hook-engine

# Skill · Hook Engine # F&B Content Engine · core/hook-engine.md # ───────────────────────────────────────── ## Purpose Every post needs a hook — the single line or frame that stops the scroll and creates an emotion BEFORE the audience reads or watches further. Food hooks must create EMOTION (craving / curiosity / comfort). Pure information is NOT a hook. --- ## The 6 Hook Types ### 1 · Craving Hook (smell / sizzle / steam) Make them hungry before they see the photo. **Best platforms:** Instagram ★★★ · TikTok ★★★ · RedNote ★★★ **Examples:** - "That sizzle when the wok hits the oil... 🔥" - "Close your eyes. Now imagine 麻辣香锅. That's what we just made." - "Steam rising. Chopsticks ready. You know what time it is." - "The sound your lunch makes when it's almost ready." **Writing rule:** Use sensory verbs. Sizzle, steam, pour, drip, pull, wrap, char. --- ### 2 · Deal Hook (value first) Lead with the number. Price, portion, or saving — upfront, not buried. **Best platforms:** Instagram ★★★ · RedNote ★★★ · Facebook ★★★ **Examples:** - "$12.90 lunch set. Feeds two. You do the math." - "Family meal for 4 under $40. Yes, really." - "This combo just dropped and it's cheaper than cooking at home." - "Lunch special ends at 3pm. Don't say we didn't warn you." **Writing rule:** Never bury the price. It must be in the first line or on screen in the first 2 seconds. --- ### 3 · Discovery Hook (something new or hidden) Make them feel like they found something others don't know about yet. **Best platforms:** RedNote ★★★ · Instagram ★★★ · TikTok ★★★ **Examples:** - "We added this to the menu and nobody can stop ordering it." - "Hidden menu item: most people don't know we make this fresh daily." - "The dish our regulars always order but never appears on the front page." - "Ask for this by name. It's not on the photo menu." **Writing rule:** Frame it as insider knowledge. The reader should feel privileged. --- ### 4 · Community Hook (social proof / belonging) Anchor the content in what real people are doing and ordering. **Best platforms:** Facebook ★★★ · RedNote ★★ · Instagram ★★ **Examples:** - "Our regulars order this 200+ times a week." - "The dish that keeps the neighborhood coming back." - "You asked for it. It's back." - "When the lunch rush hits and everyone orders the same thing — this is why." **Writing rule:** Use real numbers when possible. "200+ times a week" beats "very popular". --- ### 5 · Contrarian Hook (challenge a food assumption) Start with an opinion that pushes back against a common belief. **Best platforms:** X ★★★ · TikTok ★★★ **Examples:** - "Delivery doesn't mean soggy. Not ours anyway." - "You don't need to spend $30 for great Chinese food." - "Authentic doesn't mean complicated. Our best dish has 4 ingredients." - "Hot food delivered cold is a choice. We chose differently." **Writing rule:** The opinion must be defensible and specific to your product. Never attack competitors by name (YELLOW compliance flag). --- ### 6 · Behind-the-Scenes Hook (kitchen / process / realness) Pull back the curtain. Show the work behind the food. **Best platforms:** TikTok ★★★ · IG Reels ★★ · YouTube ★★★ · RedNote ★★★ **Examples:** - "5am. Wok already hot. This is how your lunch gets made." - "Hand-pulled noodles. No machine. Just skill and 30 years of practice." - "What goes into a $12.90 set meal. (More than you think.)" - "The prep that happens before we open so your food is ready in 15 minutes." **Writing rule:** The rawer and more real, the better. Imperfection reads as authenticity. --- ## Platform Compatibility Matrix | Hook Type | IG | TikTok | RedNote | FB | YT | X | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Craving | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | ★ | | Deal | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★ | ★ | | Discovery | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | ★★ | | Community | ★★ | ★ | ★★ | ★★★ | ★ | ★ | | Contrarian | ★ | ★★★ | ★ | ★ | ★★ | ★★★ | | BTS | ★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★ | ★ | ★★★ Primary fit · ★★ Works well · ★ Use sparingly --- ## Rules 1. **Test 2-3 hooks per topic** before committing. The best hook isn't always obvious. 2. **Track engagement per hook type per platform.** Update this file weekly. 3. **Remove underperformers monthly.** Add new winners from top-performing posts. 4. **The Instagram hook is almost never the same as the RedNote hook.** Different audiences, different triggers. 5. **One hook per post.** Mixing hook types dilutes the emotional signal. --- ## Maintenance This file is a living document. After every weekly review ([[core/scheduling]]): - Note which hook type drove the highest engagement per platform - Add new hook examples that performed well - Remove examples that fell flat - Update the compatibility matrix if patterns shift