You’ve spent hours aimlessly brainstorming ideas on a blank sheet of paper, and you feel like you’ve gone down a million creative rabbit holes.
You write one of the most appealing blog posts, polishing it with carefully chosen words, hoping to catch your readers’ attention.
You finally hit the publish button, promote it with a few Facebook posts, tweets, and LinkedIn updates, and await the response.
Your fingers crossed, you open the stats page to see… not a single visitor.
Don’t worry — it’s time to mind map.
What’s Content Mapping?
Content mapping is exactly what it sounds like: mapping out your content. It’s the process of organizing ideas, concepts, and topics visually around a single concept, represented as a circle.
That can be useful for all kinds of web projects, from creative writing to web design and SEO.
Experienced content mappers can easily create mind maps in minutes, while less-experienced content mappers must brainstorm, using the map to manifest their ideas.
One way to do it is to draw a tree and use the branches to connect ideas and concepts and identify categories, subjects, and related topics.
Here’s an example of a content map:
How to Map Your Content in 5 Easy Steps
So, how do you map a topic? Say you are writing a blog post about the benefits of meditation. Here’s how to do it:
#1. Choose your Central Concept or Core Topic
The central concept is the main thing you’re writing about, in this case, meditation. That will be the centre of your content map, and everything else must relate or be connected to it.
The idea is to base the map on a piece of high-quality, long-form content, like an ebook or a blog post.
The content must be relevant, but that’s not to say you must write everything from scratch.
You can use existing content or even mashup different sources to create something unique.
You also want to specify the source of this content, as it will help you evaluate the quality of each piece.
And will you be linking to another page on the website? You should also specify the destination link.
Lastly, what’s the ultimate goal of your content? Is it to inform, educate, or entertain?
Do you want to attract more subscribers, customers, or followers?
Using our example, our goal would be to educate our readers about the benefits of meditation. But the ultimate goal is to get more people to subscribe to our email list.
#2. Divide The Topic into Subtopics, At Least 5 of Them
Once you have the central concept, it’s time to divide it into smaller subtopics. The goal is to create an outline of your content and divide it into five or more parts.
For our example, we might divide the topic of meditation into:
- Introduction to Meditation
- Benefits of Meditation
- Types of Meditation
- How to Meditate As a Beginner: Step-by-step Guide
- Guided Meditations
- Advanced Techniques
Be sure to include any relevant resources, images, and videos in each section.
So, how do you come up with subtopics? Start by brainstorming ideas, researching topics, and exploring related subjects.
You can also use tools like BuzzSumo or Ahrefs to get top-performing content ideas on the subject.
The related search function on Google can also be helpful.
#3. Connect The Subtopics To Create A Branched Visual Representation
Once you have your topic and subtopics, it’s time to create a branched visual representation of the content.
First, think about how you will convey the subtopic’s message. Will it work best as a video, quote, infographic, or text?
Next, for each subtopic, create at least five linking messages. Think about the main points you want to tackle under each subtopic and list them in a logical order as bullet points.
For example, for the subtopic “Benefits of Meditation,” we might list out five bullet points:
- Improved Concentration and Focus
- Benefits to Physical Health & Wellbeing
- Increased Mindfulness
- Stress Reduction
- Improved Quality of Sleep
You can expound on each point as you create your content, but this map should give you an idea of how your content should be structured.
#4. Add a Few Supporting Details To Each Branch
Now that you have the main points, it’s time to add a few supporting details. These are the arguments, facts, and evidence you will use to support your claims.
For example, for our topic on meditation, we might include facts like:
- Meditation has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure
- Statistics show that people who meditate have better sleep quality
- Studies have linked meditation to improved concentration and focus
- Research suggests that regular meditation can reduce stress
- People who practice meditation have reported feeling calmer and more relaxed.
If you can back each claim with a trusted source, the better.
#5. Think About How You’re Going to Distribute Your Message
Next, it’s time to think about how you will distribute your message.
You want to consider the nature of the channels you’ll use. For instance, social media content is usually short and snappy, while blog posts can be more detailed.
Instagram and Pinterest require images.
TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts demand videos.
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are great for text-based posts.
The tone and style you use should also depend on the platform.
You also want to consider to tone and style you use.
