The AIDA formula - how to write convincing advertising copy like the pros [Guide]

The AIDA formula - the backbone of your copywriting

AIDA

Definition - What is the AIDA formula?

The AIDA formula (also known as the AIDA model or AIDA principle) is a 4-stage advertising effectiveness principle from advertising psychology, the development of which is attributed to advertising strategist Elmo Lewis and with the help of which you can create seductive advertising copy and other content formats that lead to more leads and conversions.

The four phases of the Aida model

The term AIDA is an acronym and stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action

A ttention - I nterest - D esire - A ction

In German: attention, interest, desire, action

How the AIDA principle works

The AIDA model, which can be traced back to Elmo Lewis and was first described in 1898, guides the reader through the four phases mentioned above and makes it easier for them to make a purchase decision in your favour.

The potential customer is guided through the first three states (emotions) in order to ultimately motivate them to take an action. This can be a product purchase, the utilisation of a service, but also a newsletter registration.

Is the Aida formula (the Aida principle or Aida model) still relevant in today's marketing?

Yes, because in order to sell your product or service, it is still necessary to write good advertising copy. Marketing may have changed, but it still has to be convincing. Even or especially today, when the customer is inundated with advertising and marketing messages, your message must stand out from the crowd - be more animating, more seductive, more convincing than that of your competitors.

The copywriters at our search engine optimisation agency in Vienna are busy writing texts every day. They have to pay attention to three things:

1. The texts must be optimised for search engines
2. The texts must be easy to read
3. The texts must convert

Today I'll show you how you can use the AIDA principle to ensure the third point.

Firstly, here are some preparations you need to make before you write your texts. You will then find the exact structure of the AIDA model.

Preparing the perfect advertising copy

Before you can write your advertising copy, you still have a few things to do. Namely:

• You need to define your target audience and research what their biggest problems are.
• Create a feature list of your offer (product characteristics)
• Create a list of benefits of your features
• Determine the main benefit for your target group
• Determine the right approach and tone for the advertising text
• Determine the goal (what exactly do you want to achieve with the text)

And only then can you start writing.

The 6 steps of preparation

 

1. Which target group are you aiming your message at?

First of all, you need to know who you are writing for. Is it the 20-year-old student? The mother of two? The unemployed man in his 50s? Or is it the marketing manager of a company?

Ideally, you should have a buyer persona to whom you are addressing your text.

Believe me. If you want to sell successfully, you can't avoid a buyer persona. It increases your chances of selling (or whatever you want to achieve) enormously.

You can find out what a buyer persona is and how to create one in the article "Creating and using the perfect buyer persona [guide]".

 

You should definitely read it: Creating and using the perfect buyer persona

 

 

2. Where does the shoe pinch

Research where your target group has the biggest problem that you can solve with your product.

Research everywhere where your potential buyer hangs out and asks questions and makes comments.

Create a text file and copy the most important comments and problems into it.

Is it the money? Is it the time involved? Is it the person themselves (self-confidence, willpower, assertiveness, stamina...)?

 

3. List of product features and benefits

Then create a list of all the features (product or service characteristics) and think about the benefit each of the features has for the buyer.

Refer to the previously created problem list. Fictitious example:

Problem: Buyer needs a solution for the weak internet signal in his study. His router is located one floor below, in the hallway. All current solutions have so far been too weak. He does not want to run cables to the upper floor.

Feature: You offer a Wi-Fi repeater that is three times stronger than the usual ones on the market thanks to your new invention.

Benefit (and at the same time a possible headline):

 

"How you're always connected to the net anywhere in the house.
Without cables. Without any loss of speed."

 

A product feature always has a benefit. You must always communicate this in your advertising copy. Of course, you should also point out the features, but always in connection with the benefits.

Example: "The batteries are included in the package (feature) so you can get started right away (benefit)."

 

4. Define the main benefit

You have now defined your target group precisely and researched what they need. And you've created your lists of features and benefits.

Bring the two together and find out the main benefit for your desired customer. You then need this to create your headline.

 

5. Find the right approach and the right tone for your sales text

You already know your buyer persona very well. Think about how to address them.

This relates to the form of address (you or you) and the way in which you communicate. Is it more of a casual tone or a more upscale, formal language?

Think about it carefully. You will certainly speak differently to a 20-year-old student than to a bank manager in his 50s. Right?

 

6. Determine the goal of your copywriting

What should the end result be? Should your reader make a purchase? An entry in the newsletter list? A phone call? A recommendation to the reader's social media contacts?

