The AIDA Model of Blog Writing Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action

It’s incredibly difficult to write an impactful message, especially one that drives actual action from prospective clients. You want to be catchy, but not overpowering or comedic. You want to be authoritative, but not bossy. You want to make the conversion, but not sound salesy. You want to engage and get people to read what you’re putting out there – in this case, your blogs.

We get it. It’s exhausting. And by the time you sit down to knock out the message. You’re fried. Every writer or copywriter – sometimes faces some sort of writing block.

But that all changes with the AIDA method.

We firmly believe you have a multitude of tools to start a marketing message, and an impactful one at that. The AIDA method, popularized by Gary Halbert several decades ago, is probably the best-known model for writing an advertisement or marketing copy and is still used today in the digital age.

Below, we’re going to lift the curtain on this popular acronym and reveal its power, why it matters, and how you can leverage it in your writing.

AIDA is the concept that shows how advertising and marketing communications are able to capture the attention of prospects and acts as a formula based on how consumers may pick between brands in order to make a purchase decision.

AIDA stands for:

• Attention – Garnering intrigue in the product or service.
• Interest – Getting to know the product or service better.
• Desire – The desire to have the product or service.
• Action – Purchasing the product or service.

Each of the AIDA model stages describes what a consumer should feel and do when exposed to a product or service, but can also be helpful in blog writing and creating compelling materials.

Once the process is integrated into your mindset as a marketer, you can effectively use it as a formula to write a blog, an advertisement, an email, a landing page, and so much more.

AIDA is used commonly in marketing and advertising and has stood the test of time because it follows the thought process of a prospective buyer and consumer mindset. Whether you’re a freelance copywriter or working for a large corporation, AIDA is both applicable and effective.

When writing your blogs, it can be especially helpful as it organizes your workflow and knows exactly what message you should create at each stage.

The benefit of this formula can be found in its simplicity and flexible application in areas other than store-based or stationary sales. This model allows writers to get in the mindset of a buyer and address the problems with real solutions, all in a format that makes sense and doesn’t turn them away at the door.

The first step in marketing or advertising is to consider how to attract the attention of consumers. The topic must attract the consumer’s attention and act as the “eyecatcher.”

At this stage, it’s important to do research and understand your prospective clients and define your key personas. The better you understand your audience, the better you’ll understand what piques their interest.

In blog writing, to achieve attention you want to use a compelling headline and a bold or catchy first sentence (potentially posed as a question). A headline and opening statement needs to be:

• True to buyer’s need
• Creative
• Clear
• Concise

Remember, in order to get to this stage, you must first get your content in front of them. This comes with increased brand awareness and effective messaging. You can’t gain interest if you aren’t even putting your content out there to consume.

Ok, so you have your readers attention – how do you take a potential customer to the next level? Once the consumer is aware of the topic you’re presenting to them, the blog must work on increasing the prospective client’s interest level.

At this point, you’re beyond the headline and opening statement and deeper into the first and second paragraph. Talk about the topic (likely product or service), such as its features and benefits and WHY it matters. It’s not enough to simply allow consumers to trust your opinion alone, especially if they’re new to your content. They need proof to keep the interest going.

This is where testimonials, hard stats, and case studies come into play. The reader, faced with a nagging problem, expects a solution and evidence that others have experienced reprieve. AIDA schema dictates that you present it in the form of your offer.

The problem has been shown – the solution presented.

After you’ve made the topic at hand interesting, it’s time to make it desirable – something they can’t live without. Move the reader from “I like” to “I need”. The pillar in this step of the model is to cement trust in the mind of the reader. Whether you’re trying to convince them to sign up for your newsletter or informing them on the new and improved way to create a small business marketing budget, you have a responsibility to build trust.

This is where some marketers trip up. One blog won’t always be enough to move the needle. While we’d like to “sell” you on the fact that AIDA will sell on the first read every time, the fact is that consumers are wary. They need proof, they need consistency, and they need something to keep them coming back.

Keep serving them content that they can actually use. Make sure they subscribe to your blog/newsletter, follow you on social media, listen to your podcast, and download other helpful resources. The more prospects interact with your brand, the more they’ll trust you, boosting the chances they’ll eventually buy your product or service.

Create desire and close the gap between where they are and where they could be with the solutions you’re serving up. It may take a little bit of time, but it’s worth it to gain faithful clients who desire what you’re offering.

When the prospects desire your product, you have to make it easy to access it. After all, what’s the point of creating content and building relationships with prospects if there isn’t a clear next step? This is the ultimate goal of your blogging and marketing efforts. Drive the receiver to initiate action and make a purchase.

In blog writing, you can do this by adding a call to action (CTA). This is a critical component of any copy. This could be as simple as asking the customer to call you for more information or visit your website to make a purchase.

The call to action should be, as the name suggests, actionable.

It should make your prospect itch to click and take the next step in your sales funnel (without making them feel like they’re jumping through sales hoops to get what it is you’re offering to them). Make it accessible and make it simple to obtain.

When writing your blog, newsletter or advertisement, consider adding a button or banner that spells out what action they must take and what they get if they do. By eliminating friction in the process, you increase your likelihood of success. Especially when writing blogs, this CTA usually comes at the end of the AIDA model, where you wrap up and summarize the topic and invite them to take action.

AIDA serves as a solid foundation to guide a copywriter through the stages of effective direct marketing. The AIDA model is not the only consideration when writing engaging, sale-focused copy, but this formula can keep you on track and focused on the customer’s journey through each step. Next time you hit that dreaded writer’s block or have trouble knowing where to begin, consider using AIDA and working alongside your prospective audiences to understand what makes them tick.

Need additional help in your content marketing strategy? We’d love to sit down and chat. Give us a call today 317-992-0416.