The Marketing AIDA Model Explained

When it comes to finding the right marketing approach for your brand, there are a few different philosophies. However, the AIDA Model is one of the most utilized approaches in the digital marketing, Ecommerce, and public relations spaces. 

This step-by-step marketing model is trusted by many, and with a basic understanding of how the system works, is easy to apply and is proven to deliver results. And we’re here to walk you through how it works. 

Are you ready to see our simple and straightforward guide to the AIDA model?  

What is the Marketing AIDA Model? 

The AIDA Model in marketing is an acronym to describe four different stages the average consumer goes through when purchasing a product. Here’s what it stands for:

Attention. The first step in marketing, or how to get a customer’s attention.

Interest. Bringing the customer from being aware of the product to be interested in it.

Desire. Taking a customer from liking a product to wanting that product. 

Action. The final step of getting the customer to buy that product.

Simply put, this model is based on the idea that awareness leads to interest, interest leads to desire, and desire leads to action. 

While it’s pretty simple on the surface, there’s a little more that goes into each of these steps in the AIDA model. Here’s how they all break down.

How Do You Get Attention in the AIDA Marketing Model?

The “A” in AIDA stands for attention. While it’s the first step in this model, it gets overlooked by some marketers. Many brands assume that their product will get attention just by being out there. 

However, this isn’t always true, especially for Ecommerce brands that are looking to stand out in the saturated market. There are a few ways to do this, but the most common is an approach known as “creative disruption.”

What does creative disruption mean? 

Basically, it’s stepping outside of the box and avoiding typical patterns of behavior through creative messages that will get people’s attention. This can be anything from targeted messages to guerrilla marketing or attention-grabbing ads. 

Your first and most important focus should be attention, attention, attention. After all, if your customers don’t see your product, then the rest of the process can’t even work.

How Do You Garner Interest in the AIDA Marketing Model? 

Out of all of the steps of the AIDA model, interest is typically the most challenging of the steps. Not everyone sells super interesting things. You may have an Ecommerce company that sells an item of necessity, like toothbrushes, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t cultivate interest in what you have to sell. 

During this time, your brand should ask yourself a few questions, including:

• What is our plan for piquing interest? 
• How are we using social media to garner interest?
• What is our current content strategy? 
• Are we using reviews and social proof to back our reputation?
• How are we using customer ratings and feedback to our advantage?
• Are we delivering messages that are relevant to our target market?
• How are we making all of the information about our product available? 

These questions will all help you create a strategy that will pique your potential customer’s interest. The goal at this point is just for the customer to want to learn more about what you are selling, so don’t focus too much on getting interest.

How Do You Cultivate Desire in the AIDA Marketing Model? 

So, you have your customer’s attention, they are interested in your product, and now you need to get them to want that product for themselves. This is where the third step, desire, comes in. As you are building that interest in what you have to sell, you also need to help make sure your customers realize why they will need this product or service in their lives.

The easiest way to do this is to focus on the benefits. Make sure that the audience understands what they are missing in their lives and how your product or service can fill that void. On a basic level, your customers should feel as though this product can make their life better in some way.

How Do You Get Customers to Take Action in the AIDA Marketing Model? 

The final step in the AIDA model is getting your customers to take action. Your advertisements should always end with a call-to-action so your customers finally stop teetering and finally decide to take action.

In the Ecommerce world, this usually means eliciting a sense of urgency but giving your customers a reason to finally make the purchase and make it now. The most straightforward way to do this is by offering limited-time offers with a certain percentage off or limited-time free shipping offers. With a little push and some sense of urgency, most customers will have what it takes at this point to commit to taking action.

Tips On Applying the AIDA Framework While Avoiding Potential Pitfalls

One of the many benefits of the AIDA framework is that it is simple and straightforward, meaning it’s easy for all types of brands to apply this model to their current business plan. However, some people claim it is almost too simple as there are always going to be decisions that are a little more nuanced. 

With this in mind, here are some tips when applying the AIDA method to your business and a few pitfalls to make sure you avoid along the way.

• Keep in mind, not all prospective customers go through a linear buying journey. Some customers might get to “interest” and decide to try another product, only to return your item. Not all customers are the same.
• While some customers may take a longer time to get through the sales funnel, there are also short sales cycles and impulse buyers, which aren’t really covered in the AIDA model.
• Don’t try to apply the AIDA model to every little marketing effort you put out there. Each blog and ad doesn’t have to go through every step.
• The AIDA market isn’t everything, it’s a small step in a larger part of your holistic business strategy. Marketing funnels shouldn’t be the only component of your growth strategy, and many times this is the reason that the simplicity of the AIDA model is so highly criticized. 

Conclusion

With a basic understanding of what the AIDA model is and how it works, you can start utilizing this marketing approach and seeing the first-hand results of how it works. 

You've made it this far and you've learned so much. Congratulations!

If you're looking to learn more about marketing or Ecommerce in general, feel free to reach out to us at: solutions@undigital.com