Creating a new category in B2B marketing is like trying to teach the world a new language. You need to define the vocabulary, set the rules, and convince everyone else to start speaking it. The most effective way to do that is through content. But that’s where most companies fumble the ball. They focus on building the product first and explaining it later. By then, competitors have already shaped the conversation.
So how do you own the conversation and, ultimately, the category?
Jess Cook (Head of Marketing at Vector) knows all about that. Vector is building the “contact-based marketing” category, going deeper than traditional account-based marketing to identify specific people at target companies who show intent. Content is a key part of Vector’s strategy, and Jess joined us on our Best Story Wins podcast to chat about what that looks like.
From vocabulary to LLM visibility, here’s how Vector is owning the space (and how you can too).
How to Own Your Category Through Content
There’s no doubt that creating a category is tough but exciting work.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” Jess says. “We have the power to really shape what this means. But it also carries a responsibility that we want to do it well.”
If you’re building a new category (or trying to own a bigger piece of an existing one), these are Jess’ three key takeaways to do it successfully.
1. Decide to own the term from day one.
Most companies approach category creation backwards. They build the product, then figure out how to explain it. Vector flipped this approach by immediately staking their claim on the term “contact-based marketing” through strategic content.
“We really decided we were gonna own that term in SEO,” Jess says. This wasn’t just about ranking; it was about controlling the narrative before anyone else could define it differently.
The key was researching what worked for adjacent categories. Vector’s team looked at the top-performing account-based marketing content and asked: “What angles work for ABM that we can adapt for contact-based marketing?” They identified the most successful content types and created superior versions for their new category.
Tip: Focus on educating and empowering your audience through content. When they understand emerging concepts (and can articulate them to others on their team), they look smart and can naturally build word-of-mouth advocacy.
2. Create definitive, authoritative content.
If you want to own your category, you need to comprehensively answer the fundamental questions your market is asking.
Vector’s breakthrough came with their “What is Contact-Based Marketing?” article, which featured product screenshots, clear definitions, and their unique perspective to establish the definitive resource. The result? They achieved number one rankings and LLM visibility within two weeks. The success wasn’t accidental; it filled a genuine information gap in the market.
“It’s a question a lot of people are asking right now because it is a new category,” Jess says. “101-level articles don’t always make sense because there are already so many of them out there for so many categories and so many topics. But for this one, it hadn’t been created yet.”
Tip: Create competitor comparison articles to identify how and why your brand provides value. These will become more important as LLMs start to surface recommendations.
3. Shape the conversation consistently.
The real payoff comes when your content starts influencing how the entire market talks about your category. Vector tracks their impact across major language models, watching how their content shapes AI responses about contact-based marketing.
Jess can already see the effect, as Vector is starting to pop up in crucial inquiries, such as:
- What is contact-based marketing?
- Who are the players in this category?
- What are the tools I should look at?’
This represents the ultimate content marketing win: becoming the default source when people research your category.
But Vector’s content strategy goes beyond just ranking. They’re systematically building a library that helps them own every important search query related to contact-based marketing. Each piece reinforces their market position and expert status, making them the go-to resource for their audience.
Tip: Test content with variations to see which terminology and angles resonate most, then double down on the winners.
Category Creation Is an Ongoing Journey
Category creation through content isn’t a short-term play. It requires consistent investment in authoritative resources that educate your market while establishing your expertise. But the payoff creates sustainable competitive advantages.
- Start with the fundamentals. Create comprehensive resources that answer basic questions your category raises, just like Vector did with their foundational article.
- Study adjacent winners. Look at how established categories built their content foundations and adapt those strategies for your market.
- Monitor your influence. Track how your content shapes broader conversations, from search rankings to industry adoption of your terminology.
Most importantly, remember that category creation isn’t just about your brand. If you can establish yourself as a leader from the jump, you can shape how an entire industry understands and discusses important concepts. Of course, your ability to do that effectively relies on your ability to create and scale quality content across channels. Learning how to do that well is crucial and, luckily, that’s what our Best Story Wins podcast is all about.
For more of Jess Cook’s insights on building content that moves fast without sacrificing quality, listen to her full episode (and subscribe for more tips to win hearts, minds, and market share).
