AIDA Model

This is a marketing model that recognizes the different stages which buyers go through prior to making a purchase. It was developed by a 19th-century businessman named Elias St. Elmo Lewis.

AIDA is an acronym that stands for Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action. These are the four stages of the AIDA Model. 

The Four (4) stages of the AIDA model Explained

Awareness - this is the first stage of the AIDA model and it is the beginning stage of the buyer’s funnel. Awareness is all about getting prospective customers to know about the brand. 

In this stage, marketers focus on using every possible strategy to oust their products in front of the customer and gain their attention. This could be done through paid advertising on social media or via tv commercials. 

Some marketers employ a more direct approach like cold emailing or cold calling. Whatever strategy is employed, the goal is to create a lasting and unforgettable impression in the mind of the prospect and make them aware of the existence and usefulness of the product being marketed. 

Interest - this is the second stage of the AIDA model. It is also perhaps one of the most difficult stages in the AIDA model. In this stage, the goal of the marketer is to successfully engage the prospect such that they want to know more about the product. 

Doing this can be difficult especially when the product is in itself not interesting. For instance, it is easier to make a new brand of the mobile phone seem interesting than it is to make a new brand of coffee. 

However, it all boils down to how you present the available information about the product. Make sure it meets the pain points of your targets, is well laid out, and if possible backed by a compelling story. 

Desire - the third stage of the AIDA model is desire. At this stage, the prospects have already developed an interest in the product. Desire and interest often overlap and there’s barely a hardline that differentiates between the two. 

However, once a prospect has shown interest in the product, the next step is to show them why they need the product. Again, it is important to emphasize the pain points of your prospect and how the product could be of help. 

If a prospect can clearly see how the product will help them solve a problem in their life, they will be more inclined to move to the next step of the funnel. 

Action - this stage implies getting your prospects to take action. This will imply converting them from prospects to customers. To do this, your prospects should be compelled enough to take action like making a purchase, or signing up for a free trial or subscription.

A common technique used by marketers is to end the advertisement (or whatever means was used for the first three stages) with a call to action. Another good practice is to make it easy for your prospects to take action by not overcomplicating things. 

If the process is straightforward and easy to follow, it is more likely to earn your business a high conversion rate. 

The benefit of the AIDA model

A key benefit of the AIDA model is that it helps marketers accurately analyze each stage of the consumer journey from awareness to action. 

This information can be used to understand the most effective stage of the marketing strategy and which stage needs to be adjusted to create better leads. 

Overall, it provides a Bird's Eye view of the effectiveness of the marketing strategy that is being employed by the marketer.