2.6.3 Structure for persuasive messages eg sales letters
As marketing of your organisation becomes more important, and more subtle, we need to understand the basic guidelines for a persuasive message. The AIDA principle is a useful one to follow. AIDA represents attention, interest, desire and action.
1. Attention
- get the reader to pay attention. As we are inundated with more messages than ever before we tend to ignore those that do not grab our attention
- state a problem that affects the reader
- promise a benefit
- appeal to the reader's emotions
- introduce your primary appeal
2. Interest
- show the reader your answer to the problem you raised in the first section
- provide a description of him or her enjoying the benefits you mentioned in the first section
- this section should provide a clear transition from attention to desire
3. Desire
- move the reader from 'like to have' to 'really want'
- justify the reader's desire with emotional appeals (feelings) or rational appeals (thinking ability); for example, clothes sold on the basis of fashion or durability
4. Action
- tell the reader what to do
- give a reason for acting now by, for example, offering a bonus of some sort
- provide aids such as pre-paid envelopes
- emphasise the primary appeal to convince the reader that they are doing the right thing
Activity 2j
Take time to consider the letters you receive at home or at work to see whether the writer has followed the guidelines discussed in this topic. Analyse the effectiveness of the letter. What is its purpose? Has the writer achieved this purpose?
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