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🪄The (final) MP3 Framework: Building your content engine
Over the past month, I’ve broken down each distinct component of what Nick (my FSS co-founder) and I believe is the simplest yet most powerful approach to content strategy:
Market the Problem (articulate your buyers’ struggles better than they can)
Market the Process (share your experience and frameworks)
Market the Proof (validate your insights with tangible results)
Today, I’m zooming out to show you the strategic power of treating these as distinct categories in your content engine.
I’m writing a 5-part series on this topic. Here’s where we’re at:
🪄 Building your Content Engine: How Problem, Process, and Proof work together (we are here!)
The power of clear content categories
Fuzzy goals lead to fuzzy content.
“I should post something inspiring.”
“I need to share some expertise.” “
"I should probably create something valuable.”
When you’re unclear on what you’re trying to do, your audience feels that confusion too.
The MP3 Framework eliminates this confusion by giving you three clear, distinct categories to choose from every time you sit down to create:
Are you marketing the problem?
Are you marketing the process?
Are you marketing the proof?
God dammit it's so simple I could cry.
Why this matters strategically
When you stop seeing content as one homogenous blob and start seeing it as three distinct categories with different strategic functions, everything changes.
1. You eliminate decision fatigue
Instead of the paralyzing “What should I post about?” question, you simply ask: “Which category do I need to focus on right now?”
Maybe you’ve been heavy on process lately, but light on proof. Or perhaps you’ve shared lots of client wins but haven’t articulated the core problem in a while.
This makes content planning deliberate rather than random.
2. You create a balanced content mix
Most people naturally gravitate toward one content type:
Some love talking about problems (but rarely offer solutions)
Others focus on their process (but don’t prove it works)
Some share wins constantly (but don’t connect them to specific problems)
With MP3 Framework in hand, you hit all three elements over time, creating a complete picture for your audience.
Cue the metaphor that makes this easier to picture
While a single post might touch on multiple elements, this part is superduperfragilisticexpialidociously important:
Choose one category (problem, process, or proof) as your primary focus before you start creating.
For example:
A problem-focused post might mention your process briefly, but its primary goal is articulating the struggle
A process-focused post might include a proof element, but its main purpose is to show your methodology
A proof-focused post naturally references the problem and process, but centers on tangible results
"But wait, Erica, if I'm always focusing on distinct categories, won't my content become disconnected?"
Actually, the opposite is true.
When you maintain clear boundaries between your categories, their connections become MORE obvious, not less.
Imagine three rooms in a house:
The Problem Room: Where you display all the challenges your audience faces
The Process Room: Where you showcase your unique methodology
The Proof Room: Where you exhibit the results you’ve achieved
Each room has a distinct purpose, but they’re all part of the same house. Visitors can move between them, seeing the clear connections while appreciating the unique value of each space.
Look, Claude created this image for me. It's not good, but I'm not good at design, and it's good enough.
Your content works the same way.
Here's a simple example:
Monday: Problem post “Most solopreneurs feel scattered because they’re trying to be known for too many things. This keeps them from building real authority and makes selling harder.”
Wednesday: Process post “When members join Full Stack Solo, the first thing we do is identify their core competency — the intersection of what they’re exceptional at, what they enjoy, and what people will pay for. Here’s the framework we use…”
Friday: Proof post “One client came to me selling 5 different services, none of them gaining traction. After focusing on her core competency, she doubled her rates and filled her roster in 6 weeks. Here’s what changed…”
See how each piece stands alone, yet they’re clearly connected?
They don’t need to reference each other explicitly. The connections are inherent because they’re all part of your cohesive expertise.
This is much more powerful than cramming everything into every post.
MP3 vs. pillars, one last time
“But wait, isn’t this just another way of doing content pillars?”
I get this question a lot, and it’s a good one.
Let’s be clear: you still need to be strategic about what you talk about.
You can’t just post random thoughts and expect to build authority.
The key difference is that traditional pillars start with “What topics should I cover?” while MP3 starts with “How can I show my expertise?”
With traditional pillars, you might say: “I need to cover LinkedIn strategy, personal branding, and content creation because those are my pillars.”
With MP3, you might say: “I need to articulate the problems my audience faces regarding my core competency, show my process for solving them, and prove my solutions work.”
You’re still talking about your area of expertise. You’re just organizing your approach based on function (problem, process, proof) rather than topic (LinkedIn, branding, content).
This subtle shift gives you more freedom to explore your expertise while focusing strategically on what actually moves people to action.
That’s why MP3 feels much more intuitive and results-driven than traditional pillar approaches.
Building your own content engine
Now, let's talk about how to implement this in your own business.
Step 1: Audit your current content mix
Look back at your last 10-15 pieces of content. Which category does each primarily fall into?
This will show you where you're naturally strong and where you might be neglecting a key part of the framework.
Most people find they have a strong bias toward one category. That's normal! I've realized I have a bias towards process posts and that I naturally shy away from proof (so much so that I've started to send myself an email every week telling myself to post a proof post).
Whatever works, hey?
The goal isn't perfect balance — it's intentional coverage of all three over time.
Step 2: Map your expertise to the framework
For each category, brainstorm content ideas specific to your expertise:
Problem ideas:
What silent struggles do your clients face?
What industry assumptions need challenging?
What root causes lie beneath surface symptoms?
When you get this right, it makes readers think, "Wow, they get me," and creates awareness.
Process ideas:
What frameworks have you developed?
What behind-the-scenes could you share?
What's your unique approach to common challenges?
When you get this right, it makes them think, "Huh, that actually makes sense," and builds consideration.
Proof ideas:
What client transformations could you showcase?
What results have you personally achieved?
What before/after examples could you highlight?
When you get this right, it makes them think, "I want that to,o" and drives action
Step 3: Create content with MP3 in mind
When planning your next piece of content, ask yourself:
"Which category would best serve my audience right now?"
Then, focus primarily on that category, even if you touch on the others.
Where to go from here?
Don’t overthink this.
Start with your very next piece of content. Choose one primary category, problem, process, or proof, and create with that focus in mind.
You’ll be amazed at how this simple framework brings clarity and purpose to your content creation. And how much faster and easier it becomes when you’re not trying to say everything in every post.
Cheers,
Erica
There are 2 ways I can help you implement the MP3 Framework:
You already have a clear, compelling offer but struggle to translate your expertise into content that consistently drives business.
I created this program because co-creating with an expert is the best way to break through the content plateau.
We'll run the MP3 Framework together, step by step, until you're firing on all cylinders.
This concludes our MP3 Framework series!
I'm thinking of turning this into a mini course with tons more examples, a massive swipe file, a content engine workspace in Notion, and an AI bot that helps you categorize insights and outline MP3 content.
Learn to edit words like a pro. I've edited 3M+ words and each week, I share a lesson to teach you what to cut, how to add value, and how to finally feel confident when editing. Every subscriber gets access to my Editing Library, a database of 62 edits broken down by the problem, my take on how to improve it, and my edited version.
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