Hey there,
Today we’re getting into something we’ve debated behind the scenes for months: Is there a fourth P in the MP3 framework?
You know the core three: Market the Problem, Process, and Proof. But what about all that personal stuff? The family photos, the behind-the-scenes content, the “peek into my life” posts that everyone says you need to build connection and trust?
We call it parasocial content. And we have strong opinions.
Nick has never posted a personal anecdote on LinkedIn in his life, and business has always been steady.
Erica used to post 80% parasocial content and built 45,000 followers doing it. Now she’s shifted hard toward MP3, and her month-over-month income has gone up 500%, even though impressions and followers are way down.
So yeah, we’ve lived both sides of this coin.
In the episode, we break down why personal brand building can actually work against you if you’re trying to sell services, what happens when you accidentally market problems that other people solve (hint: you attract peers, not buyers), and when layering in parasocial content actually makes sense.
We also talk through some real examples:
-Anthony Pierri has 75,000 followers and has never posted a selfie or told a personal story.
-Chris Walker scaled Refine Labs to $20 million and the only personal thing he ever shared was that he has a dog.
-Meanwhile, people like Brendan Hufford and Jen Allen-Knuth do share personal stuff, but in very specific ways that round out their reputation rather than replace it.
The bottom line: You do not have to be an open book on the business internet to build a business. And if you’re wondering why your content gets tons of engagement but your DMs stay quiet, this episode might explain a few things.
Cheers,
Nick and Erica
(00:00) Intro
(00:44) The MP3 framework explained
(03:52) Debating the fourth P: Parasocial content
(05:20) Personal branding vs. problem-solving
(07:40) The pitfalls of parasocial content
(11:32) Balancing personal and professional content
(18:25) The influence of parasocial content on business
(22:53) Final thoughts on content strategy
(29:04) The trap of vanity metrics
(30:17) Building an audience: lessons learned
(32:47) Content strategy and inventory management
(40:04) The role of parasocial content
Ready to standardize your offer and scale your consulting services to $50k+ months? Apply to work with us here: https://duoconsulting.co/
