From attention to action: Mastering the AIDA method to convert

The AIDA Model: Definition and Origins of This Technique

AIDA: A Decision-Making Support Method

AIDA is a widely used method in digital marketing. It's a framework or model to follow that will drive a potential customer to action. Often, the action in question is purchasing a product or service, but it can also be subscribing to your newsletter or downloading a white paper.

AIDA is an acronym that stands for:

• A for "Attention"

• I for "Interest"

• D for "Desire"

• A for "Action"

It's a summary of all the phases a "lead" goes through during their purchase process, particularly for relatively simple and inexpensive purchases. AIDA is very commonly found in advertising. But it's also the reference model for creating a sales page, crafting a marketing message, or writing a prospecting email.

The Origins of the AIDA Structure

The AIDA method (or technique) was first formulated by Elias St Elmo Lewis at the beginning of the 20th century. He formalized the four phases that individuals go through when they're attracted to an idea or when they buy a product. For Lewis, it was possible to recreate this psychological state to persuade and encourage consumers to buy.

Later, copywriter Gary Halbert also contributed to popularizing the method. Since then, this method has been widely used for copywriting in sales and marketing.

Alternatives to the AIDA Method

What is the PAS Method (Problem - Agitation - Solution)?

This model first focuses on identifying a specific problem faced by the audience, then agitating that problem to increase its perception, and finally presenting a solution to resolve it.

What is the ACC Method (Awareness, Consideration, Conversion)?

Similar to AIDA but simplified, this model focuses on brand or product awareness, considering the offer as a viable option, and conversion into purchase action or engagement.

What is the StoryBrand Principle?

This framework, created by Donald Miller, uses storytelling principles to clarify brand messaging, positioning the customer as the hero of the story and the brand as the guide helping them overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.  

‍What are the 5 Phases of the AIDA(R) Method?

AIDA Method: Attention

If you're looking to follow the AIDA method, the first step would be to attract your prospect's attention.

It's a fact: you have just a few seconds to catch your prospects' eye. This applies regardless of your communication medium: social media hooks, marketing content, video advertising, or more traditional display campaigns.

The important thing is to keep in mind that your product isn't obvious to everyone. Not everyone necessarily knows about it. The question is: How do you draw attention to this product? There are different methods for this:

You can play with the marketing message formatting:

• Use uppercase titles or very distinctive fonts that catch the eye

• Use interrogative phrases or surprising numbers

• Choose powerful images (beautiful, original, or funny) or bright colors

• Personalize a message with your prospect's first name

But you can also seek to capture attention with the message content:

• Write a thought-provoking sentence or surprising information

• Draft a promising message

• Use humor to drive the sales action

• Highlight exclusivity or novelty (sense of urgency)

The important thing is to have a punchy hook that can spark interest and push your target to continue their journey through your conversion funnel.

AIDA Method: Interest

The second stage of the AIDA method, after capturing attention, is to spark your potential client's interest.

Obviously, you need to know them well first to understand their needs, expectations, and questions. You must understand how you can help them. The important thing is to convey your empathy in your marketing content.

Ideally, you should spark interest right from the title or first explanatory sentence. Indeed, if the person doesn't recognize themselves in your message, they won't go further. For this, use short sentences or impactful images with high added value.

Finally, during this second phase, the objective is to sweep away all your prospect's doubts. They should think: "Ok, this ad speaks to me. I can relate."

AIDA Method: Desire

The Desire stage of the AIDA method is perhaps the most difficult stage to approach. It's now about touching the target's emotions, making them want to go further. Making them go from a state where they think "Why not?" when reading your message, to now thinking "This really interests me."

For this, you must appeal to strong arguments through your marketing content and show all the features of your product or service: Why is your product or service important for your prospect's life? What will it bring them?

Different arguments can be highlighted:

• The scarcity of your product: if the customer doesn't buy it right away, the offer will be less attractive in the coming days

• The product is useful for saving the prospect time or making them money

• By joining your service, your customer will be part of a real community, and that's what particularly interests them (sense of belonging)

To convince, you need to know how to highlight your product's benefits.

👉 You can, for example, be inspired by the CAB method.

