Earlier than Anna and I began contentki, we went to a restaurant, pulled out a notepad, and commenced brainstorming all of the providers we might supply given our abilities and expertise.
We got here up with content material writing, search engine optimization optimization, and content material technique. From there we dived even deeper into every class including search engine optimization weblog writing, thought management, touchdown web page copy, and social media to our checklist.
I’m glad we took the time to interrupt this down early on, because it gave us a transparent sense of who we had been proper from the beginning, moderately than determining our providers on the go.
The tough sketch in our pocket book was what’s professionally often called a idea map. It’s a instrument you should use not solely when beginning a enterprise but in addition to ideate and completely analysis new ideas earlier than bringing them to market.
Desk of Contents
What’s an idea map?
An idea map is a visible illustration, usually within the type of a diagram, that reveals the connection between varied concepts or ideas. It’s an ideal instrument for structuring and organizing information. It sometimes consists of two components:
- Nodes. These characterize ideas and are available within the form of circles, ovals, or bins.
- Arrows. These join concepts. They may embody a connecting phrase or verb to clarify the connection between ideas, for instance, “results in” or “is a part of.”
An idea map helps break advanced subjects/concepts into extra digestible elements.
Forms of Idea Maps
Earlier than I talk about the kinds of idea maps, here’s a checklist of the finest mind-mapping software program you possibly can try that will help you create your personal idea map.
Spider Maps
I’m positive it received’t shock you to listen to that these idea maps resemble a spider net. The primary idea is within the center, with associated subtopics branching outward. This construction enables you to discover a number of facets of the central concept.
The right way to create it:
- Put your most important concept in the midst of the diagram.
- Draw traces popping out from the middle to characterize a key subtopic linked to the principle concept.
- Add sub-branches from every subtopic to dive even deeper into the subject.
- Use labels or quick phrases to raised present the connection between ideas.
When to make use of it: Use it to research a broad subject intimately.
Flowcharts
A flowchart represents a linear or sequential course of or workflow. It makes use of symbols and arrows to point out how data flows, usually together with choices or actions.
The right way to create it:
- Outline the method or process you wish to illustrate.
- Draw arrows to point out the move of steps. Use bins or different shapes to characterize every step or motion.
- Use a diamond form for choice factors, and exhibit completely different branches based mostly on sure/no or every other standards of your alternative.
- Proceed till you conclude.
When to make use of it: I discover flowcharts are nice for explaining processes, just like the onboarding of recent staff.
System Maps
As an alternative of specializing in the principle concept, system maps spotlight the relationships and interactions between completely different ideas. They lack a hierarchical construction and emphasize how varied components work collectively.
The right way to create it:
- Outline the important thing system elements.
- Prepare them based mostly on how they’re interrelated as a substitute of in a hierarchical order.
- Draw traces between elements to point out how they’re linked. I feel it’s useful so as to add phrases like “influences” and “is determined by” to raised clarify the kind of relationship.
- Broaden every a part of the system by recognizing suggestions loops, inputs, and outputs.
When to make use of it: Use system maps to know and analyze advanced programs, corresponding to provide chains or organizational networks.
Hierarchy Maps
A hierarchy map illustrates how components are interconnected in a hierarchical construction, displaying their relative standing. Which means concepts have the next standing whereas others, a decrease standing. The primary idea or the best rating ingredient is on the prime, whereas the lower-ranking ones are positioned beneath it.
The right way to create it:
- Put the principle idea or the highest-ranking one on the prime of the map.
- Outline the main subtopics that fall underneath the principle concept and place them straight under. Join them by traces.
- Department downward to point out lower-ranking ideas whereas maintaining a transparent hierarchical construction.
When to make use of it: I feel it’s helpful for displaying data with a number of authority ranges or significance, for instance, authorities buildings or Maslow’s Hierarchy of Wants.
The right way to Create a Idea Map
Earlier than you begin working in your idea map, I counsel downloading HubSpot’s idea map template — it can make the method an entire lot simpler.
1. Outline your most important subject.
Start by selecting the principle concept or subject that you just wish to analyze. It must be broad sufficient to permit a couple of subtopics to department out.
Put the first idea both on the prime or center of your map, relying on the kind of map you’re utilizing. It is going to act as the muse from which all of your different concepts shall be developed.
