One very practical application of mind maps is to use them as a checklist, a reminder of thing we need to do on a regular basis. A case in point is Dana VanDen Heuvel’s excellent content marketing map, which outlines actions that aspiring thought leaders need to do in different time periods to effectively market their content and expertise.
Since I’m a publisher, I found this mind map to be particularly valuable. It’s something I can pin to the bulletin board next to my computer, as a reminder of the activities I should consider incorporating into the planning for this blog. It’s also an inspiration to me to think about what my readers need to be more effective, and to develop content like this mind map that people will WANT to share because it’s so interesting and valuable to them.
Here are a few things that I think are notable about this well-designed mind map:
Note how the time horizons start at “daily” and then grow progressively longer as you walk around the mind map in a clockwise direction, eventually ending at things you ought to do on an annual basis.
I also like how Dana has incorporated colorful icons into this mind map, to add visual interest.
The central topic includes the logo of Dana’s company, MarketingSavant, as well as some descriptive text in several sizes. This ensures that his branding will be carried far and wide as people share this interesting mind map. The text sizes are fairly easy to do in many mind mapping programs – I’ve tried it, but don’t use it often enough. The process is simple: You drag your mouse to select the text you want to resize, and then pick a new font size. Line breaks are accomplished by holding down the shift key and then hitting “Enter.” That’s all there is to it.
One suggestion: If I was Dana, I’d put his name on this mind map, so he promotes his personal brand as well as that of his marketing consultancy.
Nice job, Dana!
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