences.
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