It’s my birthday, and I created an invite to a birthday party I was hosting.
I distributed it via Facebook.
Someone commented that is was one of the best written invites they had seen.
I’m no Shakespeare, and I’m sure there were spelling mistakes.
What people mean by “the best written” is that it appeals to moving them away from pain and or towards gain.
But how do you communicate that?
You follow the formula also known as the acronym, AIDA:
- (A)ttention;
- (I)nterest;
- (D)esire; and
- (A)ction.
The term and format are attributed to Elias St. Elmo Lewis.
When discussing advertising, Lewis said:
“The mission of an advertisement is to attract a reader, so that he will look at the advertisement and start to read it; then to interest him, so that he will continue to read it; then to convince him, so that when he has read it he will believe it. If an advertisement contains these three qualities of success, it is a successful advertisement.”
This is what they mean:
- You first need to attract prospects’ or customers’ attention, cut through and stand out from all the other communication they are receiving;
- You then need to engage prospects or customers, so they listen to your message;
- You then need to help them convince themselves that they desire your offer; and
- You finally need them to act on that desire.
If you need help with any type of communication that requires an action, then contact me.