something similar. In fact, G2 looks for categories that Apply Part V: have at least ten companies in the space. That means Once you meet the criteria of having a unique feature What Every that early on, your main job is to grow the category itself set and enough competitors, the process of requesting (competitors and all) before you focus on promoting a new category is pretty simple. Whether you’re a G2 Category Designer your particular brand. customer or not, you can just visit the vendor portal Needs to Know Sangram Vajre of Terminus put this better than I at my.G2.com to submit a request, or contact the team could: “There is a new type of leadership that I call at [email protected]. There’s no guarantee they will About G2 “belongship.” It’s about building a community first. honor the request, as about 40% of submissions are Get laser-focused on problem market fit and instead either rejected (or backlogged, in the case of emerging of a customer event, do an industry event that brings markets). But new categories are added when they competitors together. Why? It will bring analysts, make sense. For a few recent examples, check out the the media, influencers, and collective set of future Robotic Process Automation, Video Email, and Digital Get laser-focused on customers together all at the same place. If you do Adoption Platforms categories. this right, with a clear focus on giving in an authentic “problem market fit and and kind way, you have a chance to not only create a Promote instead of a customer category but rather become a category leader.” Here’s Once your new category is listed, your work isn’t done. event, do an industry event my interview with Sangram about category design. In fact, it’s just beginning. Now, you need to double List on G2 even if your category isn’t ready down on your commitment to evangelizing the that brings competitors category and emerging as its leader. To start, consider together. Why? It will Better to have some presence on G2 rather than no running a PR campaign announcing your new category. presence at all. Generating reviews for your product You can also reach out to G2’s research team on creating bring analysts, the media, will only help drive awareness and legitimacy for what an announcement video. influencers, and collective you’re building – which are building blocks for growing Also keep in mind that G2 tends to rank highly for the category itself. If you know a new category needs “[category name] software” search terms. Once your set of future customers to be built, but there aren’t enough competitors yet, new category is listed, promoting this category name together all at the same then G2 may list you in a “Other” category that serves out in the market can only help you. The more buyers place. If you do this right, as a catch-all for products that don’t fit into primary who search for this term, the more buyers who will find categories. your listing on G2 itself. Finally, don’t forget to invest with a clear focus on giving For example, at BombBomb, we’re listed in the “other in driving more reviews for your listing. Once that G2 in an authentic and kind video software” category. It’s not where we want to Grid is built, you’ll want to see your brand in that top way, you have a chance to be long term, but it allowed us to generate nearly 300 right quadrant! reviews on G2 and to be included in the Global 100 not only create a category Best Software Companies list! In the meantime, we are Think beyond the category name but rather become a working on developing the right name for our “real” Remember, while category names in G2 are important, category and we’re sharing that discussion with G2’s they aren’t the entire picture. Salesforce built the cloud- category leader. research team. based software category long before G2, and at this ” point, that’s too broad a category to be listed there. — Sangram Vajre The term “inbound marketing software” is yet to The Newcomer’s Guide to Category Design 40