AIDA has always been an essential part of marketing to get an insight into customers’ buying decisions as a communication model. The full form of AIDA is Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. But the meaning and usage of AIDA have evolved with evolving access to information and technology.
In terms of digital marketing, a user already has a desire before feeding a search query. So, the path to purchase for customers starts from Desire. There was a direct purchase funnel decades ago. You just grab audiences’ attention, spark their interest, make way to their desire, and arouse the need to purchase or take any action.
These days, things are not the same. There are several social media platforms and channels to influence the buying decisions of the audience and communicate with the customers. There are different layers of engagement and two ways of interaction – customer to brand and brand to the customer. But it doesn’t really mean the traditional AIDA model is dead. Keeping customers in mind, there is a small twist in the old model.
Stage 1 – Attraction
Customer psychology has redefined these days dramatically. The AIDA model no longer starts with attention. A customer is looking for something that means he already has a desire. This way, we need to attract them in the first step. Attraction can evoke interest. If it is done well and you revoke the benefit of customers, it goes without saying that consumers will switch to another stage.
Stage 2 – Insights
After developing interest, a customer looks for insights. They look for as much detail as possible. It makes them desirable to purchase a product. The quest or curiosity leads to desire.
Stage 3 – Decision
This phase combines two aspects of the traditional AIDA model – a customer has both Insights and Desire. So, marketer serve them with the right information to encourage decisions. There is no action without a choice. Once a customer decides, they will move ahead.
Stage 4 – Action
It’s time to finally sell your product after doing that much hard work for several months. It is the last stage of the process where the user enters and knows what they actually want. Since their search is direct, you should be straightforward to make them take action.
It is not the end, though. Keep in mind that 80% of business relies on repeat customers while 20% on new ones. The 80/20 rule still works. So, customer loyalty is very vital.
Bottom Line
With the help of the AIDA model, you can easily plan how and when to interact with customers in different stages of the purchase. It goes without saying that there are various platforms that today’s customer uses. So, you need different information along the process from various sources. You can change your strategy of communication with the AIDA model and generate quality leads.