If you want to stand out, to be chosen over your competitors, then your prospects have to be clear how your offer is differentiated. The best way to differentiate is to change the rules of the game. Rather than be one player amongst many, be the leader of an entirely new category.

We see this play out in the market over and over, everything from “Lite Beer” to “Bag-less Vacuum Cleaners”, the company that creates a brand new category and owns it wins. You look like a leader while your competitors scramble to follow.

One way to create your own category is to simply find a phrase that describes what you already do differently or a trend you see growing.

I’m sure you have heard of Link Bait, while I can not be sure if Nick invented the term, for a while he was the best known authority on the tactic. Liz completely owns the phrase “relationship blogger”, it is not a persona she adopts, that is how she is in truth. Michael gave the name “Gateway Blogging” in this video to his tactic of using blogs to funnel attention. I did this by describing my approach to blogging for credibility, trust and reputation as Authority Blogging. Another concept I developed, and dedicated a whole ebook to (download it free here) was the idea of Flagship Content.

The key is to be authentic, base your category on something authentic, original and beneficial. This is not about simply talking about “green widgets”, find something worth talking about and that works as a spreadable idea.

How can you create a new category for what you do?