What They Are and How to Use Them – InstantFollowerz

Before Anna and I started contentwe went to a coffee shop, pulled out a notebook and started thinking about all the services we could offer given our skills and experience.

We came up with content writing, SEO optimization and content strategy. From there, we dived even deeper into each category adding SEO blogging, thought leadership, landing page copy, and SOCIAL MEDIA to our list.

I’m glad we took the time to break this out early, as it gave us a clear sense of who we were from the start, rather than figuring out our services on the fly.

The rough sketch in our notebook was what is professionally known as a concept maps. It’s a tool you can use not only when starting a business, but also to design and thoroughly research new concepts before bringing them to market.

Content

What is concept maps?

A concept map is a visual representation, often in the form of a diagram, that shows the relationship between different ideas or concepts. It is an excellent tool for structuring and organizing knowledge. It usually includes two elements:

• Nodes. They represent concepts and come in the form of circles, ovals or boxes.
• Lock room. These ideas connect. They may include a linking word or verb to explain the relationship between the terms, for example, “leads to” or “is part of”.

A concept map helps break down complex topics/ideas into more digestible components.

Types of concept maps

Before I discuss the types of concept maps, here is a list of them the best mind mapping software you can check to help you create your own concept map.

Spider Maps

I’m sure it won’t surprise you to hear that these concept maps resemble a spider’s web. The main concept is in the middle, with related sub-themes branching out. This structure allows you to explore multiple aspects of a central idea.

How to create it:

• Place your main idea in the middle of the diagram.
• Draw lines radiating from the center to represent key subtopics related to the main idea.
• Add sub-branches from each sub-topic to dive even deeper into the topic.
• Use tags or short words to better show the relationship between concepts.

When to use it: Use it to analyze a broad topic in detail.

Flow charts

A flowchart represents a linear or sequential process or workflow. It uses symbols and arrows to show how information flows, often involving decisions or actions.

How to create it:

• Define the process or task you want to illustrate.
• Draw arrows to show the flow of steps. Use boxes or other shapes to represent each step or action.
• Use a diamond shape for decision points and show different branches based on yes/no or any other criteria of your choice.
• Continue until you’re done.

When to use it: I find that flowcharts are great for explaining processes, such as onboarding new employees.

System maps

Instead of focusing on a main idea, system maps highlight the relationships and interactions between different concepts. They lack hierarchical structure and emphasize how different parts work together.

How to create it:

• Define the key components of the system.
• Arrange them based on how they relate to each other, not in hierarchical order.
• Draw lines between the components to show how they are connected. I think it’s useful to add words like “affect” and “depend on” to better explain the type of relationship.
• Expand each part of the system by noting feedback loops, inputs and outputs.

When to use it: Use system maps to understand and analyze complex systems, such as supply chains or organizational networks.

Hierarchical maps

A hierarchy map illustrates how elements are related to each other in a hierarchical structure, showing their relative status. This means that ideas have a higher status, while others have a lower status. The highest-ranking main concept or element is at the top, while the lower-ranking ones are positioned below it.

How to create it:

• Put the main concept or the highest ranking concept on top of the card.
• Define the main subtopics that fall under the main idea and place them directly below. Connect them with lines.
• Branch down to show lower-level concepts while maintaining a clear hierarchical structure.

When to use it: I think it’s useful for displaying information from multiple levels of authority or importance, for example, government structures or Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

How to make a concept map

Before you start working on your concept map, I suggest you download HubSpot concept map template — that will make the process much easier.

1. Define your main topic.

Start by choosing the main idea or theme you want to analyze. It should be broad enough to allow several subtopics to be separated.

Place the primary concept either at the top or in the middle of your card, depending on the type of card you are using. It will act as a foundation from which all your other ideas will develop.

2. Identify essential concepts.

Once you understand the main idea, start thinking about additional topics you would like to explore. Imagine them as much as you can, but instead of placing them directly on the map, list them first — this is known as the “parking” method.

Once your list is ready, organize the concepts from the most general or broad to the most specific. I think it’s best to create a hierarchy with the most important/broader ideas at the top and the more detailed ideas below them.

3. Move the concepts from the parking lot to the map.

You can now move your concepts from the parking lot to the map.

Put the main idea in the center or at the top, with related subtopics branching off from it. Each additional topic should be associated with a specific category, eventually forming a hierarchy.

When organizing concepts, I suggest using linking words to clarify the relationship between ideas. This will improve understanding of how each concept relates to the others.

4. Check for accuracy and coherence.

The more connection ideas you have, the more chance you have of making a mistake. So it’s best to review each link to make sure it’s connected to the correct concept.

Use the cross-references to find ideas that are in another part of your map. This approach can help you connect them to additional concepts, creating a more comprehensive and interconnected structure that reveals even more insights.

5. Expand and revise.

Your concept map is not set in stone. As new ideas emerge, you can continue to add them to the map to create new connections.

I appreciate that the map is flexible, allowing you to rearrange, remove, or add new sections as you gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

The process does not end with the first version; I suggest that you regularly check that your map is complete and relevant. Make revisions as needed.

Creating your own concept map

Let’s go to practice. Now I’m going to create a concept map for my own freelance business.

Step 1: Identify my primary topic.

Considering that I am a freelance content marketer, one of the areas I deal with is SEO optimization, which will be my primary topic.

Step 2: Identify essential concepts.

I’ll break it down into a few subcategories: on-page SEO, technical SEO, and using SEO tools. For the sake of this example, I’ll only mention three, but feel free to come up with as many as you can, like off-page SEO and local SEO.

Write them all down.

Step 3: Move the concepts to the map.

Now that I’ve listed the main concepts, it’s time to focus on each one and list the relevant subcategories. For example, on-page SEO can be divided into sub-steps such as “keywords” and “content optimization”.

If I wanted to go even deeper, I could add “keyword research,” “long tail keywords,” and other smaller concepts under the “keywords” subheading.

I did this with all three main topics and wrote two subcategories for each, along with ideas for branching out.

Notice how the map helps us understand that SEO is a multi-faceted concept and that – although it is the most common area of ​​marketing – it overlaps with areas such as website/app technical performance.

Step 4: Double check for accuracy and coherence.

In this step, I check that I have assigned each idea to the correct category.

For example, I ensured that “user intent” was placed under “content optimization” and not “website speed”. Note that some concepts like “keyword research” can fit into more than one category.

Step 5: Expand and revise.

I will treat this concept map as my first version. The more time I spend brainstorming ideas, the more subcategories I can add.

I could expand my map to include “URL structure”, “internal linking”, “indexing” and “security” — all related to SEO optimization.

Also, as mentioned earlier, it is important to identify relationships between different categories. For example, I could create a link between “SEO tools” and “keywords”, because the data from the SEO tools I use will influence my keyword selection and inform my overall SEO strategy.

If you’re a content marketer like me, here you go template for content mapping to help you organize your work.

The best way to create a concept map is to use a ready-made template.

I like to think, but sometimes I generate so many ideas that I get lost and forget half of what I came up with in five minutes.

Concept maps are a great tool for organizing your thoughts and ideas. It helps to research a particular topic in detail, ensuring a deep understanding. You can start small and expand your map as you generate more ideas.