How does the AIDA model work? Here's how you might use the AIDA model to describe a customer's experience with a brand: Step 1: Awareness The first stage of the purchasing process is awareness. This is the point at which customers first come in contact with a brand by vis ting a store or website or by viewing promotional materials. In this stage, the sales or marketing professional's primary objective is usually to contact as many potential customers as possible and capture their attention by stating what the company offers. This is frequently when salespeople generate leads for possible future sales. Companies and brands can capture customers' attention through: e Enticing commercials e Targeted messaging on social media, also known as personalized marketing e Placing advertising in unexpected situations, also known as guerrilla marketingStep 4: Action The fourth and sometimes final cognitive stage is getting your customer to initiate action. This is when a prospect takes any additional steps needed to become a customer. Their action might be relatively tentative, such as participating in a trial version of a service or sampling a product. It might also involve a significant commitment, including completing a purchase or subscription. Sales and marketing professionals may use strategic closing techniques, including: <> e Encouraging a customer to engage in a live chat e@ Making it easy to sign up for a newsletter e Offering free shipping Step 5 (optional): Retention Some professionals add a fifth stage to the AIDA model. This can be important when a company wants or requires repeat purchases or renewals to make a profit. Retention refers to keeping existing customers and extending the lifespan of their relationship with a company or brand to support future sales and profitability. LZIn this article, we define the AIDA model, explain how it works, list some benefits of this approach and share an example of how a marketing team might use this model to generate revenue. What is the AIDA model? The AIDA model is an acronym that models the thought processes that a potential customer experiences when deciding whether to make a purchase. Here are the key stages of the process: 1. Awareness or attention: When the customer first becomes aware of a product. 2. Interest: When the customer learns more about the product. 3. Desire: When the customer's interest becomes a want or a need. 4. Action: When the customer tries or buys the product. 5. Retention: Some professionals also include a fifth stage, retention, which represents the thought processes associated with remaining a customer.Step 2: Interest The second step is to generate interest in a product or service by offering engaging material to educate potential customers. Customers also seek additional information in the interest stage of the purchasing process. Many professionals leverage this step as a foundation for building trusting relationships with clients and customers to convert leads to sales. Businesses can develop customers’ interest in their products by: © Using a compelling story in their advertising e Showcasing a product's features © Promoting a product's positive reviews Step 3: Desire The third step in the AIDA model aims to help customers realize they want or need a product or service. This can sometimes occur concurrently with the second step, interest, or it might come after. Customers often move from interest to desire when comparing one product to another. Sales and marketing professionals frequently leverage this stage by providing information regarding the specific details of a product or service that make it more desirable than the