AIDA

Why AIDA still matters

AIDA is more than a century old, yet it still mirrors today’s full-funnel view: attention maps to demand generation, interest to the marketing funnel, desire to product-led proof and action to the sales pipeline. Modern frameworks such as Pirate Metrics simply slice the same four moments into smaller data points, but the psychology is unchanged: people notice you, learn, want and then buy.

The four stages at a glance

1. Attention: attract qualified prospects by interrupting their scroll or search.
2. Interest: deepen engagement with relevant information that answers “Why should I care?”.
3. Desire: create emotional pull through proof, storytelling or visualised outcomes.
4. Action: remove friction, present a clear next step and a reason to act now.

Below are three examples of the AIDA model applied

Law firm: wrongful dismissal settlements

Attention phase for law firm
LinkedIn carousel adverts headline recent court statistics showing how many employers lost unfair-dismissal cases in the past 12 months, instantly catching HR directors’ eyes and signalling financial risk if they mishandle layoffs.

Interest phase: case studies of previous clients
A dedicated landing page explains, in plain language, the safeguards in Dutch labour law and walks through the firm’s five-step claim process. Mini case studies break down typical settlement figures, letting prospects see outcomes that match their own situations.

Desire phase: proof of rapid results
A downloadable guide features detailed success stories, including one employee who secured six months’ salary within eight weeks. Quotations from satisfied clients and named media coverage position the lawyers as specialists who move quickly.

Action phase: low-friction next step
The page finishes with a short eligibility form that promises a free legal check within 24 hours and emphasises “No win, no fee”, removing cost anxiety and prompting immediate submissions.

HubSpot agency: implementation services

Attention phase for HubSpot agency
Sponsored posts invite growth leads to a quiz titled “How mature is your marketing automation?”. The interactive challenge sparks curiosity and draws visitors who already suspect inefficiencies in their current set-up.

Interest phase: personalised benchmark report
Instant results score each respondent against industry peers and pinpoint gaps that HubSpot could bridge. An embedded video tour shows dashboards replacing manual spreadsheet work, keeping prospects on the page to imagine daily convenience.

Desire phase: tangible business impact
A follow-up email sequence shares a migration case study: a SaaS firm added 30% pipeline value three months after implementation. Screenshots of revenue dashboards and a short client interview make the improvement feel achievable.

Action phase: seamless calendar booking
Every message includes an inline calendar that lets prospects reserve a 30-minute scoping call in two clicks. A limited-time onboarding discount, highlighted beside the calendar, supplies urgency without hard pressure.

LemList: cold outreach software

Attention phase for LemList
A YouTube pre-roll shows two outreach emails side by side: one generic, one dynamically personalised with a merge image from LemList. The personalised version racks up real-time reply notifications, illustrating the problem and the solution in six seconds.

Interest phase: interactive product teaser
Viewers land on a page where they can build a sample mail-merge in two clicks, swapping in their own logo and first-name tokens. Seeing the personalised preview appear on screen turns curiosity into hands-on engagement.

Desire phase: quantified success story
A webinar replay features a scale-up that generated €250,000 in pipeline using LemList sequences. The host walks through the campaign, displaying open-rate graphs and sharing a candid Q&A with the client’s growth lead.

Action phase: trial with human support
A chat pop-up offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card and promises onboarding by a success manager if the user signs up before Friday. The combination of zero risk and personal guidance tips interested visitors into taking the plunge.

AIDA endures because it parallels the buyer’s inner journey, no matter how finely we now measure the funnel. First notice, then learn, then want, then act: every modern metric still rolls up to those four timeless moments.