How to Plan a Video Using Mind Maps

Videos are one of the most consumed types of content in 2022, whether you’re creating them for business or education. The video creation process may seem time-consuming, but there are plenty of planning tools to help you get started. Plan your video with a mind map, and you’ll streamline everything that comes afterward. 

This step-by-step guide will cover planning a video from the initial idea to the final product. 

1. Start with a brainstorming session

You can brainstorm in many different ways, but the best way to stimulate creativity and imagination is to use a visual tool. Try starting with a blank mind map to easily gather all the ideas that may cross your mind. 

What is a mind map?

A mind map is a diagram with a simple hierarchical structure. It starts from a central idea and then branches out into key elements, which can further branch out into their own elements and so on. 

Mind maps are used to organize information in a more comprehensive way and to generate ideas more easily.

The power of a mind map comes from its simplicity. It is recommended to use a keyword for each topic (only one word or a short phrase), which will be connected to other topics containing keywords as well. 

The mind map layout works just like the human brain: it creates connections between ideas to build a bigger picture and, at the same time, makes information more understandable.

How to brainstorm ideas for your video using mind mapping

Place the subject of your video in the center. For example, if you have a business that sells women's clothing and you have a new dress collection you would like to promote, write “New dress collection.” 

Then, add related ideas branching out from the main idea, such as places where the dresses can be worn, other accessories that can enhance the look, and other content creators’ videos as a source of inspiration. 

You can also add types of videos that are trending at the moment: try-on hauls, outfits of the day, etc. Just continue adding any relatable element that crosses your mind. Let yourself be inspired by your own ideas.

2. Consider your target audience

Now that you’ve organized your ideas, it’s important to select the ones that speak to your target audience. Who are the people who will watch your video? 

There are many elements that can define your audience:

• Age
• Location
• Gender identification
• Occupation
• Income
• Interests
• Etc.

It’s important to define the specific group of people who will watch the video, down to their shared characteristics. Based on these characteristics, you can identify the type of video that will be most interesting to them.

For example, continuing the above example with the dresses, let’s pretend you have custom-made dresses with unique designs. The target audience, then, might have the following characteristics:

• Women
• 16+ years old
• Localized in the area where you can deliver the products
• Interested in fashion
• Interested in events and social gatherings
• Interested in travel

Now that you have a more defined target audience, it’s easier to select the perfect ideas for your video.

3. Develop your message

Every video needs a core message. The core message of your video has to be short and simple, and it must serve your goals and be directed toward your target audience. 

It’s mandatory to have key ideas that you need to communicate to your audience in order to achieve your goals (educate, sell, inform, persuade, etc.).

For example, continuing on the idea of the women's clothing brand, the core message might be something like this: Wearing these modern, high-quality dresses makes women feel feminine and effortlessly confident.

You should always have one primary message. You can add secondary ones if you feel the need to, but don't make the video too broad or unfocused. Having fewer elements in your message will make it easier to create a video that makes an impact.

4. Write your video script

Now that you’ve identified your core message and audience, it’s time to write the script.

Start by creating an outline first. This will be a rough plan that eventually becomes the final script. Think about all the elements of the story you want to create and assemble them in a logical order.

An effective script not only includes the dialogue or voiceover; it also includes details and notes that will be helpful in the video editing process. 

Follow this basic structure for any video script: Intro > Content > Call to action > Outro

Intro

If you have an informative or educational video, start by presenting yourself or the subject matter. If it's a commercial video, use the intro to create context and showcase your product.

Content

Here you can create more subsections and divide chapters as you like. Depending on the type of video you create, you might:

• Present a product (commercial purpose)
• Explain a situation (informational use)
• Show the step-by-step process (for tutorials)
• Present the action (for a story)

Call to action 

An essential element for any video is a call to action, which should be derived from your core message. Here are a few example CTAs that work well:

• Follow your social media accounts (if you're a vlogger)
• Sign up for your course (if you educate your audience)
• Buy a specific product (commercial purpose)
• Encourage specific behavior

Outro

Just because this is the end of your video doesn’t mean it’s any less important! Sum up your ideas in an inventive way, or use your CTA as a natural conclusion. Just make sure that your video ends with value.

5. Map out the pre-production elements

The next step of your video plan is to decide whether you'll produce the video internally or externally. 

If you choose to produce it externally, you won't need to cover all of the below items, as the video agency will likely take care of most. However, if you produce your video internally, then the following list will be helpful for both organizational purposes and budget calculations.

Here is a short list of all necessary aspects/elements to be able to have the video produced:

• People: Who will appear in your video (actors, models), and who will be on staff (director, cameraman, videographer, etc.)?
• Products: What products, props, etc. will be shown in the video?
• Locations: Where will you shoot all the scenes?
• Necessary tools and equipment: What equipment will be necessary to produce and edit your video? Consider the camera, microphone, lightning, laptop, apps, etc.
• Length of the video: Approximately how many minutes will your video be? (Common lengths include 1-3 minutes for an ad, 1 hour for a tutorial or a course, etc.)

6. Set a budget and schedule

The next step is to calculate how much money the video production will cost and then schedule when you’ll shoot the video. Consider the following costs:

• People: Actors/models, staff, editing team, etc.
• Products: Props or other products
• Locations: Any fees for private location shooting

Make sure to schedule everything well in advance, including both actors and location reservations.

7. Shoot and edit the video

With your mind map, script, and pre-production list ready to go, it’s time to shoot! (If you’re producing your video externally, then you’ll leave this step up to your video agency.)

Assuming you’re producing your video internally, there are two basic steps to tackle here: 1) shooting your footage and 2) editing it. Both steps are straightforward, and you don’t need professional equipment or experience to do them.

Shooting your footage

Unless you’re planning to produce a video in 4K ultra HD or another very high resolution, there’s no need to invest in expensive equipment. Any modern smartphone is capable of producing high-quality footage for most use cases. 

On the day of shooting, do a couple of dry runs to warm up and then follow your script! Don’t be afraid to re-shoot scenes, either—the more footage you take now, the more you’ll have to work with as you edit.

Editing your footage

After shooting your footage comes the final step, which the pros call “post-production.” To do this, simply hop into your WeVideo account and follow these steps:

1. Start a new project.
2. Click My Media and upload your footage.
3. Drag it down to your timeline to start editing.
4. Use WeVideo’s simple tools to edit your footage to perfection: trim the ends, add a motion title intro, add background music, apply transitions between scenes, and more. 
5. Choose your preferred resolution and export! You can save the video to your device, upload it directly to a cloud storage platform like Google Drive, or share it on social media.

Wrap up

Follow these simple steps, and you'll create amazing video content for your audience. Beginning your video creation process with a mind map saves you a lot of time and helps you be more organized and creative throughout the entire process. 

With a mind map, you won’t miss any essential elements from your plan, and your video structure will be organized and well put together. It will also be easier for you to follow the logical order of each step.

And here’s a little bonus: you can follow all the steps described in this article in a mind map format below!