2. Establish important ideas.
When you’ve found out the principle concept, begin brainstorming further subjects you’d wish to discover. Consider as many as you possibly can, however as a substitute of putting them straight on the map, checklist them first — this is named the “parking zone” methodology.
After your checklist is prepared, arrange the ideas from probably the most normal or broad to probably the most particular. I feel it’s finest to create a hierarchy with a very powerful/broad concepts on the prime and the extra detailed ones beneath them.
3. Transfer ideas from the parking zone to the map.
Now, you possibly can transfer your ideas from the parking zone to the map.
Put the principle concept within the heart or on the prime, with associated subtopics branching out from it. Every further subject must be linked to a selected class, ultimately forming a hierarchy.
Whereas arranging the ideas, I counsel utilizing linking phrases to make clear the connection between concepts. This may improve the understanding of how every idea connects to the others.
4. Confirm accuracy and coherence.
The extra connecting concepts you have got, the better the possibility of constructing a mistake. So, it’s finest to overview every connection to make sure it hyperlinks to the right idea.
Use cross-links to search out concepts situated in a special a part of your map. This method might show you how to join them to further ideas, making a extra complete and interconnected construction that reveals much more insights.
5. Broaden and revise.
Your idea map isn’t set in stone. As new concepts emerge, you possibly can hold including them to the map to create new connections.
I admire that the map is versatile, letting you rearrange, take away, or add new sections as you achieve a deeper understanding of the subject.
The method doesn’t finish with the primary model; I counsel you repeatedly verify in case your map is full and related. Make revisions when mandatory.
Creating My Personal Idea Map
Let’s get right down to follow. I’ll now create an idea map for my very own freelance enterprise.
Step 1: Establish my main subject.
Since I’m a contract content material marketer, one of many areas that I take care of is search engine optimization optimization, which shall be my main subject.
Step 2: Establish important ideas.
I’ll break it down into a couple of subcategories: on-page search engine optimization, technical search engine optimization, and use of search engine optimization instruments. For the sake of this instance, I’ll solely point out three, however be happy to provide you with as many as potential, like off-page search engine optimization and native search engine optimization.
Write all of them down.
Step 3: Transfer ideas to the map.
As soon as I’ve listed the principle ideas, it’s time for me to zero in on every of them and checklist related subcategories. For instance, on-page search engine optimization could be damaged down into substeps like “key phrases” and “content material optimization.”
If I wished to go even deeper, I might add “key phrase analysis,” “long-tail key phrases,” and different smaller ideas underneath the “key phrases” subtopic.
I’ve completed this with all three most important subjects and wrote two subcategories for every, together with concepts for additional branching.
Discover how the map helps us perceive that search engine optimization is a multifaceted idea and that — whereas it’s most frequently an space dealt with by advertising — it overlaps with areas like technical web site/app efficiency.
Step 4: Double-check for accuracy and coherence.
On this step, I overview if I’ve assigned every concept to the right class.
For instance, I ensured that “consumer intent” is positioned underneath “content material optimization” moderately than “web site velocity.” Keep in mind that some ideas like “key phrase analysis” may slot in a couple of class.
Step 5: Broaden and revise.
I’ll deal with this idea map as my first model. The extra time I spend brainstorming concepts, the extra subcategories I can add.
I might broaden my map to incorporate “URL construction,” “inner linking,” “indexing,” and “safety” — all of which relate to search engine optimization optimization.
Additionally, as talked about earlier, it’s vital to determine relationships between completely different classes. For instance, I might create a hyperlink between “search engine optimization instruments” and “key phrases,” as the info from the search engine optimization instruments I exploit will affect my key phrase choice and inform my total search engine optimization technique.
In case you’re a content material marketer like I’m, here’s a content material mapping template that will help you arrange your work.
One of the best ways to create an idea map is to make use of a ready-made template.
I really like brainstorming, however typically I generate so many concepts that I get misplaced, and inside 5 minutes, I’ve forgotten half of what I got here up with.
An idea map is a good instrument for organizing your ideas and concepts. It helps with exploring a selected subject intimately, guaranteeing a deep understanding. You can begin small, and broaden in your map as you generate extra concepts.
