Confessions of a Six Figure Professional Blogger

Mind Mapping: Turning Ideas Into Content

January 8, 2010 | Business

This is a guest post by Mario Mendoza.

Developing a consistent writing habit was my biggest obstacle. I had ideas scattered: my proof was notepads filled with article topics and potential project ideas that just had a title and nothing else. I had the missing pieces; I just lacked a way to channel my ideas into action.

head_gearsI decided to give Mind Mapping a chance and see if it could help organize my music projects and website tasks. I was intrigued by the claims of the process: easier organization, remembering ideas, solving problems better and increasing productivity.

Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping is considered a form of “creative note taking” meant to map out your ideas similar to how your brain processes them. You start with a central topic or bubble and branch out accordingly to categories and sub-categories.

Your ideas all branch out from your center concept, keeping you focused on your mission. Some forms of mind mapping are plain while others include images and multi-colors.  I chose to use a free version of Xmind.

I use Mind Mapping now as a way to jot down thoughts and create specific tasks for them. I was pitching: my ideas were in the windup position, but they lacked the follow thru.

I found myself speaking of plans in the first stage and not offering specific action to get the ball rolling and see if the idea was worth developing. Trying to balance my music projects and blogging tasks became more of a pain. I tried mind mapping on a sheet of paper and began to brainstorm.

Bloggers can relate to musicians. You can find yourself encountering inspirational moments and not writing them down, or assuming you will remember later. It can be a blog topic, hook, melody, lyrics or an idea. Trying to recall those can be painful, especially when you can’t remember where you were going with the original thought.

Now I follow one simple rule: Give detail to your inspiration.


Simple Plan

I wanted to use Mind Mapping with a purpose and keep it simple.

  1. I think of areas I want to work on my blog.
  2. I add any projects or products I am working on.
  3. I add ideas on how to integrate into content.
  4. I list specific tasks: Article Topics, To Do List, Promotional Campaigns.
  5. I send the tasks to my Calendar.

Content Ideas

In the picture below I used 2 examples of how I can organize my ideas. I created two sections: “Random Article Ideas” and “Keyphrase Article Ideas”. In the random category I like to brainstorm and add any article ideas that come to mind that I’m interested in, be creative.

HHD Mind Map
Click the image for a larger image of this mind map. 

The keyphrases section I like to fill in with some keyphrases found on my control panel stats. I look at keywords with increasing searches and topics that are relevant to my blog and think about expanding on them. Connecting better with your visitors.

This example reaped 6 article ideas. My maps generally have more article ideas and are broken down further, just to make writing the article that much easier. I’m even adding another category next month for “Reader Suggestions/Comments”. I am creating another channel to keep creative ideas flowing in.

Project Ideas

The reason I like this one is it takes a project in development. You can see where your project is in production and still brainstorm on future articles for promotion. My example is an EP I am working on. I am almost done mixing it down but that shouldn’t mean I have to wait till its finished to begin thinking content. I came up with four article ideas for future use.

This is very relevant for bloggers that are working on e-books, newsletters, mailing lists or future products. Think ahead and watch more ideas branch out. The best part here is I am kick starting my project in motion with getting it finalized and I am prepared to integrate it into the blog.

Why I Enjoy Using Mind Mapping

  • Ideas get sent to a Content Calendar and are put into action: I have specific article topics I can research and space according to difficulty of topic. Eliminate writer’s block and save time.
  • Visualization= Easier Explanation: I showed my friend my mind map and he gave me more ideas after seeing the layout. I received better input and focused ideas coming back once a general idea was laid out. People were able to relate to my thought process better and this led to less misunderstanding, just action.
  • Monthly Planning for Multiple Websites: Stay on top of all your projects and keep injecting ideas into your projects.
  • Stay 10 Steps Ahead: A project can be in production phase and I could generate possible content idea ahead of time.
  • Critique Your Writing Style: Am I too focused on assembly line writing or am I being creative? Is each project getting its due promotion? Mind map lays out your ideas for evaluation.
  • Ideas keep focused on your main goal.
  • Where is Your Time Being Spent? Keep improving your site. Maybe you are neglecting a vital category on your blog but didn’t realize it.

Take your thoughts and let them breathe. Create a mind map and take a topic you want to fix.  Brainstorm for solutions and think of specific tasks to accomplish that goal.  Send it to your calendar and start writing.

Mario Mendoza is an independent musician and  music marketing blogger.  Hip Hop Distribution was created as a way to help independent musicians sell their music online with free web tools, social networking and developing online marketing strategies.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...

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  5. I Can’t Do Everything

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  • I have tried min mapping several times for the past years, but without any success. I've read a couple of Tony Buzan's books, and everything seems to be perfect, well, until I get started.

    I just don't get the right feeling, and I stop using it after a few days. Not sure, but I guess I'm doing something wrong. Or it might be about my habits. I like making lists, and crossing out what I've accomplished.