AIDA Method: Action

Now that you have your prospect's attention, their interest, and finally their desire... You need to suggest they take action.

Suggest, yes. But above all, be persuasive to close the sale:

• On a website, we can easily imagine that a call-to-action button or CTA will play this role. But be careful, a simple "click here" no longer works. You can offer a free trial or a limited-time offer.

• At the end of reading a blog article, you can also suggest subscribing to an email campaign to receive other relevant information on the subject.

• In a prospecting email, you can invite the prospect to schedule a meeting with your company's sales team to answer their questions.

AIDA(R) Method: Recommendation

To go a bit further, the AIDA method is sometimes enriched with a final phase. The final phase of the AIDA(R) method focuses on customer retention. This aspect is crucial because a satisfied customer can positively influence their circle and generate a beneficial viral effect for your business.

To achieve this, it's essential to maintain a quality relationship with your customers, even after the sale. You should notably:

• Offer quality after-sales service: A customer satisfied with the assistance received after their purchase will be more inclined to share their positive experience.

• Request reviews and testimonials: Customer reviews are a powerful form of recommendation. Actively solicit them and highlight them!

• Create a community: By developing a community around your brand, you encourage exchanges between customers and create a sense of belonging.

• Build loyalty through content: Continue engaging your customers after their purchase by providing them with relevant content (newsletters, blog articles, videos, webinars, etc.).

• Reward loyalty: Show your customers that their loyalty is appreciated through loyalty programs with points, progressive discounts, or benefits.

When to Use the AIDA Method: 3 Examples

AIDA Method in Communication: The Landing Page

We've seen how AIDA works. Let's now move to practical implementation with an example, and not just any example: the landing page!

The landing page, designed to make you take action: collect your email address, invite you to download an application, or register for a webinar. The AIDA method is therefore particularly suitable.

In the example below, we'll study Shopify's case. It's a platform offering you the creation of your online store to sell your products.

At first glance, the eye is drawn to the landing page title. The text takes up half the screen and the message background is quite clear and direct.

Next, to spark interest in the service, the list of features evokes the product's benefits. You can also see screenshots of the tool:

At the same time, we discover what the tool will enable you to do more: sell more, accelerate growth, have a competitive advantage with marketing tools, etc.

Finally, how to spark desire? By showing that the solution is truly viable. The proof: it's used worldwide by numerous stores!

Now, to take action, the prospect can benefit from a free trial offer. Without adding their credit card. Pretty convincing, right?

AIDA Method in Email Marketing: B2B Marketing Email

Second example of using the AIDA structure with an email sent by Canva. Canva is a graphic design platform that allows easy creation of posters, images, or presentations. In this email, it's about an offer for professionals to create presentations.

First, from the email subject line, attention is grabbed: "Get productive with the pro offer – Create presentations like a Pro, every time." On one hand, we notice the word "productive" which is a strong word. We also notice the emoji that stands out among more classic message titles.

When opening the email, the title is speaking and hints at the product's interest. It delivers a promise: "Canva pro. Fast creations. Easy collaboration. For remarkable presentations."

To spark interest, images allow visualizing what's possible to do with the product. We discover all the product's advantages:

• It brings real personality and style to professional presentations

• An entire team can use the tool and update presentations without problems thanks to the modification history

Finally, to spark desire, the last part of the message highlights other more "emotional" arguments: saving time, making professional-quality edits, accessing quality photos.

And finally, to take action? Action buttons placed at different spots in the message body invite to learn more: "Try the Pro offer for free" and "Try these features."

AIDA Method in Sales: Cold Prospecting

One last example: the cold prospecting email. What's a cold prospecting email? It's an email sent to someone who doesn't know you (and doesn't really want to know you) in which you ask them to give you time for a conversation.

There are many ways to write a prospecting email, and AIDA is just one of them. To make the exercise interesting, we'll show you an email that combines several strategies.

Let's take a company capable of deploying an inbound marketing strategy for its clients. When building its prospecting list, it identified a potential prospect through a job posting. The prospect indicated they were looking for a generalist marketing profile capable of initiating an inbound marketing approach for their company.

Here's the email the company's salesperson sent them:

Spoiler Alert: Our collaboration is going very well!