For instance, Instagram has a more casual and humorous atmosphere than LinkedIn, which tends to be more formal.
Facebook has a very different vibe compared to Twitter.
Be sure to tailor your message for each platform.
Examples (for Steps 3 and 4):
Introduction to Meditation
Perspective #1: What’s meditation, and why is it so popular
- Definition
- History of Meditation
- Reasons for its Popularity
Format: title, summary, still image, link to a page
Distribution: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Tone/Style: Informative but engaging
Perspective #2: Introductory overview with a cliffhanger
- A brief intro to meditation
- Interesting facts and figures
Format: title, summary, infographic
Distribution: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Tone/Style: Informative but fun and light-hearted
Perspective #3: Command the audience, “Stop and take a breath.”
- Why do you need to take a break?
- Benefits of mindfulness and meditation
Format: title, short video clip
Distribution: TikTok, YouTube
Tone/Style: Empowering and inspiring
Types of Meditation
Perspective #1: What are the different types of meditation?
- Overview of different types
- Advantages and Disadvantages
Format: title, text-based post, listicles
Distribution: LinkedIn, Twitter
Tone/Style: Informative but conversational
Perspective #2: A comparison between two popular types
- Mindfulness vs. Mantra Meditation
- Benefits of each type
Format: title, infographic, link to a page
Distribution: Twitter, Instagram
Tone/Style: Informative, colourful, and engaging
Perspective #3: A guided meditation
- Introduction to the meditation
- Step-by-step guide
Format: title, video clip
Distribution: YouTube, Instagram
Tone/Style: Relaxing and calming
Advanced Meditation Techniques
Perspective #1: What are the more advanced techniques of meditation?
- Overview of various techniques
- Pros and cons
Format: title, text-based post, listicles
Distribution: LinkedIn, Twitter
Tone/Style: Informative but conversational
Perspective #2: Your experience with different meditation techniques
- Your journey with meditation
- Reflection on each technique
Format: title, short video clip, Twitter thread
Distribution: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Tone/Style: Personal and reflective
Perspective #3: How to meditate like a pro
- Tips and tricks for mastering meditation
- What you should learn
Format: eBook, Blog Post, Video
Distribution: Website, Social Media
Tone/Style: Encouraging, Informative but Entertaining.
#5. Think About How You’re Going to Organize and Schedule Your Content
Your material can easily get disorganized and overwhelming if you don’t plan ahead.
Imagine a situation where you’re churning out content every day. You must ensure flow and that you’re logically introducing new information.
Use mind maps to create an index or overview of all your topics. Organize every piece by topic, and the time it was created or published.
You can also use mind maps to identify the topics you’ve covered, fill in the content gaps, and develop ideas for future content.
You can also use mind maps to schedule your content. It goes beyond just creating content. A good content plan involves identifying when and where to publish the content.
You can create a timeline using mind maps, indicating when certain content should be published. You can also plan for specific days of the week or month to release certain pieces.
This way, you’ll be able to keep track of your progress, monitor how your content is performing, and make necessary adjustments.
#6. Content Upgrades
Your content isn’t just intended to be consumed by your audience. It should also provide added value or benefit to the reader in some way.
Ultimately, it should convert them into paying customers or encourage them to take some kind of action.
Content upgrades are a great way to do this. Content upgrades can be anything from a PDF guide, downloadable template, video tutorial, or anything else that can provide added value and further help the reader.
The idea is to give your readers a compelling reason to share their email addresses. Once they’re subscribed, you can continue to nurture them until they become customers.
Using mind maps, you can easily identify topics for content upgrades. You can also plan out the flow of the content upgrade and ensure that it is of the highest quality.
Content upgrades can increase conversion rates by up to 700%. So, it’s definitely worth investing time into creating content upgrades for your readers.
#7. Repurposing Content
Creating content from scratch takes a lot of effort, time, and resources. So, why not make the most of the content you’ve already created?
One way to do this is by repurposing your content. That involves taking an existing piece of content, such as a blog post or article, and recreating it into something else, such as an infographic or podcast.
Here are some of the ways you can repurpose content:
- Identify the topics that performed well and repurpose them into videos, podcasts, or webinars
- Identify a new audience that you can reach with the repurposed content. For example, if you have an infographic with data about a particular topic, you can create a blog post for a different audience
- Reuse ideas from old content and create something entirely new
- Re-strategize on how to make the most of a piece of content that didn’t perform well.
