Understanding the different node types available in your AI whiteboard is crucial for building powerful marketing initiatives. Each node category serves specific purposes and offers unique AI agents that, when combined strategically, can automate your whole strategic thinking and creation.
Node Categories Overview
The AI whiteboard features several categories of nodes, each designed for specific purposes:
Text Nodes: AI-powered text generation with various specialized models
Image Nodes: Create and manipulate images based on text prompts
Research Nodes: Gather information from the internet or specific sources
Scraper Nodes: Extract structured data from websites and social media
Video Nodes: Generate short video content from prompts or images
Input Nodes: Provide initial content to your workflow
Utility Nodes: Organize and manage your workflow components
Let's explore each category in depth.
1️⃣ Text Nodes
Function
Text model nodes utilize large language models (LLMs) to generate text content, from simple responses to complex documents. Each text model has specific strengths, context windows, and capabilities.
When to Use
Content Creation: Writing articles, scripts, product descriptions, marketing copy
Information Processing: Summarizing documents, extracting insights
Programming Assistance: Generating or debugging code
Creative Writing: Stories, poems, dialogues, character development
Best Practices
Include clear instructions at the beginning of your prompt
Use specific examples when you need a particular format or style
Connect to research nodes when factual accuracy is critical
Adjust the "Max Tokens" parameter based on how much text you need
2️⃣ Image Nodes
Function
Image model nodes convert text descriptions (prompts) into visual content, with various models specializing in different styles, resolutions, and artistic approaches.
When to Use
Concept Visualization: Quickly visualize ideas before professional design
Creative Assets: Generate images for presentations, blogs, social media
Design Inspiration: Create visual starting points for further refinement
Illustration: Produce explanatory or decorative images for content
Best Practices
Be specific about style, composition, lighting, and perspective in your prompts
Use the style selector for consistent visual aesthetics
Connect text model outputs to image nodes to generate visuals from AI-written descriptions
For image editing nodes, connect an existing image as input reference
3️⃣ Research Nodes
Function
Research nodes retrieve information from the internet, providing up-to-date facts, data, and insights that can be incorporated into your workflow.
When to Use
Fact-Checking: Verify information against current sources
Data Collection: Gather statistics, trends, or historical information
Competitive Analysis: Research industry competitors or market conditions
Content Research: Collect background information before content creation
Best Practices
Use specific, focused queries for more relevant results
Connect research outputs to text nodes for analysis or incorporation into content
Choose specialized research nodes based on your information needs (news, academic, general)
Consider using multiple research nodes with different queries for comprehensive coverage
4️⃣ Scraper Nodes
Function
Scraper nodes extract structured data from websites and social media platforms, providing detailed, formatted information about specific online sources.
When to Use
Social Media Analysis: Extract content, metrics, and trends from platforms
Competitive Monitoring: Gather information from competitor websites
Content Aggregation: Collect content from multiple sources
Site Structure Analysis: Extract sitemaps and page hierarchies
Best Practices
Provide complete URLs including the protocol (https://)
Use platform-specific scrapers for social media profiles
Connect scraper outputs to text nodes for analysis and insights
Use the Deep Web Scraper for more comprehensive website analysis
5️⃣ Video Nodes
Function
Video model nodes generate short video clips based on text descriptions or reference images, creating animated content with minimal input.
When to Use
Quick Demonstrations: Create short explanatory videos
Social Media Content: Generate attention-grabbing clips
Concept Visualization: Animate static concepts or images
Prototyping: Quickly test video concepts before production
Best Practices
Keep prompts clear and focused on the key visual elements
Select appropriate aspect ratio for your intended platform
Provide reference images when you want specific visual styles
Adjust duration based on content complexity and purpose
6️⃣ Input Nodes
Function
Input nodes allow you to introduce external content into your workflow, including text, images, files, and video links.
When to Use
Starting Points: Initiate workflows with specific content
Reference Material: Provide examples or guidelines
External Content: Incorporate existing assets into your workflow
Data Processing: Import information for AI analysis
Best Practices
Position input nodes at the beginning of your workflow
Use multiple input nodes when combining different content types
For text files, consider connecting to text models for analysis or enhancement
For images, connect to image edit nodes or description nodes as needed
7️⃣ Utility Nodes
Function
Utility nodes help organize your workflow, add notes, group related components, and manage the presentation of information.
When to Use
Organization: Group related nodes for clarity
Documentation: Add notes explaining workflow segments
Presentation: Format outputs for readability
Workflow Management: Create clear visual structure
Best Practices
Use groups to collate related nodes in complex workflows
Add sticky notes to document your process for others
Position utility nodes strategically to maintain clear information flow
Use text nodes to create section headers in your workflow
Node Compatibility and Connections
Understanding which nodes work well together is essential for creating effective workflows:
Common Effective Combinations
Research → Text: Feed research data into text generation for informed content
Text → Image: Use AI-written descriptions to generate matching visuals
Scraper → Text: Analyze scraped data with text models for insights
Image → Text (Description): Generate detailed descriptions of images
Text → Video: Create videos from text-generated scenarios
Multiple Research → Text: Combine different research sources for comprehensive analysis
Conclusion
Understanding the various node types, their functions, and optimal applications will help you create more effective AI workflows. By selecting the right nodes for each task and connecting them appropriately, you can leverage the full potential of the AI whiteboard to tackle complex projects efficiently.
Remember that experimentation is key—try different node combinations and configurations to discover the most effective approach for your specific needs. The flexibility of this system allows for countless creative solutions to your marketing challenges.