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Welcome to the The Marketing Source e-newsletter! Our goal is to provide
you with real-world marketing tips that you can put right to work in
your organization or business. If you have any ideas for articles, please
send them along.
Mind Map Your Way Out of the Box
Need to climb out of the proverbial box for some really creative marketing
thinking? Then get rid of your outlines and lists and start with a clean
slate -- a blank sheet of paper, some markers and highlighters and draw
a mind map. Mind mapping can help you summon creativity that you didn't
even know you had! It's a cool tool that enables you to write better,
organize notes and plans, develop or enhance products, build alternative
approaches to problems and more. In other words, it's just the thing
you need, whether you are working on a marketing plan or writing copy
for a new ad campaign.
Why mind map?
Too many times we limit our brains with thoughts and ideas about what
will work and what won't. It's easy to get caught up in the same old
ways of thinking and working -- overlooking important links and connections
between ideas, people and projects. Mind maps help free up your brain
and generate creative ideas you might otherwise miss.
How Mind Maps Work
Start by writing your main idea or thought in the center of the page,
then draw connections and related ideas that branch out from your central
thought. It is a simple concept that you can master with a little practice.
Here's how:
Step 1: Start with a blank sheet of paper. Try turning it sideways so
you have more room to work and so you avoid putting yourself in the typical
8 1/2 x 11 letter-size format box. (Hint: Don't use lined paper - give
yourself an open space to work. A flip chart works well too, it just
isn't as portable.) You'll also need some colored markers or pencils.
Step 2: Write down your central idea (this can be a problem you need
to solve, an idea you want to develop, or any sort of main topic) in
the middle of the page and draw a circle around it.
Step 3: Draw lines (like branches or spokes of a wheel) from your main
idea and write on those lines subheads or ideas related to your main
topic. You can make these branches different colors to differentiate
the ideas from one another. This is a time to let your imagination run
free. Put all your ideas down - there is plenty of time to edit and evaluate
later. Also, print your words so you don't have to go back and decipher
your own handwriting later.
Step 4: Look at each of those subheads. Add more branches to flesh out
your ideas and to capture details, examples or facts. Don't worry about
what your map looks like. And forget the advanced vocabulary, jargon
and complete sentences. Write short, active phrases that are clear and
to-the- point.
Step 5: Take a step back and look at your mind map. What's missing?
It's easy to add information - just draw it into your map. Are some of
the detail ideas connected to each other? Draw lines (you can use dotted
lines, arrows, or other symbols that make sense to you) to show connections
between ideas or facts that are related to each other. The connections
can show you important links you may not have considered.
Step 6: Put on your judge's hat and evaluate what you came up with.
Add any key information that is missing, clarify your original thoughts
and see if the connections you made still make sense to you. If needed,
you can redraw your map so you have a clean version to work with.
The Power of a Mind Map
Recently we saw the power of mind maps when used as a marketing research
tool. Focus groups of customers were presented with the concept of
mind maps. They were instructed to begin by writing the name of the
organization in the center of their pages, then drew lines that represented
all their perceptions about the organization, staff, facilities and
services. The end result was a one-page glimpse into what each customer
thought - both good and bad. And there was more information and insight
in the mind map than you could ever have gathered through dozens of
survey questions.
You can use mind maps for everything from brainstorming to taking notes
in a presentation to putting together complex information from multiple
sources. You can use it in a small group or alone.
More information
Mind Mapping was developed in the 1970s by author and psychologist Tony
Buzan. While we prefer the more spontaneous pencil-and-paper approach,
you can also find mind mapping software.
Here are a few helpful links for more information about mind mapping
and creativity.
http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/
http://www.jvdcreativity.com/
http://www.mindgenius.com/
Break Out
We all get into a rut of thinking the same old ways and approaching problems
with set ideas about the best solutions. Break out of the box. Mind
mapping may be just the tool you need to unleash your creativity and
open the door to a new way of thinking.
Need more help? Contact
us and we'll help you come up with creative
solutions to your toughest marketing challenges.
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