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Back to Mental Models

Search Intent vs Interruption Marketing

Framework distinguishing between marketing to people actively searching for solutions versus interrupting people to create demand

Decision Rule

Use transactional messaging for search marketing, use storytelling and emotional hooks for interruption marketing

How It Works

Search users already have intent and need to see relevant solution, while social media users need to be shifted from their current mindset into buying consideration

Failure Modes

Using storytelling approach in search ads when users want direct answers

Being too transactional on social media where context and emotion matter

Not matching ad style to user mindset and platform expectations

Example Decision

For Google Ads targeting 'email extractor', create direct landing page showing the tool; for Facebook ads, create story about marketer frustrated with manual email collection process