Starting your interactive map project with the right people and the right tools in hand will ensure your implementation moves smoothly. Before building your map, it’s important to gather your assets, organize your location content, and align your internal team on responsibilities.
This guide walks through the key steps to help you prepare for launch, stay organized, and make the most of your map’s content management system, or CMS.
Step 1: Assemble Your Internal Team
Identify everyone who should be involved in the project from the beginning. A successful interactive map often includes input from multiple departments.
Common project contributors may include:
- Marketing
- Admissions
- Facilities
- Campus Safety
- Events
- Accessibility Services
- Athletics
- Student Life
- IT or Web Services
Each team can help provide accurate content for the areas they know best.
For example:
- Admissions may manage building descriptions and tour-related content.
- Marketing may manage featured places, photos, and brand messaging.
- Facilities may manage parking, construction, accessibility, and service locations.
- Events teams may manage temporary or seasonal map content.
Step 2: Gather Your Branding and Media Assets
Media assets can be used to brand your map and enrich your location content.
These may include:
- Logos
- Brand colors
- Exterior Campus and/or property photography
- Interior Location Images
- Icons for custom map markers
- Videos and/or virtual tour links
These assets can be uploaded directly into your map’s CMS and used throughout your map experience.
Pro Tip: Create an external shared media folder for your team before implementation begins. This makes it easier for everyone to access approved assets and avoid using outdated files.
Step 3: Confirm Training
Before content work begins, coordinate with your Onboarding Success Manager to schedule your first CMS Training Call. The first CMS Training will cover the core essentials: creating and publishing categories and locations, and navigating the CMS
Your Onboarding Success Manager will provide you a recording of the training, and supplemental materials (related articles, examples); if you have questions, you can reach out to them directly!
Step 4: Assign User Roles and Permissions
Some users may need different levels of access to the CMS depending on their responsibilities.
Admin users can create roles within the account settings area and assign permissions to each role. This helps ensure each person has access to the tools they need specifically, and fosters cross-team collaboration.
Examples of role-based access may include:
- Admin access for project leads
- Content editing access for department contributors
- Review or approval access for stakeholders
- Limited access for users managing only specific content areas
Step 5: Develop Your Category Structure
Categories act as the main index for your map. Categories enable users browse your map effectively, so it’s important to create a structure that is clear and easy to understand.
Start by brainstorming the main categories that should be featured on your map. Then, add subcategories as needed.
Example categories may include:
- Academic and Administrative Buildings
- Athletics and Recreation
- Dining
- Housing
- Parking
- Accessibility
- Student Services
- Places of Interest
- Construction or Closures
- Events
Once your categories are finalized, prepare them for upload by adding them to the bulk upload spreadsheet.
Pro Tip: Keep category names simple and recognizable. A visitor should be able to quickly understand where to find the information they need.
Step 6: Gather Your Location Content
Next, collect the content that will appear on each map location.
Location content may include:
- Location name
- Description
- Website links
- Contact information
- Hours of operation
- Accessibility details
- Parking information
- Custom notes or calls to action
- Photos
- Videos (YouTube or Vimeo)
Once gathered, add this information to your location bulk upload spreadsheet. This creates a quick and organized way to add location content to your map.
Insert screenshot of location bulk upload spreadsheet here.
Step 7: Use the Bulk Upload Spreadsheet (Optional)
The bulk upload spreadsheet is a great tool for organizing your map content before uploading it into the CMS. Each department or team member can populate their own copy of the spreadsheet and import the locations they are responsible for. This allows your team to divide and conquer while keeping the content format consistent.
Once the categories and subcategories are created in the CMS, users can bulk upload their completed location spreadsheets.
Before uploading your first spreadsheet, connect with your Onboarding Success Manager to confirm that the correct data is included and formatted properly.
Step 8: Stay Aligned on Timeline and Launch Goals
As your team builds content, keep your target launch date in mind. Internal alignment is key to keeping the project manageable and on schedule.
Consider setting regular internal check-ins to review:
- Completed location content
- Missing assets
- Category structure
- Department progress
- CMS access issues
- Upcoming deadlines
- Pre-launch needs
- Approvals, publicity content (press releases, social media templates)
Your Onboarding Success Manager can help guide your team through the process and support you in reaching your target launch date.
Tips for Success
- Start with structure first. Finalize your categories and subcategories before uploading locations.
- Assign clear ownership. Give each department responsibility for specific sections of the map.
- Use shared spreadsheets. Bulk upload spreadsheets make it easier to review, edit, and organize content before it enters the CMS.
- Review before uploading. Check spelling, formatting, links, images, and category names before importing content.
- Keep visitors in mind. Organize content in a way that makes sense to someone who may be unfamiliar with your campus or location.
- Ask for help early. Contact your Onboarding Success Manager before your first upload or at any point that you are unsure about formatting, permissions, or content setup.