- Identify the features of a post that need to be modified before repurposing.
Using mind maps, you can brainstorm new ideas for repurposing existing content and create an outline for the project.
7 Other Ways to Use Mind Maps in Your Business
Mind maps aren’t just a helpful tool for brainstorming and organizing information. They’re multi-functional.
The possibilities are endless, but I’ll stick to seven common ways mind maps can be used to improve business processes:
#1. Project Planning and Brainstorming
Mind maps are a great way to plan and organize your project ideas. You can create a map for each project stage, such as market research, product development, customer acquisition, etc.
For example, the following mind map shows the different content marketing strategies a company might want to invest its resources in:
Concept mapping lets you organize ideas and determine the best course of action. It also helps get everyone on the same page regarding which strategies to prioritize.
You can identify the opportunities and roadblocks in planning a project and potential solutions and contingencies.
This particular use case works great for product managers:
- What features do you want to see in the product?
- What steps should you take to launch it?
- What roadblocks will you face?
All these questions can be answered using a mind map.
#2. Meeting Management
Maybe you didn’t know, but you can use mind maps to manage meetings.
For example, you can create a meeting agenda using mind maps. It’s much easier and more engaging than a spreadsheet or listing the topics to cover.
You can also use mind maps to record notes during the meeting and capture ideas.
Instead of writing down the topics discussed, you can use a mind map to create an organized visual representation of the conversation. It’s a great way to track who said what and note the key points.
It will also help you retain information better and manage meetings more efficiently.
Here’s a mind map template you can replicate. Customize the fonts and colours to suit your branding. The meeting topic should be at the centre of the map, with the topics discussed radiating outwards.
Click here to create a mind map using this template: https://venngage.com/templates/mind-maps/pastel-chemistry-concept-map-be21c9e7-19a7-4686-bdd3-36f13959de66
#3. Create an Organizational Chart
Rethink the way you create organizational charts. Instead of creating a more traditional chart with rows and columns, use mind mapping software to create an interactive org chart.
Use mind maps to organize your team members or staff by department, skill set, location, etc.
You can also use it to show hierarchy, job roles, and responsibilities.
For example, the following mind map shows the different departments in a company:
Follow this link to use this mind map as a template: https://venngage.com/templates/mind-maps/corporate-communication-mind-map-e443c161-3802-4e75-8e39-07773c512876
It is a great way to illustrate the organizational structure of your business. It will also help employees understand their roles and responsibilities better.
#4. Marketing Personas
Personas are fictional representations of your target customer. They’re based on the market research you’ve done and the data you’ve collected.
Create personas using mind maps to understand your target customer base better.
For example, use the following mind map template to create a marketing persona for your target audiences. Include age, location, job role, buying behaviour, and more.
#5. Improving Customer Service
Mind maps are also a great way to improve customer service. You can use them to organize insights and feedback in a mind map. It will give you a birds-eye view of your customers’ opinions.
For example, the following mind map shows customer feedback categorized by topic and sentiment.
You can use this type of customer feedback to identify the areas to improve and the areas you’re excelling in.
This template can map out customer feedback and group similar insights together. The idea is to identify the pattern in the customer feedback and make improvements based on that.
You can even use it to identify any risk areas for your company. Mind maps allow you to quickly and easily organize customer feedback and make necessary improvements.
Use mind maps to track customer satisfaction over time. It’s even better to colour-code the feedback as positive or negative and monitor everything.
#5. Website Design
Building a website can be overwhelming and intimidating. But with mind maps, you can easily map out your website design.
You can use mind maps to map out the different components and parts of the website. Start by writing down the main element at the centre and then branch out to the pages and sub-pages.
Then, use nodes to represent different sections or pages of your website. Include the homepage, about page, blog page, contact page, etc.
You can also use nodes to map your website’s structure and layout. For example, each page can have a header, a body, and a footer.
https://venngage.com/templates/mind-maps/website-development-brainstorming-mind-map-d72af5a4-9149-4f7e-be30-8c67eff3f8be
This type of mind map can help you break down your website into manageable pieces, making it easier to design.