If you know where you want to go with your copywriting, you'll stay focussed. You don't beat around the bush, but write directly towards your desired result.

But now..

Now we come to the exciting part.

Ready to discuss the 4 phases of the Aida model one by one?

Then let's get started.

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The 4 phases of the AIDA formula

The first phase of the Aida model:

Attention - Attract attention

Attract the attention of your prospective customer with a meaningful headline and possibly a supplementary subheadline.

The aim is to get the reader's attention. A tried and tested recipe for this: trigger emotions.

In my opinion, the best way to do this is to address the reader where the shoe pinches or when solving their problem.

You probably know this yourself. If you have a problem, you carry it around with you. It's always there, everywhere. You're on the lookout for a solution.

And if someone or something speaks to you about your problem or reminds you of it, you are immediately wide awake.

Example: Imagine your marketing costs are getting out of hand (problem) and you're looking for a way to reduce them (benefit), but you're worried that your visitor numbers are falling (problem).

Now you see this headline somewhere:

You see, the benefit is included and the problem - not the service or product.

That's the way!

Straight to the next step.

The second phase of the Aida model:

Interest - arouse interest

After the headline comes the teaser, the introduction.

Use the introduction to turn the brief moment of attention into interest.

After the reader is fully engaged by the headline, you have less than 10 seconds to arouse their interest.

You have 10 seconds to captivate your reader.

One way to pique their interest is to ask questions.

Questions are enormously effective. Of course, only if they are questions that your readers are asking themselves.

Another good way to keep readers interested is to remind them of their problem and show them what will happen if they do nothing.

Show the worst-case scenario. And offer the solution immediately afterwards.

If we combine the two options in our example, it could look like this:

And while we're on such a good run, let's take a look at the next step in the AIDA formula.

The third phase of the Aida model:

Desire - creating desire

In this phase, the question that every prospective customer asks themselves comes to the fore: "What's in it for me?"

Answering this question is the task of the third step of the AIDA formula.

And to do so in such a way that the reader's desire for your solution is awakened.

But be careful: this is a particularly delicate phase in the AIDA model.

You can win everything here, but you can also lose everything.

If you do too little, the reader will jump off.

If you do too much, they will also jump off.

Find the middle ground.

It's a tightrope walk. I know that.

The dose makes the poison. Paracelsus already said that.

The fourth phase of the Aida model:

Action - Call to action

Get the reader to act now!

Ask them to click on the order button (or fill in the order form).

Give specific instructions about the ordering process - what they will get, when they will receive the product, etc.

If you've done everything right beforehand, the reader will follow your call to action (CTA).

The further development of the AIDA model

As you have seen, the AIDA formula appeals strongly to the emotions.

And that's a good thing.

Because decisions, including purchasing decisions, are largely made emotionally.

The American marketing sociologist Gerald Zaltman even speaks of 95%.

According to US neuromarketing expert Dan Hill, people make their decisions emotionally and justify them with their intellect.

The AIDCAS formula

The AIDCAS model takes account of the fact that decisions are justified with the mind. It supplements the AIDA model phases with the Conviction and Sadisfaction phases.

By emphasising the advantages over other, comparable offers, social proofs and credible arguments, any rational objections are already eliminated in the run-up to the purchase. The customer is also satisfied after the purchase or the respective action, as they can justify it rationally.

Here is a reminder of the 4-phase AIDA model:

Attention(attract attention)

Interest(arouse interest)

Desire(create desire)

Action(prompting action)

No matter how you get your visitors (potential customers) to your sales page, whether with paid advertising(Google Ads, Facebook Ads...) or through good rankings in the search engines. If your advertising text follows the hierarchical sequence of the AIDA formula, your conversion will increase dramatically.

Two final tips for your advertising copy:

Don't offer prospects what they need, offer them what they want! You know this because you've researched it in advance. Hopefully!

Your most convincing sales arguments - apart from the testimonials - are the benefits. Offer as many as you can and mention them as often as you can.

So, that's it for good copywriting using the AIDA formula. I hope you can take a few things away with you.

Postscript: You now know how to structure your texts using the AIDA formula. That's already good.

But before you start writing, you still have a few things to do. For example, you should know the customer journey of your buyer persona.

Do you need help creating and optimising your website texts? Then feel free to contact us. Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. call us on +43 1 353 2 353 or send us your enquiry using our contact form.