Ahead of Anna and I began contentki, we went to a restaurant, pulled out a notepad, and started brainstorming the entire products and services shall we be offering given our talents and revel in.
We got here up with content material writing, search engine optimization optimization, and content material technique. From there we dived even deeper into each and every class including search engine optimization weblog writing, concept management, touchdown web page reproduction, and social media to our listing.
I’m happy we took the time to wreck this down early on, because it gave us a transparent sense of who we had been proper from the beginning, quite than understanding our products and services at the move.
The tough cartoon in our pocket book was once what’s professionally referred to as a idea map. It’s a device you’ll use no longer handiest when beginning a industry but in addition to ideate and carefully analysis new ideas ahead of bringing them to marketplace.
Desk of Contents
What’s an idea map?
An idea map is a visible illustration, continuously within the type of a diagram, that displays the connection between more than a few concepts or ideas. It’s a useful gizmo for structuring and organizing wisdom. It normally comprises two components:
- Nodes. Those constitute ideas and are available within the form of circles, ovals, or containers.
- Arrows. Those attach concepts. They may come with a connecting phrase or verb to provide an explanation for the connection between ideas, for instance, “results in” or “is a part of.”
An idea map is helping spoil advanced subjects/concepts into extra digestible parts.
Sorts of Idea Maps
Ahead of I speak about the sorts of idea maps, here’s a listing of the very best mind-mapping instrument you’ll take a look at that can assist you create your individual idea map.
Spider Maps
I’m positive it gained’t marvel you to listen to that those idea maps resemble a spider internet. The primary idea is within the center, with comparable subtopics branching outward. This construction permits you to discover a couple of sides of the central concept.
create it:
- Put your major concept in the course of the diagram.
- Draw traces popping out from the middle to constitute a key subtopic connected to the primary concept.
- Upload sub-branches from each and every subtopic to dive even deeper into the subject.
- Use labels or quick phrases to higher display the connection between ideas.
When to make use of it: Use it to investigate a large subject intimately.
Flowcharts
A flowchart represents a linear or sequential procedure or workflow. It makes use of symbols and arrows to turn how data flows, continuously together with choices or movements.
create it:
- Outline the method or job you need for example.
- Draw arrows to turn the float of steps. Use containers or different shapes to constitute each and every step or motion.
- Use a diamond form for choice issues, and reveal other branches according to sure/no or some other standards of your selection.
- Proceed till you conclude.
When to make use of it: I in finding flowcharts are nice for explaining processes, just like the onboarding of latest workers.
Machine Maps
As a substitute of that specialize in the primary concept, gadget maps spotlight the relationships and interactions between other ideas. They lack a hierarchical construction and emphasize how more than a few portions paintings in combination.
create it:
- Outline the important thing gadget parts.
- Prepare them according to how they’re interrelated as a substitute of in a hierarchical order.
- Draw traces between parts to turn how they’re connected. I believe it’s useful so as to add phrases like “influences” and “depends upon” to higher provide an explanation for the kind of dating.
- Make bigger each and every a part of the gadget through recognizing comments loops, inputs, and outputs.
When to make use of it: Use gadget maps to know and analyze advanced methods, comparable to provide chains or organizational networks.
Hierarchy Maps
A hierarchy map illustrates how components are interconnected in a hierarchical construction, appearing their relative standing. Because of this concepts have a better standing whilst others, a decrease standing. The primary idea or the perfect rating component is on the most sensible, whilst the lower-ranking ones are situated underneath it.
create it:
- Put the primary idea or the highest-ranking one on the most sensible of the map.
- Outline the main subtopics that fall underneath the primary concept and position them immediately beneath. Attach them through traces.
- Department downward to turn lower-ranking ideas whilst preserving a transparent hierarchical construction.
When to make use of it: I believe it’s helpful for appearing data with a couple of authority ranges or significance, for instance, executive constructions or Maslow’s Hierarchy of Wishes.
Create a Idea Map
Ahead of you get started operating to your idea map, I recommend downloading HubSpot’s idea map template — it’s going to make the method a complete lot more uncomplicated.
1. Outline your major subject.
Start through opting for the primary concept or subject that you need to investigate. It will have to be large sufficient to permit a couple of subtopics to department out.
Put the principle idea both on the most sensible or center of your map, relying on the kind of map you’re the usage of. It is going to act as the root from which all of your different concepts can be evolved.
