# What is the AIDA model?

> The AIDA model is a four-step plan for an ad: attention, interest, desire, action. Meaning, an example ad, and the metric that checks each step.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-11
- **Category**: Strategy
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/aida-model

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The AIDA model is a four-step plan for an ad: grab Attention, build Interest, create Desire, then ask for Action. A good ad moves a viewer through the four steps in order. It is more than a century old and commonly credited to the advertising pioneer E. St. Elmo Lewis ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDA_(marketing)), checked 2026-10-20).

## The four steps

Here is one ad for a INR 1,499 steel water bottle. We wrote the lines as an example.

| Step | Job | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| Attention | Stop the scroll | "Is your water warm again by lunch?" |
| Interest | Show something new | "This bottle has two steel walls." |
| Desire | Make them want the result | "Cold water at every meeting, all day." |
| Action | Say what to do next | "Order today. Free delivery above INR 999." |

## Check each step with a metric

For video ads, each step has a number you can read or work out in Ads Manager.

| Step | Metric |
|---|---|
| Attention | [Hook rate](/glossary/hook-rate), the share who watch 3 seconds |
| Interest | [Hold rate](/glossary/hold-rate), the share who keep watching |
| Desire | Hard to measure. Look at saves, shares and comments |
| Action | [CTR](/glossary/ctr) and purchases |

## A worked example

Say a 30-second ad gets 1,00,000 impressions. It gets 30,000 three-second plays and 9,000 15-second ThruPlays. On Meta, a 15-second ThruPlay counts when someone watches at least 15 seconds, or 97% of the video if it is shorter ([Meta Help Center](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/471190536725647), checked 2026-10-20).

- Hook rate = 30,000 / 1,00,000 x 100 = **30%**
- Hold rate = 9,000 / 30,000 x 100 = **30%**

Say both sit above your account's usual range. Then say CTR is only 0.4%. The weak spot is the Action step. Fix the offer and call to action, not the opening. See [call to action examples](/templates/call-to-action-examples-for-ads).

## Where AIDA falls short

AIDA treats every viewer as the same. Some buyers do not yet know they have a problem. Others know your brand and need only an offer. The [awareness levels](/glossary/awareness-levels) cover that, so you can open differently for each. For writing openings, see [ad hook](/glossary/ad-hook).

## FAQ

### Who created the AIDA model?

It is commonly credited to E. St. Elmo Lewis. Wikipedia says the AIDA acronym first appeared in a 1921 article by C. P. Russell.

### Is AIDA still useful for social ads?

Yes, as a checklist. Ask which of the four steps your ad skips. It does not replace testing.

### Does every ad need all four steps?

Short ads may fold two steps into one line. A hook that also names the offer does both Attention and Interest.

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