Attention, Interest, Desire and Action.

By Mwebya Fred

Employing AIDA in your social content creation will not only help you produce more results but also improve the effectiveness of your efforts, but what exactly is the AIDA formula and why is it so important? How do you effectively employ it within your content creation and when should it be used?

I know many of us could have come across this acronym before but for those who are AIDA virgins; this is what the powerful acronym stands for, Attention, Interest, Desire and Action.      This formula has been recognized since the beginning of selling and Marketing as the logical process people go through when making a buying decision.

Attention!

Attention simply means breaking someone’s current preoccupation and getting them to take notice. As content creators, words and visuals are our major tools. We can either ask a relevant question or present an idea aimed so specifically at the needs of the target customer/market that they can’t help but turn on their smartphones, switch on their iPads and absorb your content.

That’s why questions are such a good way to grab a reader’s attention – if they want to know the answer, they must read on.

Interest

The interest part of the AIDA formula is where you answer your opening question, if you’ve asked one. Even if you haven’t, this is still the part where you present the features of the product, service or idea in a light that holds the customer’s interest. Although this is an important part of the process and cannot be overlooked, interest alone is not enough…

Desire

A desire or need must be fulfilled, which means all of the product/service benefits must be explored and explained. Benefits go beyond mere descriptions. Features may get the customer interested but what will keep them interested – and perhaps provoke them to take some sort of action – is the answer to the old-age consumer question:

“What’s in it for me?”

 

You must answer the question of what’s in it for the customer. This question needs to be answered clearly and fully. What are the benefits that will cause them to take action? For instance, some of the most common benefits of a product or service are:

•It saves or makes people money
•It’s more convenient than the existing method (it saves time)
•It improves a person’s business or personal prospects
•It makes them feel respected/more popular / current
•It makes them feel safe and secure

All of the above examples are solutions to problems, and your work as a content creator is to find out which problem the customer is facing. Then solve that problem in you’re a-Class content.

Action!

The last part of AIDA is referred to by the hard-core sales people of this world as ‘closing the sale’. I prefer to say it’s a ‘call to action’. In simple terms, this is the part where you invite the customer to take action. I know – it sounds so obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many content creators put huge effort into the other three parts of the process – and then leave this simple bit out.

The truth is that if everyone knew about your services and products, then they would all buy from you but the mere fact that you have competitors in your industry; you then need to set your business brand apart from the rest. The potential and ability to communicate effectively to your customers and business partners is what differentiates successful and unsuccessful brands. Let the AIDA formula become your daily tool for creating relevant and effective content.

By Mwebya Fred

mwbyfred@gmail.com
www.twitter.com/Ugaman01