2. Establish crucial ideas.
When you’ve found out the primary concept, get started brainstorming further subjects you’d love to discover. Call to mind as many as you’ll, however as a substitute of hanging them immediately at the map, listing them first — that is referred to as the “car parking zone” means.
After your listing is waiting, arrange the ideas from probably the most common or large to probably the most particular. I believe it’s very best to create a hierarchy with crucial/large concepts on the most sensible and the extra detailed ones underneath them.
3. Transfer ideas from the car parking zone to the map.
Now, you’ll transfer your ideas from the car parking zone to the map.
Put the primary concept within the middle or on the most sensible, with comparable subtopics branching out from it. Each and every further subject will have to be connected to a selected class, ultimately forming a hierarchy.
Whilst arranging the ideas, I recommend the usage of linking phrases to elucidate the connection between concepts. This may reinforce the figuring out of the way each and every idea connects to the others.
4. Test accuracy and coherence.
The extra connecting concepts you’ve, the higher the risk of constructing a mistake. So, it’s very best to check each and every connection to make sure it hyperlinks to the proper idea.
Use cross-links to search out concepts situated in a distinct a part of your map. This way might assist you to attach them to further ideas, making a extra complete and interconnected construction that unearths much more insights.
5. Make bigger and revise.
Your idea map isn’t set in stone. As new concepts emerge, you’ll stay including them to the map to create new connections.
I recognize that the map is versatile, letting you rearrange, take away, or upload new sections as you achieve a deeper figuring out of the subject.
The method doesn’t finish with the primary model; I recommend you often examine in case your map is whole and related. Make revisions when essential.
Growing My Personal Idea Map
Let’s get all the way down to observe. I will be able to now create an idea map for my very own freelance industry.
Step 1: Establish my number one subject.
Since I’m a contract content material marketer, some of the spaces that I handle is search engine optimization optimization, which can be my number one subject.
Step 2: Establish crucial ideas.
I’ll spoil it down into a couple of subcategories: on-page search engine optimization, technical search engine optimization, and use of search engine optimization equipment. For the sake of this case, I’ll handiest point out 3, however be at liberty to get a hold of as many as imaginable, like off-page search engine optimization and native search engine optimization.
Write all of them down.
Step 3: Transfer ideas to the map.
When I’ve indexed the primary ideas, it’s time for me to 0 in on each and every of them and listing related subcategories. As an example, on-page search engine optimization can also be damaged down into substeps like “key phrases” and “content material optimization.”
If I sought after to move even deeper, I may upload “key phrase analysis,” “long-tail key phrases,” and different smaller ideas underneath the “key phrases” subtopic.
I’ve achieved this with all 3 major subjects and wrote two subcategories for each and every, in conjunction with concepts for additional branching.
Realize how the map is helping us keep in mind that search engine optimization is a multifaceted idea and that — whilst it’s maximum continuously a space treated through advertising and marketing — it overlaps with spaces like technical site/app efficiency.
Step 4: Double-check for accuracy and coherence.
On this step, I evaluate if I’ve assigned each and every concept to the proper class.
As an example, I ensured that “consumer intent” is positioned underneath “content material optimization” quite than “site velocity.” Keep in mind that some ideas like “key phrase analysis” would possibly have compatibility in a couple of class.
Step 5: Make bigger and revise.
I’ll deal with this idea map as my first model. The extra time I spend brainstorming concepts, the extra subcategories I will be able to upload.
I may amplify my map to incorporate “URL construction,” “interior linking,” “indexing,” and “safety” — all of which relate to search engine optimization optimization.
Additionally, as discussed previous, it’s necessary to spot relationships between other classes. As an example, I may create a hyperlink between “search engine optimization equipment” and “key phrases,” as the information from the search engine optimization equipment I exploit will affect my key phrase variety and tell my general search engine optimization technique.
If you happen to’re a content material marketer like I’m, here’s a content material mapping template that can assist you arrange your paintings.
One of the simplest ways to create an idea map is to make use of a ready-made template.
I really like brainstorming, however every now and then I generate such a lot of concepts that I am getting misplaced, and inside of 5 mins, I’ve forgotten part of what I got here up with.
An idea map is a handy gizmo for organizing your ideas and concepts. It is helping with exploring a selected subject intimately, making sure a deep figuring out. You’ll be able to get started small, and amplify to your map as you generate extra concepts.
