Earlier than Anna and I began Contentkey, we went to a restaurant, obtained out a notepad and began excited about the providers we may provide primarily based on our expertise and expertise.
We convey content material writing, search engine marketing optimization, and content material technique. From there we delved deeper into every class, including search engine marketing weblog writing, thought management, touchdown web page copy, and social media to our checklist.
I am glad we took the time to interrupt it down early on, as a result of it gave us a transparent thought of who we’re proper from the beginning as a substitute of determining our providers as we go.
We had tough sketches in notebooks identified professionally as a reputation Idea map. It is a software you should use not solely when beginning a enterprise but additionally to analysis concepts and totally analysis new concepts earlier than bringing them to market.
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What’s an idea map?
An idea map is a visible illustration, typically within the type of a diagram, that exhibits the relationships between totally different concepts or ideas. It’s a useful gizmo for constructing and organizing data. It often consists of two parts:
- Node. They signify concepts and are available within the type of circles, ovals or packing containers.
- arrow. This connection idea. They might embrace a connecting phrase or verb to clarify the connection between concepts, for instance, “results in” or “a part of.”
An idea map helps break down complicated subjects/ideas into extra digestible parts.
Varieties of Idea Maps
Earlier than discussing the sorts of idea maps, here’s a checklist of the very best mind-mapping software program that you should use that can assist you create your individual idea maps.
Spider map
I am positive you will not be shocked to listen to that these idea maps resemble a spider’s net. The principle thought is within the center, with associated sub-topics branching out. This framework permits you to discover a number of facets of the central thought.
Easy methods to make it:
- Place your important thought in the midst of the diagram.
- Draw traces radiating out from the middle to signify a key subtopic related to the primary thought.
- Add sub-branches from every sub-topic to go deeper into the subject.
- Use labels or brief phrases to raised present relationships between ideas.
When to make use of it: Use it to investigate a broad matter intimately.
Flowchart
A flowchart represents a linear or sequential course of or workflow. It makes use of symbols and arrows to point out how info flows, typically with selections or actions.
Easy methods to make it:
- Outline the method or job you need to clarify.
- Draw arrows to point out the movement of steps. Use packing containers or different shapes to signify every step or motion.
- Use a diamond form for choice factors and show totally different branches primarily based on sure/no or another standards of your selection.
- Proceed till you end.
When to make use of it: I discover flowcharts are nice for explaining processes like onboarding new staff.
System map
As an alternative of specializing in core ideas, system maps spotlight the relationships and interactions between totally different ideas. They lack a hierarchical construction and emphasize how totally different components work collectively.
Easy methods to make it:
- Outline key system parts.
- Kind them primarily based on how they’re interrelated quite than in a hierarchy.
- Draw traces between the weather to point out how they’re linked. I feel it is useful so as to add phrases like “impact” and “rely” to raised clarify the kind of relationship.
- Increase every a part of the system by figuring out suggestions loops, inputs, and outputs.
When to make use of it: Use system maps to grasp and analyze complicated programs comparable to provide chains or organizational networks.
Classification map
A hierarchy map illustrates how components are interconnected in a hierarchical construction, displaying their relative standing. Because of this concepts have a better standing whereas others, a decrease standing. The principle thought or the best rating factor is on the prime, whereas the lower-ranking components are positioned under it
Easy methods to make it:
- Place the primary thought or the best rating on the prime of the map
- Outline the primary subtopics that fall below the primary idea and place them straight under. Join them by traces.
- Department downwards to point out lower-ranking ideas whereas sustaining a transparent hierarchical construction.
When to make use of it: I feel it is helpful for displaying info with a number of authority ranges or significance, for instance, authorities buildings or Maslow’s Hierarchy of Wants.
Easy methods to Create a Idea Map
Earlier than you begin working in your idea map, I like to recommend downloading HubSpot’s idea map template – it should make the method a complete lot simpler.
