social-hook-selection-ops

name	social-hook-selection-ops
description	Select source-backed hooks for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Use for choosing or adapting opening lines, first frames, on-screen text, and retention angles.
memory_tags	["domain:social-media","workflow:hook-selection","skill_role:generator","outputs:recommendation","repo_boundary:tools","risk:low"]

Social Hook Selection Ops

Goal

Choose a small set of strong short-form video hooks from the best available hook library, source research, and creator/account evidence, then recommend one primary hook and one backup.

Core Rule

Do not treat every good hook as equally proven.

Always label source strength:

• proven: worked on the user's own account or has strong owned-account precedent.
• proven-adjacent: close to the user's proven lane but not independently confirmed as a reusable winner.
• source-observed: observed from another creator/account with source notes and some performance evidence.
• candidate: plausible structure that still needs testing.

Do not invent hooks from general taste when a promoted hook library or performance-backed research source is available. Every recommended hook must name the underlying hook family or pattern it came from. If no existing pattern fits, say that the library lacks a good match, propose a new candidate pattern, and keep it labeled candidate until validated.

Workflow

1. Identify the platform and objective:
   • TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or cross-posted short-form.
   • Reach, comments, saves, profile credibility, sponsor conversion, product conversion, or audience education.
2. Classify the video idea by proof type:
   • life conflict
   • money/receipt
   • status/career
   • tool/demo/workflow
   • personal story
   • creator/process behind-the-scenes
   • utility/list
   • reaction/external spark
3. Look for a local hook library in the active workspace before inventing from scratch. Common useful files are:
   • hook-selection-workflow.md
   • viral-hooks.md
   • video/research/README.md
   • account watchlists or dated hook research memos
4. Prefer promoted reusable hook libraries over dated research memos.
   • Use research memos to verify provenance or add a new pattern.
   • If a research memo has a useful pattern but the reusable hook library does not, promote the distilled pattern into the library when editing docs is part of the request.
5. Rank available hook patterns by evidence before writing lines:
   • owned-account proven
   • owned-account proven-adjacent
   • actual TikTok / Instagram / Shorts examples with performance evidence (source-observed)
   • unvalidated formulas or prompt-framework ideas (candidate)
6. Generate 3-5 candidate hooks from those ranked patterns.
   • Include the pattern name for each hook.
   • Include the source-strength label for each hook.
   • Keep the line easy to say on camera.
   • Preserve the user's intended thesis instead of simplifying away the controversial or specific part.
7. Pick one primary hook and one backup.

Reaction Batch Mode

When hook selection is part of a recurring reaction-filming batch, optimize for pre-filming clarity instead of exploration.

For each selected reaction candidate:

• Generate 3-4 hook options, not a giant brainstorm.
• Pick one recommended final hook before the filming block unless the creator explicitly wants to choose live.
• Include the source object, the creator's one-sentence take, first frame or proof object, 2-3 beats, and the twist/payoff.
• Use a hook-plus-tail structure when a plain thesis would feel like topic labeling: the first clause makes the source claim legible, and the tail opens a concrete loop the video will resolve.
• Keep wording readable enough to say directly on camera after a quick read-through.
• Mark backup hooks as backups instead of leaving all options equally weighted.

Selection Heuristics

Prefer hooks that have:

• a visible first frame, not only a spoken sentence
• a concrete proof object: receipt, screenshot, demo, product, comment, calendar, bill, email, incident, before/after, or physical object
• tension by second 3
• a natural twist or payoff
• an audience that is broad at the start and specific after the click
• a body that can actually satisfy the promise

Avoid hooks that:

• are generic motivation
• require evidence the user does not have
• copy another creator's identity instead of borrowing the structure
• make claims stronger than the source supports
• start with topic labeling instead of tension
• are clever but hard to parse in the first 1-3 seconds
• flatten the user's specific thesis into a generic category claim
• cannot be traced to a named hook family, source-observed format, or explicit new candidate pattern

Output Contract

Return:

Best hook:
- Line:
- Source strength:
- Pattern:
- Source basis:
- Why it fits:
- First frame:
- On-screen text:
- Twist/payoff:

Backup:
- Line:
- Source strength:
- Pattern:
- Source basis:
- Why:

Avoid:
- [weak angle to skip]

For a reaction-batch candidate, use:

Reaction filming packet:
- Source:
- Take:
- Recommended hook:
- Hook options:
  1. [line] - [source strength] - [pattern]
  2. [line] - [source strength] - [pattern]
  3. [line] - [source strength] - [pattern]
  4. [optional line] - [source strength] - [pattern]
- Beats:
- Twist/payoff:
- First frame:
- On-screen text:
- Avoid:

If the user asks for many options, group them by source strength.

If the user asks why a hook was chosen, answer by pointing to the pattern, source strength, and fit to the idea. Do not justify it only by saying it "sounds viral."

Updating A Hook Library

When the task includes documentation maintenance:

1. Keep source evidence in research/source files.
2. Keep reusable hook patterns in a promoted hook library.
3. Link the hook pattern back to source evidence.
4. Do not upgrade source-observed to proven until the user's own account validates it.

For a compact source-strength reference, see references/source-strength.md.

For generic external hook formulas that can be adapted when no owned-account pattern fits, see references/external-hook-patterns.md.