The A.I.D.A. approach to advertising dates back many years, and is a useful guide for anyone who needs to write a sales ad. It’s especially helpful to people with little or no experience of writing an ad.

A.I.D.A. explained

The letters in A.I.D.A. stand for…

• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Action

Each word represents a different objective for a particular part of the ad you’re writing. Let’s take a look at how to use each of them…

Attention

Before you can sell anything, you first have to capture the attention of a potential client. This is usually the job of the ad’s headline, and its layout and design.

An unusual layout, choice of colors, and/or animation can be used to capture the prospect’s attention. A powerful headline can then secure it.

Your goal at this point, is not to sell your product. It’s to sell the prospect on reading your ad.

One excellent way to secure your prospect’s attention, is to write a headline that describes the number one benefit your product offers.

Interest

You’ve got your prospect’s attention. Now you need to cultivate his or her interest. This is the job of the opening paragraph of your ad. Your opening paragraph (or paragraphs) have to be very interesting to the reader. Here are a few ways you can achieve this…

• Get to the point immediately. Don’t try to ease the reader into the topic. Go for the jugular, and start talking about the greatest benefit your product offers.
• Use short sentences, and punchy words. Your copy must be exciting and easy to read. It must not demand too much of the reader.
• Stick to benefits. These are desired outcomes. Talk in terms of emotion, not facts. If you find yourself leading with numbers, something is wrong.
• Don’t talk about special offers or discounts at this point in the ad.
• Don’t hint at things to come later in the ad. The reader doesn’t care (yet). He or she is interested only in knowing more about the benefit described in the headline.
• The opening paragraph(s) must be connected to the headline. They must follow up on the benefit described in the headline. If they’re disconnected, the potential client will stop reading.

Desire

Your ad is a seduction. You’re attempting to persuade a potential client that he or she will be better off with your product, than with the money it costs.

Of course, you can only do that if you first cultivate desire for the benefits delivered by the product. Your potential client has to get excited about it. He or she must want it.

In this section of the ad, your job is to back up the benefits you say your product delivers, with substantial proof that it does. This is the part of the ad where you establish the credibility of your claims.

It’s the section where you build a rational case for buying your product. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to quote facts and figures. You might instead rely on anecdotal evidence, such as testimonials.

Your goal is to have the prospect become increasingly excited as he/she starts to realize that the benefits described at the start of the ad will apply to him or her when he/she buys your product.

Action

Once you have your potential client excited about the benefits of owning your product, it’s time to ask for the sale. Direct response copywriters refer to this as the call to action. That’s because you’re asking the reader to act.

This is the moment of truth, and most people will not act unless there’s a compelling reason to do so. You’re going to have to be forceful to get the sale. You’re going to need to apply pressure.

One excellent way to do that, is to offer a special discounted price, and place a time-limit on it. Give with one hand, and threaten to take away with the other. This increases the pressure to act. To buy now, instead of later.

Summary

The A.I.D.A. approach has worked well for me over the last 15 years. Some feel it’s a little old-fashioned, but I disagree. It works. It’s easy to understand. And it’s easy to remember.