What is a mind map? Explore a powerful tool for creative problem solving
Do you sometimes have trouble visualizing your ideas or consolidating your thoughts in one place? I certainly did.
As a marketer, it’s essential to generate lots of ideas for campaigns, materials and messages, but managing them can be difficult without proper documentation.
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Without a clear, organized visual that others can follow, communicating said ideas becomes even more difficult. This is why creating a mind map is my go-to solution for tackling these challenges.
In this article, I’ll explain what a mind map is, how you can use it to articulate ideas more effectively, and provide you with a free template to use for yourself.
Let’s go.
Table of contents
What is a mind map?
A mind map is a visual diagram used to organize information, displaying relationships between concepts based on a central idea.
Marketers typically use mind maps as a strategic tool to explore and structure marketing concepts such as identifying target audiences and campaign themes and to facilitate creative thinking and planning.
Often, marketers call this type of planning “mind mapping.”
What is mind mapping?
Mind mapping is the process of creating a mind map to visually organize information, ideas, or concepts.
Now that I’ve explained the basics, let’s discuss the different reasons why you might want to make one yourself.
Uses of the mind map
1. Brainstorming and idea generation
Mind maps help organize and visualize ideas during brainstorming sessions, allowing marketers and business owners to explore creative solutions and new opportunities, especially if they need to be shared with a team.
2. Strategic planning
They help structure business strategies by visually presenting goals, objectives and action plans, facilitating clear communication and alignment.
3. Project management
Not only can this visual diagram help with ideation, but it can also help with project management. You can divide projects into manageable tasks or buckets, dividing items according to schedules, all to facilitate better tracking and management of the project.
4. Content Creation
For marketers, mind maps can outline and organize content ideas for blogs, social media, or marketing campaigns, ensuring consistency and uniformity.
I’ve benefited from mind-mapping short-form content ideas like TikToks or Reels for my own content.
For example, I would have a central idea on how to appeal to customer service representatives. I would create branches of different industries or situations that reps would relate to or find humorous.
Before I knew it, I had a ten-branch map full of video ideas for servers, flight attendants, bartenders and more.
5. Problem Solving
They provide a visual representation of problems and potential solutions, helping business owners and marketers analyze problems, identify root causes, and design effective strategies.
Pro Tip: If you’re having trouble branching out to solve a problem, think about the outcome you want and work backwards! The solution can come to you by imagining its completion rather than being too intimidated by the problem to start thinking about the future.
The applications of mind maps are virtually endless, so let me walk you through the steps to creating your own.
How to create a mind map
Select your mind map template. Identify your central idea. Diversify key themes. Add subtopics to your branches. Use keywords and images where necessary. Rearrange or reprioritize if feelings change. Give your mind map a review. Clean up your mind map and give it a new look.
1. Select your mind map template.
You’ll need a blank page to start, and it can’t just be a simple Google Doc or Word Doc to get the format right. Fortunately, there are plenty mind mapping software available to find a model of your choice.
Pro Tip: Looking for inspiration? HubSpot is here for you! Download our Mind Map Template for Word or Google Docs to effortlessly visualize your ideas on screen.
2. Identify your central idea.
Start by determining the topic or main idea you want to explore and place it at the center of your map.
3. Diversify key themes.
From the central idea, draw branches outward to represent key themes or categories related to the main topic.
4. Add subtopics to your branches.
For each branch, add smaller branches to include more detailed subtopics or related concepts.
5. Use keywords and images where necessary.
Write keywords or short phrases on each branch and possibly include pictures or symbols to make the card more visually appealing and easier to remember.
6. Rearrange or reprioritize if feelings change.
Rearrange branches and subtopics to logically organize information and prioritize items as necessary.
7. Review your mind map.
Review the mind map to ensure it covers all necessary areas and expand it with additional ideas or connections if necessary.
8. Clean up your mind map and give it a new look.
Now that all the hard work has been said and done, refresh the look of your mind map with color coordination and styling.
Use colors to differentiate branches, themes or categories to improve visual clarity and understanding. If you would like to see some examples of effective mind maps, keep reading for some examples that I think could get the job done.
Examples of Mind Maps
1. Cloth
I can’t recommend Canva highly enough as a marketer who visits the site almost daily. Its platform is intuitive and easy to use, regardless of your proficiency in image or card design.
The best part? Canva has over 3,000 mind map templates, which means you can get the right look for your map all in one place.
2. Edit.org
For those looking to keep their mind map more simplistic, head to edit.org for clean, clear templates to organize your next ideas.
Pro Tip: Don’t feel like you have to spend too much time on design elements if you’re trying to execute your ideas quickly. A clear mental map is infinitely more valuable than a cluttered or exaggerated map.
Get to work on your next mind map
Mind mapping is a dynamic and impactful tool that can transform the way marketers and business owners think, plan and implement their strategies.
Start integrating mind maps into your workflow today to see what kind of innovation you’ll bring to your next project or campaign.
