Creating a successful new category is a balancing act.

One that falls between being familiar enough to be searched for while being different enough to stand out.

Most founders get this wrong.

They try to create a new category that is different. Too different.

Things like:

• Happiness Creator
• Business Tidier
• Unicorn Doer
• Life Creator

(all categories that prospects proudly said they started)

None of them makes sense.

Sure, they're different. I've never heard another company call themselves a Unicorn Doer.

But there is no point of reference to understand what they are.

And no one in their right mind is searching for a Unicorn Doer when they need help.

Which means that "be a category of one" advice won't make you any money.

Ouch.

Category Balancing Act

The most effective categories share one thing in common:

They are familiar enough to find.

Take Edge Cleaning Service in Washington.

They are a home cleaning service that created a brilliant new category.

Home Detailing.

Take a look ↓

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This category makes sense.

We all know what 'detailing" means — especially from the car detailing category.

• deep clean
• removing all stains
• getting into every nook and crany

It's a level of clean that touches every part of the vehicle.

When I wrote Home Detailing above, I'm sure you immediately thought about that level of clean applied to a home.

Which also happens to be their differentiation.

Watch any of their videos on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube — you'll immediately get the sense of how deeply they clean your house.

(I never would have thought to clean out the exhaust fan above the oven!)

That's what a new category should do:

• Familiar enough for us to understand what you do
• Highlight your differentiation

Create Your Category

A quick caveat here before I show you how to create your category:

Category creation is not right for every business.

Done incorrectly, it will hinder your growth and make you incredibly hard to find — like a Unicorn Doer.

• No one is going to search for that
• No one is thinking Unicorn Doer when they need help
• No one even understands what a Unicorn Doer actually does

And if your category isn't perfectly balanced, it can take upwards of $1M+ to get people to understand it.

I don't know about you, but I don't have $1M to blow on a category.

But, if you want do this right, start here:

1. Find Your Differentiation

Know what makes your business unique in your existing category.

For Edge Cleaning, it was the level of clean they provide.

2. Know Your Existing Category

Figure out which category you currently fit in.

This is as simple asking customers what they searched for to find solutions.

For Edge Cleaning, it was likely 'home cleaning services.'

3. Play With Options

Now comes the fun part — play with word options to find a category that works for your ideal customers.

A few tips:

• Borrow from similiar categories that people know (like car detailing)
• Narrow your differentiation down to one word (like detailing)
• Borrow from your existing category (like home)

Find one you think sounds good.

4. Test With Customers

Share your category label with existing customers.

Ask them:

• What does this label mean to you?
• Is this something you might search for or at least understand if you saw it as a search result?
• Do you think this applies to us?

Remember — a category is only as good as your ideal customer's ability to know it and search for it.

If it makes sense to them, run with it!

Familiar and Different

Find the balance between familiar and different, and you'll be well on your way to creating a category that actually works for you.

Need help with that?

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Until next week,

#SassyJason out.

✌🏼