    I'm going to give it another try, this time I'll do it for more than a week. I'm writing a novel as well, and it would be great to use mind mapping to get all my ideas out.
  • Excellent guide to how to use mind mapping techniques. Idea generation is a topic that is too often ignored. Mac users may be interested in CS Odessa's Concept Draw Mind Map, which, while expensive, has a free trial download.
  • I've been passionate about mind mapping for about 20 years -- I especially like it for studying, for brainstorming and for planning my websites. I used to draw all my mind maps by hand but last year I downloaded the free trials of both <a title="Buzan's iMindMap"
    href="http://imindmap.com/bestmaps">iMind and <a
    href="http://www.novamind.com/?NMAID=catp">NovaMind and couldn't make up my mind so I ended up purchasing both. I use each for different purposes.
  • I have been obsessed with MindMaps since I discovered MindMeister a few months ago. I am the kind of person who is always thinking and coming up with new ideas for businesses, projects and blogs. With MindMaps and mobile MindMap apps I am able to organize my thoughts and keep a log of all my ideas. I finally feel like I have a tool that can keep up with my racing mind and random thoughts. I would definately rate minmaps as an essential tool for bloggers and entrepreneurs. What are the other essential tools you would reccomend?
  • Keeping up with a racing mind and random thoughts is a challenge. Now I enjoy the chase using mind maps. The list of essential tools for me has shrunk significantly. I suffered from social media overload. This year it involves simplicity with focus on effort (Mind Map/Calendar/Time Management/Planning)
  • Mind Mapping seems like your efficent helper. Awesome tool. I will be looking into it.
  • This is going to be an evolving topic in 2010
    and have already gained some things. It is
    easier for most people to create a picture and
    I believe mind mapping is the best way of going
    about doing so
  • Great post Mario! I can't even begin to tell you how much I needed this. I've never heard of the concept before let alone used XMind before. I'm intrigued to discover how this process will help me continue my efforts on self-improvement.

    Thanks again for sharing!
  • glad to help Sean. The fun part is there is no right way to do it. Just create topics or ideas and see where they branch out so you can send specific tasks to your calendar.
  • That makes sense. Most great ideas come from other ideas which have branched out for their original... I've installed XMind and let ya know how it benefits me.
  • maque
    Yes, structuring and visualizing your thoughts and ideas always work.
  • Hi Maque, I suffered from a typical musicians syndrome. So focused on the audio that I underestimated the power of visualization...
  • Awesome blog design and layout not to mention also the quality of the information you provide.

    I have been researching for sometime now as how to produce quality content at ease and your information for me really has been invaluable.

    Mark McCulloch
  • Hi Mark, you brought up an interesting point. Producing quality content at ease is your reward to yourself for taking time to plan.
  • Thanks for the great article and reminding me about XMind. FreeMind which I've been using for ages is great, but for some reason the visual of XMind please my eye more.
  • Thanks Antti. The visual of Xmind sold me too. I will be sticking with it because it does what I need it to do, and thats what matters. Use whatever program you like, as long as you actually write out plans. Some days its Xmind, others its pencil/paper/sharpie.
  • Getting my ideas in check is certainly something I could use. I will definitely check this product out and give you my review.

    Good way to start my Saturday.
  • Thats great to hear Jason and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
  • Mario, this is awesome. I'm glad to see a fellow musician/audio engineer on here!

    I'll definitely check out Xmind. Also, for capturing ideas, etc., I'd recommend Evernote. If nothing else, they have an iPhone app that lets you record audio that then immediately uploads to your account and syncs to your desktop. Great for recording lyric ideas or maybe new product ideas for your blog.

    Thanks Mario & David!

    *Scurries off to check out Xmind...*
  • Hi Joe, nice to meet you. I already know 10 musicians that could use that app instantly. Nice info, cant turn down an app that is great for both activities. I definitely will check out your site more, that first article title sold me, "Low End Woes". Appreciate the feedback.
  • Mario, Thanks for the link. I have been a fan of mind mapping for years (along with morning pages) but this appears that it would help me with the follow through and organization of all those initial steps...
  • No Problem Jules, glad you liked. For me it felt good finding that I had interest in multiple areas. I was aware of what I wanted, and seeing it visually excited me and completely helped with following up on all my interests. I kick myself for all those days I didn't know what to write about or how I should approach certain projects.

    Morning pages sounds interesting and I will check that out. I love freestyle writing and seeing where the mind wanders.
  • Robert Simmons
    Wow David...you are on the money. It wasn't an hour ago I was having this conversation with my wife about blogging. I think you should start a new blog...mind reading!
  • Heh, thanks. But, I can't take credit for this post. Mario wrote it. I just published it. :)
  • I have never used Xmind, I will give it a try. I have used other online tools like this and they are very useful especially when you are working other people on a project.
  • A lot of people use FreeMind (which is free). I have Mindjet Mind Manager (not free). And there is also MindMeister.com (a web app).
  • Hi Brent, I tried using Xmind once I came across one of those viral posts with a massive list of mind mapping software. Although they have limited some of the features on the free version, you can still export a mind map as an image or html. If all else fails, there is nothing wrong with a pen and paper.
  • Thanks Firas. You brought up a good point with connecting different projects together. I was surprised by the simplicity of it, and now its my biggest aid in future project planning and creative brainstorming.
  • Mario, very rich information within this article! I am a big fan of Mind Mapping and I use it for everything!! specially when trying to connect different project together and finding mutual areas between them!

    Thank you for raising up this important tool!
  • Mario,

    My husband has been mind mapping for some time. Whatever he uses is also free, tho not as colorful as your illustration. I like yours better.

    I haven't really gotten into mind mapping, goal setting or tracking till this year (the last 7 days! haha) but I've decided to give it a whirl. I'm easily bored with plain stuff, so I was thrilled to find out about MindBloom.com which is a very visual based goal setting/tracking site. It's not free, but for me, it's worth it. At least for the long term goals.

    I'm going to check into Xmind for blog related mind mapping! Thanks!
  • Hi Erica, thanks for the comments. MindBloom looks really interesting. I'm at a crossroads of trying different applications, so any suggestions are very welcome. Even 7 days of mind mapping can go a long way, so good for you!
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