nhouseholder/authority-positioning

Authority Positioning Plan

Build a positioning strategy that separates you from everyone else in your space and makes you the go-to name.

When This Fires

• "Build my positioning strategy"
• "How do I stand out in my niche?"
• "Create my personal brand strategy"
• "Authority positioning plan"
• When brand-context.md exists but positioning is unclear

Prerequisites

1. Read brand-context.md — Required.
2. Read audience-profile.md if it exists — positioning must resonate with the target audience.
3. Read social-strategy.md if it exists — positioning must align with overall strategy.

Workflow

Phase 1: Competitive Landscape Scan

Map the current players:

| Competitor | Their Positioning | Their Weakness | Opportunity for You | |-----------|------------------|---------------|-------------------| | [Name] | [What they're known for] | [Where they fall short] | [Gap you can own] | | [Name] | [What they're known for] | [Where they fall short] | [Gap you can own] | | [Name] | [What they're known for] | [Where they fall short] | [Gap you can own] |

Web research recommended: search for top voices in the niche, analyze their content, identify white space.

Phase 2: Unique Mechanism

Define what makes your approach fundamentally different:

• The Problem With Everyone Else: [What the standard approach gets wrong]
• Your Unique Mechanism: [Your proprietary method/framework/approach]
• Why It Works: [The logic behind your approach — make it intuitive]
• Name It: [Give your method a memorable name if it doesn't have one]

Example: "Most sports bettors rely on gut feel. OctagonAI uses machine learning trained on 500+ fights to find edges the market misses."

Phase 3: Proof Stack

Authority requires proof. Build your evidence hierarchy:

| Proof Type | Your Evidence | Content Format | |-----------|-------------|---------------| | Results | [Specific outcomes you've achieved] | Case studies, screenshots | | Process | [Show how you work] | Behind-the-scenes, build-in-public | | Knowledge | [Deep expertise demonstrations] | Breakdowns, analyses, tutorials | | Social | [Others vouching for you] | Testimonials, mentions, collaborations | | Consistency | [Track record over time] | Regular content, streak metrics |

Phase 4: Positioning Statement

Craft the core positioning:

FOR: [specific audience]
WHO: [have this problem/desire]
[BRAND] IS THE: [category descriptor]
THAT: [unique value proposition]
UNLIKE: [alternatives]
BECAUSE: [proof/reason to believe]

Then distill to:

• Twitter bio version (160 chars)
• Instagram bio version (150 chars)
• Elevator pitch (30 seconds)
• One-liner (10 words or less)

Phase 5: Authority Content Framework

Map content types that build authority:

| Content Type | Purpose | Frequency | Example | |-------------|---------|-----------|---------| | Hot takes | Show you think differently | 2-3x/week | "[Contrarian opinion on industry trend]" | | Deep dives | Demonstrate mastery | 1x/week | "Complete breakdown of [complex topic]" | | Results posts | Prove it works | 1-2x/week | "This week: [specific results]" | | Process reveals | Build trust through transparency | 1x/week | "Here's exactly how I [process]" | | Predictions | Show forward thinking | Monthly | "What I expect to happen with [trend]" |

Phase 6: Authority Milestones

Define what "authority" looks like at each stage:

| Stage | Metric | Timeline | Actions | |-------|--------|----------|---------| | Unknown | <500 followers | Month 1-2 | Daily posting, engage in communities | | Emerging | 500-2K followers | Month 3-6 | Guest content, collaborations | | Recognized | 2K-10K followers | Month 6-12 | Speaking, interviews, features | | Authority | 10K+ followers | Year 1-2 | Products, premium content, media |

Output

Save to authority-positioning.md in the project root. Structure:

1. Positioning statement (all versions)
2. Unique mechanism definition
3. Competitive landscape map
4. Proof stack inventory
5. Authority content framework
6. Growth milestones with actions

Rules

1. Differentiation is mandatory — if your positioning could apply to any competitor, it's not positioning
2. Proof over claims — every authority claim needs evidence
3. Niche down — better to own a small category than compete in a large one
4. Anti-slop — no "thought leader" or "influencer" language. Specific, concrete, real.
5. Buildable — the plan must be executable by one person starting today