If you want to get good at marketing—especially digital marketing—you need to understand the AIDA funnel. AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action, and it’s the core framework behind how people make buying decisions.
You’ve been through it yourself, whether you realize it or not. Let me give you a simple, real-life example.
My AIDA Journey to The Daily
My favorite coffee shop in Bozeman is The Daily on North Rouse Avenue. Last winter, Kerry and I would drive past it all the time since Bridger Canyon Drive turns into North Rouse on the way back into town.
We didn’t stop though. At that point, I was in the Awareness stage of the funnel. I knew The Daily existed, but I had no reason to try it yet. No real Interest or Desire.
Meanwhile, one of our favorite winter meals was the fresh homemade soup from the Bozeman Co-Op on Main Street. If you haven’t tried their soup, you’re missing out.
Then, one spring day, I was talking with my neighbor Ben. He and his wife Ashleigh (who owns Sage Beauty here in town) had also recently moved to Bozeman. We were swapping notes on our favorite local finds, and Ben said their go-to coffee shop was The Daily.
That was the moment I moved from Awareness → Interest → Desire. A trusted recommendation made it real for me. I wanted to try it too.
Soon after, Kerry and I finally stopped in—and now The Daily is our favorite place.
The coffee’s fantastic. The burritos are excellent. But the best part? The staff. They’re young (kids to me) and they always ask, “What fun thing are you doing today?”
If you’ve spent any time in Bozeman, you know how special that is. It’s like our version of “Aloha”—part of the culture, part of the vibe.
Why the AIDA Funnel Matters
The most basic marketing funnel. Four parts:
- Awareness
- Interest
- Desire
- Action
Remove any of these levels and you no longer have a functioning funnel.
That’s a simple example of the AIDA funnel in action. For bigger decisions—like buying a car, a home, or hiring a financial advisor—the funnel gets more layered and takes more time.
But the structure is always the same:
Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action.
Some people say the AIDA funnel doesn’t work. They’re wrong. The problem isn’t the model—it’s that they never built the entire funnel properly. Maybe they had Awareness nailed down but skipped building real Interest or Desire. Maybe they never asked for the Action.
If you’re serious about marketing, learn how to build all four stages. Get analytics on your digital assets. Learn to read the data. And then refine, refine, refine until the funnel starts converting.
Coming Up
In my next post, I’ll break down each level of the AIDA funnel in more detail—and show you exactly what it takes to make each one work.
Until then, don’t let anyone tell you the AIDA funnel is dead. It works. You just have to build it right.
