AIDA: Attention-Interest-Desire-Action

When it comes to copywriting, I find that a lot of our clients overlook the importance of good copy, especially the influence it can have on a customer’s decision to make a purchase.

In a sales situation presenting information properly is vital. You may be providing the right information but if the delivery is flawed then you could be losing business.

A handy tool to use when writing informative and effective copy is A.I.D.A - an old marketing formula which describes a series of phases that lead to the purchase of a product or service.

Let’s have a look at the phases in A.I.D.A [Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action] and how they can help in generating a sale on your website.

1. Attention: The first phase is attention. You need to grab the attention of the visitors browsing through your site. The first thing that people see will be the heading, so make it strong and follow it up with a short but effective product description.
   
   Don’t forget that people browsing the internet are likely to be doing other things at the same time. According to recent studies internet users have a tendency to multitask while online - engaging in everything from listening to music, talking on the phone or even watching a movie. Therefore, having unique and creative content is critical when it comes to grabbing attention.
   
   
2. Interest: Okay, now that you’ve got the consumer’s attention, what next? Well, you have to keep them interested. You’ll need to provide further information about your products/services such as features and specifications.
   
   
3. Desire: Desire ties in closely with interest. As you increase a customer’s interest, you also need to build on their desire for that product. We have listed the features of the product in the “Interest” phase, now we need to provide the benefits of those features.
   
   For example, take this statement: “This jacket is reversible.” Your customer is probably asking, “So what? How does that help me?” You can avoid your customer taking this train of thought by saying “Change styles in a matter of seconds with this reversible jacket.”
   
   
4. Action: Finally, you need a strong call-to-action. After making it this far, you have to tell your consumer what to do, whether it is to buy, download or learn more. Overlooking this step is a big no-no. Use powerful and confident words like “Buy Now”, “Add to Cart” etc. Try to convey a sense of urgency. For example, having “Buy Now” instead of “Buy” can subtly convince the consumer not to wait any longer to take action.

These phases form a basic guideline in writing effective copy. Using these simple rules should set you on the right track and once you become comfortable with this model, you can always try variations and create your own style.