Earlier than Anna and I began contentki, we went to a restaurant, pulled out a notepad, and commenced brainstorming all of the companies we may provide given our abilities and expertise.
We got here up with content material writing, web optimization optimization, and content material technique. From there we dived even deeper into every class including web 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, relatively than determining our companies on the go.
The tough sketch in our pocket book was what’s professionally referred to as a idea map. It’s a instrument you should utilize not solely when beginning a enterprise but additionally 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 excellent instrument for structuring and organizing data. It usually contains two components:
- Nodes. These characterize ideas and are available within the form of circles, ovals, or containers.
- Arrows. These join concepts. They may embody a connecting phrase or verb to elucidate the connection between ideas, for instance, “results in” or “is a part of.”
An idea map helps break complicated subjects/concepts into extra digestible parts.
Forms of Idea Maps
Earlier than I focus on the forms of idea maps, here’s a checklist of the greatest 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 principle idea is within the center, with associated subtopics branching outward. This construction helps you to discover a number of features of the central concept.
Tips on how to create it:
- Put your essential concept in the course of the diagram.
- Draw strains 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 brief phrases to higher present the connection between ideas.
When to make use of it: Use it to investigate 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.
Tips on how to create it:
- Outline the method or process you need to illustrate.
- Draw arrows to point out the circulation of steps. Use containers or different shapes to characterize every step or motion.
- Use a diamond form for choice factors, and show totally different branches based mostly on sure/no or some other standards of your selection.
- Proceed till you conclude.
When to make use of it: I discover flowcharts are nice for explaining processes, just like the onboarding of latest workers.
System Maps
As an alternative of specializing in the principle concept, system maps spotlight the relationships and interactions between totally different ideas. They lack a hierarchical construction and emphasize how varied elements work collectively.
Tips on how to create it:
- Outline the important thing system parts.
- Prepare them based mostly on how they’re interrelated as a substitute of in a hierarchical order.
- Draw strains between parts to point out how they’re linked. I feel it’s useful so as to add phrases like “influences” and “is dependent upon” to higher clarify the kind of relationship.
- Increase 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 complicated programs, resembling provide chains or organizational networks.
Hierarchy Maps
A hierarchy map illustrates how components are interconnected in a hierarchical construction, exhibiting their relative standing. Which means that concepts have the next standing whereas others, a decrease standing. The principle idea or the best rating factor is on the high, whereas the lower-ranking ones are positioned beneath it.
Tips on how to create it:
- Put the principle idea or the highest-ranking one on the high of the map.
- Outline the most important subtopics that fall below the principle concept and place them instantly beneath. Join them by strains.
- 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 exhibiting data with a number of authority ranges or significance, for instance, authorities buildings or Maslow’s Hierarchy of Wants.
Tips on how to Create a Idea Map
Earlier than you begin working in your idea map, I counsel downloading HubSpot’s idea map template — it’ll make the method a complete lot simpler.
1. Outline your essential subject.
Start by selecting the principle concept or subject that you simply need to analyze. It must be broad sufficient to permit a number of subtopics to department out.
Put the first idea both on the high or center of your map, relying on the kind of map you’re utilizing. It’ll act as the inspiration from which all of your different concepts might be developed.
2. Establish important ideas.
When you’ve found out the principle concept, begin brainstorming extra subjects you’d wish to discover. Consider as many as you possibly can, however as a substitute of putting them instantly 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 greatest to create a hierarchy with an important/broad concepts on the high 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 middle or on the high, with associated subtopics branching out from it. Every extra subject must be linked to a selected class, finally 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 may have, the better the prospect of creating a mistake. So, it’s greatest to evaluation every connection to make sure it hyperlinks to the proper idea.
Use cross-links to search out concepts positioned in a unique a part of your map. This method might enable you join them to extra ideas, making a extra complete and interconnected construction that reveals much more insights.
5. Increase 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 commonly examine in case your map is full and related. Make revisions when crucial.
Creating My Personal Idea Map
Let’s get right down to apply. I’ll now create an idea map for my very own freelance enterprise.
Step 1: Establish my major subject.
Since I’m a contract content material marketer, one of many areas that I take care of is web optimization optimization, which might be my major subject.
Step 2: Establish important ideas.
I’ll break it down into a number of subcategories: on-page web optimization, technical web optimization, and use of web optimization instruments. For the sake of this instance, I’ll solely point out three, however be at liberty to give you as many as attainable, like off-page web optimization and native web 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 web optimization may be damaged down into substeps like “key phrases” and “content material optimization.”
If I wished to go even deeper, I may add “key phrase analysis,” “long-tail key phrases,” and different smaller ideas below the “key phrases” subtopic.
I’ve carried out this with all three essential subjects and wrote two subcategories for every, together with concepts for additional branching.
Discover how the map helps us perceive that web optimization is a multifaceted idea and that — whereas it’s most frequently an space dealt with by advertising and marketing — it overlaps with areas like technical web site/app efficiency.
Step 4: Double-check for accuracy and coherence.
On this step, I evaluation if I’ve assigned every concept to the proper class.
For instance, I ensured that “consumer intent” is positioned below “content material optimization” relatively than “web site pace.” Keep in mind that some ideas like “key phrase analysis” would possibly slot in a couple of class.
Step 5: Increase 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 may develop my map to incorporate “URL construction,” “inside linking,” “indexing,” and “safety” — all of which relate to web optimization optimization.
Additionally, as talked about earlier, it’s essential to determine relationships between totally different classes. For instance, I may create a hyperlink between “web optimization instruments” and “key phrases,” as the information from the web optimization instruments I take advantage of will affect my key phrase choice and inform my total web 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 simplest ways to create an idea map is to make use of a ready-made template.
I like brainstorming, however generally 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 develop in your map as you generate extra concepts.
