# What are the five awareness levels?

> The five awareness levels sort buyers by what they know, from unaware to most aware. Meaning, an example for one product, and how to open your ad at each level.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-11
- **Category**: Strategy
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/awareness-levels

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The five awareness levels sort buyers by what they already know. They run from unaware to most aware. Your ad should open at the level your viewer is at. The idea comes from Eugene Schwartz's book Breakthrough Advertising, first published in 1966 ([Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL2625224W), checked 2026-10-20).

## The five levels

Here is one product for all five: a INR 1,499 laptop stand. We wrote the openings as examples.

| Level | The buyer thinks | Your ad opens with |
|---|---|---|
| Unaware | "I have no problem" | A story or surprise: "Why your neck aches by 4pm" |
| Problem aware | "My neck hurts" | The problem in their words: "Working from a laptop on your bed?" |
| Solution aware | "A stand might help" | The type of fix: "A stand lifts your screen to eye level" |
| Product aware | "I know your stand" | Why yours: "Folds flat. Fits any bag." |
| Most aware | "I want it, at the right price" | The offer: "INR 300 off until Sunday" |

## A worked example

Say you test four ads on a cold audience, one per level, at INR 375 each for three days. The clicks are made up.

**Cost per click = spend / clicks**

| Opening level | Spend | Clicks | Cost per click |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unaware | INR 375 | 40 | INR 9.38 |
| Problem aware | INR 375 | 50 | INR 7.50 |
| Solution aware | INR 375 | 30 | INR 12.50 |
| Product aware | INR 375 | 25 | INR 15.00 |

Cold buyers do not know your brand, so the product-aware opening costs most per click here. Do not stop at clicks. Compare purchases next. The levels tell you what to say. The numbers tell you which pays.

## How to use the levels

1. Cold audiences on Meta are usually mixed. Test unaware and problem-aware openings first.
2. People who visited your page are product aware. Use proof and offers.
3. People who put an item in a cart are most aware. Give them the offer and a deadline.
4. Match each angle to a level. See [ad angle](/glossary/ad-angle) and [30 ad angle examples](/templates/ad-angle-examples).

With [broad targeting](/glossary/broad-targeting), Meta decides who sees the ad, so the level in your opening matters more. For a four-step view of one ad, see the [AIDA model](/glossary/aida-model).

Marxx builds personas from real ad comments and app-store reviews, so you can hear how buyers describe the problem. See [audience personas](/features/audience-personas).

## FAQ

### Are awareness levels the same as the AIDA model?

No. AIDA is the order of steps inside one ad. Awareness levels describe where the viewer starts before the ad.

### Which level should I start with?

For cold audiences, test problem-aware openings first. For retargeting, start at product aware or most aware.

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