1. Outline your important matter.
Begin by selecting the primary thought or matter you need to analyze. It must be broad sufficient to permit a number of sub-topics to department out.
Relying on the map you might be utilizing, place the preliminary idea on the prime or center of your map. This can function the muse from which all of your different concepts will construct.
2. Establish important ideas.
After you have the primary thought discovered, begin brainstorming further subjects you need to discover Consider as many as you may, however checklist them first as a substitute of placing them straight on the map — this is called the “car parking zone” methodology.
After your checklist is prepared, prepare the concepts from most common or broad to most particular. I feel it is best to create a hierarchy with a very powerful/broadest concepts on the prime and the extra detailed under them.
3. Take away the map ideas from the car parking zone
Now, you may transfer your concepts from the car parking zone to the map
Hold the primary thought on the middle or prime, branching out from associated sub-topics. Every further matter must be linked to a selected class, finally forming a hierarchy.
When organizing concepts, I like to recommend utilizing linking phrases to make clear relationships between concepts. This can enhance understanding of how every idea connects to the others.
4. Confirm accuracy and consistency.
The extra connecting concepts you could have, the extra possible you might be to make errors. So, it is good to evaluate every connection to ensure it hyperlinks to the appropriate idea.
Use the cross-links to seek out concepts positioned in a special a part of your map This method might help you join them to further ideas, making a extra complete and interconnected framework that reveals extra insights.
5. Increase and Revise.
Your thought map just isn’t set in stone. As new concepts emerge, you may add them to the map to make new connections
I recognize that the map is versatile, permitting you to rearrange, take away, or add new sections as you acquire a deeper understanding of the subject.
The method doesn’t finish with the primary model; I like to recommend that you simply recurrently verify that your map is full and related. Make corrections if obligatory.
Creating my very own 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 matter.
Since I’m a contract content material marketer, one of many areas I work with is search engine marketing optimization, which will probably be my major matter.
Step 2: Establish important ideas.
I am going to break it down into a couple of subcategories: On-Web page search engine marketing, Technical search engine marketing, and Utilizing search engine marketing Instruments. For the sake of this instance, I am going to solely point out three, however be happy to convey up as many as potential, comparable to off-page search engine marketing and native search engine marketing.
Write all of them down.
Step 3: Transfer the concepts to the map.
As soon as I’ve listed the important thing ideas, it is time for me to zero in on every of them and checklist the related subcategories For instance, on-page search engine marketing will be damaged down into substeps like “key phrase” and “content material optimization.”
If I need to go deeper, I can add “key phrase analysis”, “long-tail key phrases” and different small ideas below the “key phrases” sub-topic.
I did this with three important subjects and wrote two subcategories for every with concepts for additional branches.
Discover how the map helps us perceive that search engine marketing is a multifaceted idea and that – whereas it is an space typically dealt with by advertising – it overlaps with areas like technical web site/app performance.
Step 4: Double-check for accuracy and consistency.
On this step, I evaluate whether or not I’ve assigned every idea to the right class.
For instance, I made positive that “person intent” was positioned below “content material optimization” as a substitute of “web site velocity”. Notice that some ideas comparable to “key phrase analysis” might match into multiple class.
Step 5: Increase and revise.
I’d contemplate this idea map as my first model. The extra time I spend brainstorming, the extra subcategories I can add.
I can broaden my map to incorporate “URL construction,” “inside linking,” “indexing” and “safety” — all associated to search engine marketing optimization.
Additionally, as talked about earlier, you will need to determine the relationships between the totally different classes. For instance, I would create a hyperlink between “search engine marketing Instruments” and “Key phrases,” as a result of information from the search engine marketing instruments I exploit will affect my key phrase choice and inform my general search engine marketing technique.
When you’re a content material marketer like me, this is a content material mapping template that can assist you manage 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 typically I create 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 superb software for organizing your ideas and concepts. It helps to discover a specific matter intimately, guaranteeing a deeper understanding. You can begin small, and broaden your map as you generate extra concepts
