Copywriting – Using The AIDA Formula For Sales Writing

The AIDA Formula or Principle is purportedly over a century old. It has its roots in the advertising world, and has been imported online for our use in internet marketing. Its inventor or originator is unknown but it is regarded as the most-revered and time-proven formula in generating sales. Consider it as a rule-of-thumb and something which must be learned by all marketers as rudimentary knowledge.
AIDA is the acronym for the four steps of the formula. First, you capture your prospect’s Attention (A). Second, you develop Interest (I) about your offer. Third, you intensify Desire (D) for the purchase of your product or service. And fourth, you induce the prospect to Action (A)- to buy from you.
Here’s the formula again for better visualization.
A = Attention
I = Interest
D = Desire
A = Action
Discussion of the individual steps follow.
Attention: Capture the customer’s Attention.
You can do this through the use of a catchy or unique headline. Continue with a follow-up on the sub-headline for sustained attention. Other elements such as a distinct graphic or unorthodox video can also be used. No specific rules apply except that the method used should be appropriate to the product being sold and not overly unusual as to divert the prospect’s attention.
Interest: Develop the customer’s Interest.
Do this by focusing on and demonstrating benefits. A cardinal admonition here is not to focus on features (as in done in traditional advertising). Customers buy benefits and are not too interested in reading about features. The Benefits vs. Features agenda is a sub-topic that needs fuller amplification, and is not fully covered here.
Desire: Intensify the customer’s Desire.
Convince customers that they want and desire your product or service. That it will satisfy their needs. Build desire by making your offer irresistible; such as the inclusion of a number of freebies. You must make sure that the free stuff you give are related to your main product and that they have true value as well. Buyers do not like worthless stuff which they cannot really use. Include a no-risk guarantee. Create urgency in your offer; such as: “Order your copy within three days, before I remove the 40% off bonus.”
Action: Induce customer into Action.
Lead customers towards taking action and/or purchasing. You must have a clear Call to Action. You must ask the customer to buy. You must make it easy for them to buy. Offer as many paying options as possible.
A new flavor of the formula has recently been produced online. A terminating fifth letter– S, has been added to the acronym to produce the updated– AIDAS formula. Thence,
Satisfy: Satisfy your customer so that they become return-customers who can also give referrals to your product.
To develop a better appreciation of the AIDA formula, study several sales pages and identify each of the AIDA elements on them. Beginners usually need some time before the system is assimilated. But becomes second-nature when consistently used.