There are 2 really obvious ways to stand out that I think "lesser minds" quickly resort to. That's 1) controversy and 2) sensationalism. I'm not a fan of those two methods and think they are at the root of the many problems we have in our media today. So I want to explore some deeper, more interesting concepts with you.
#1) Early Adoption
DME = Not just entire social media platforms, but specific features that are rolled out for those platforms. Great example of this is Instagram stories. Also Twitter's new live audio feature.
#2) Enter a room after many have left
DME = Facebook pages are a great example of this. Many brands are leaving suspending their efforts due to the algorithm changes. That means now is a great time to stand out.
#3) Cross the relevancy spectrum
DME = Snapchat is a great example of this. Mostly used a place for young people to "snap" photos and video with filters back and forth to one another. Not exactly a business environment. Which is why very few people are on there talking business. You can.
#4) Go deeper on a subject or topic then anyone else is currently willing to go
DME = This is more in terms of content. Things you publish online. A great way to stand out is to deeper into certain subjects related to your brand. There are always greater levels of depth that people are not yet willing to go.
#5) Go to an insane level of detail. Inspiration = Jiro Dreams of Sushi
DME = The same applies here in terms of detail. The craftiness and detail in regards to everything you do online. How your website is built and designed. How your Linkedin profile is laid out and the detail with which you use to describe your past experiences and expertise. Etc.
#6) Think about "standing out" in terms of how you stand out to 1 person. Rather than thinking about how you stand out to a large amount of people.
DME = Don't think you're not standing out simply because you're not getting as many "likes" or "engagements" as others. These are vanity metrics. They can be great indicators of your ability to stand out but contextually they don't explain the entire story.