How confident are you that your copy is hitting the target when you click the “send” button? Can you already see your prospects devouring it and your numbers growing?
Or are you leaving it to chance: maybe it’ll hit, maybe it won’t?
Although many marketers struggle to craft messages that sell, copywriting is nothing like playing Russian roulette.
Instead, it’s a complex skill-set with not-so-complex principles.
In marketing, these principles are known as the famous AIDA model and it involves the four stages of transforming prospects into consumers: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
And it’s just too powerful of a marketing tool to be left to chance or underused.
In today’s article, I’ll highlight WHY & HOW you can use it to turn your sales messages into effective sales.
Because it’s the act of selling that we’re after, aren’t we?
And as in business, it’s the first step that’s the toughest.
Stage no. 1: Attract Attention. Get into the consumer’s mind.
Often, marketers overlook the importance of getting the attention of their prospects, assuming that it’s the content and meat of their offer that matters most.
Which is not completely wrong…
But only AFTER you’ve got people’s attention.
Think about it: strong content comes into play only when it is consumed. Otherwise, it’s of no use to anyone.
So getting people’s attention is like a golden ticket: your content gets no chance whatsoever to be read otherwise. And you must work on getting this ticket.
Having a great product isn’t enough.
You see, there are just too many advertising messages out there!
Somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 a day, more precisely.
To be heard, you have to stand out.
In fact, it’s the biggest challenge: to get your message heard amid all the marketing noise out there.
HOW? There are two powerful ways of getting people’s attention.
1. Tapping into the already existing references inside the minds of your prospects.
Nothing interests people more than their own needs, desires, and pains. Understand what these things are and make them the centerpiece of your writing right from the start.
Do you usually put a big spotlight on your product in your writing?
If so, dim the lights a bit.
Your product matters to others only to the extent it can solve people’s pains.
Only these count for real and grab their attention.
2. Creative disruption.
This involves breaking existing patterns of behavior by placing creative messages in unexpected settings.
You see, it’s the uniqueness that gets noted.
That’s why we remember some advertising messages, and others we don’t.
Stage no. 2: Maintain Interest. Make it meaningful for them.
People’s attention isn’t a clear way to get their interest.
It’s just a chance for arousing it.
To make people keep consuming your message, it must be meaningful and gradually uncover their greatest interests.
And truth be told, little interests people as much as their own struggles.
HOW? The best way of building interest is by offering appealing yet real benefits.
People don’t care how great your product is; they do care about what’s in it for them. “How will their life change as a result?” That’s where your copy should go.
Do you see? It’s still all about THEM.
And your product’s just a way of bringing value to their lives.
Stage no. 3: Create Desire. Make them want it.
There’s a leap from being interested in a product and wanting it for good.
The goal is to make your prospects take that leap.
But let’s think about it. Do your customers want your product/service because it’s great by itself? Or do they rather want it to solve THEIR problems in a GREAT way?
Practice proves the latter. The more real people feel the benefits of using your product, the stronger their desire to get it.
HOW? Get as specific as possible about how your product can bring value to your prospects’ daily lives. Make them WANT to get from where they’re at to where they want to be via your product. For that, use people’s imagination.
Future pacing
A very powerful technique for creating desire is by creating an imaginary future self for your prospects showing them how their life has changed after using your product/service and letting them experience it:
What struggle did they discard? How do they feel?
When people imagine those things, their brain unconsciously starts to experience the benefits of your product or service as if it were real and actually happening.
And you know how it is: once you have a great experience, it’s hard to give it up, you just want more and more of it!
That’s how you get your prospects ready for the final step.
Stage no. 4: Take Action. RIGHT NOW!
This is the phase of turning prospects into buyers. And it’s crucial. Yet only the prospects who passed the previous stages get here.
You see, when people have interests & desires, they’re reactive. They’re prone to do what it takes to fulfill those desires.
Once they do, you don’t want them to step back. Nor to “think about it” and “buy later.” You want them to take action NOW.
HOW? The best way here is the shortest – by telling people exactly what to do.
Don’t ask them.
Don’t suggest and surely don’t beg.
Just get as specific as possible and tell them what to do.
Do you want them to buy now? Tell them exactly “BUY NOW BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW!”
And as all the previous stages, make it about them rather than about you.
Tell them what THEY’ll lose if they don’t take action. Tell them which pains will keep annoying them if they don’t buy.
On top of everything else, you can create a sense of urgency to speed up a purchase. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) appeal is very powerful in this way.
Many people fear that others may be living better lives and experiencing better things than they do. Suggesting the possibility of missing the benefits people got using your product/service can be the ultimate nudge your prospects need.
Summary
Copywriting is a powerful tool for selling and growing your business if done right. For that, the AIDA model suggests specific patterns of growing a prospect into a customer:
-> Start by grabbing people’s attention to their own needs.
-> Build their interest in solving them.
-> Increase desire by suggesting a better future for them via your product/service.
-> Tell them directly what to do NOW for their own welfare and WHY.
Remember: writing that sells is all about your prospects’ needs and how your product can solve them. And your job is to craft a copy that makes it crystal clear.