hook-generator

name	hook-generator
description	Generates powerful hooks, headlines, CTAs, and attention-grabbing opening lines. Uses proven formulas and psychological triggers. Use this skill when you need subject lines, social media hooks, ad headlines, CTAs, or any content that must capture attention instantly.
allowed-tools	["Bash","Read","Write","Glob","Grep","AskUserQuestion"]

Hook Generator Skill

QUICK REFERENCE

• Output folder: output/content/hooks/
• File naming: YYYY-MM-DD_topic_hooks.md
• Sample script: scripts/samples/sample_hook_generation.py
• Run with: .venv\Scripts\python.exe scripts/samples/sample_hook_generation.py
• 8 hook formulas: Question, Stat, Bold Claim, Story, How-To, Contrarian, Social Proof, Urgency
• Python: ALWAYS use .venv\Scripts\python.exe (never bare python)

Creates attention-grabbing hooks, headlines, and CTAs that stop the scroll and drive action.

Scope of This Skill

This skill handles:

• Email subject lines
• Social media hooks (first 3 lines)
• Ad headlines
• Blog/article titles
• Video titles and thumbnails text
• Call-to-action copy
• Landing page headlines
• Webinar/event titles
• Slide headlines

NOT handled by this skill:

• Full email body → Use email-copywriter
• Full social posts → Use social-media-writer
• Full articles → Use blog-article-writer

The Psychology of Hooks

Emotional Triggers

Trigger	Why It Works	Example
Curiosity	Information gap creates tension	"The one thing top creators never tell you"
Fear	Loss aversion is powerful	"The mistake that's killing your growth"
Urgency	Scarcity drives action	"24 hours left to change your career"
Surprise	Pattern interrupt grabs attention	"Why I stopped posting on LinkedIn"
Specificity	Concrete beats vague	"How I grew from 0 to 10K in 47 days"
Controversy	Disagree = engagement	"Unpopular opinion: Daily posting is a scam"
Social Proof	Validation reduces risk	"Why 50,000+ marketers read this daily"
Identity	People want to belong	"What elite performers do differently"

Power Words

Curiosity Words: secret, hidden, revealed, discover, uncover, truth, mystery, insider, little-known

Urgency Words: now, today, limited, deadline, expires, final, last chance, immediately

Exclusivity Words: exclusive, members-only, invitation, private, elite, premium, VIP

Transformation Words: transform, revolutionize, breakthrough, unlock, master, dominate, supercharge

Trust Words: proven, research-backed, data-driven, guaranteed, tested, verified, authentic

Negative Words (high engagement): mistake, wrong, fail, avoid, stop, never, warning, problem, crisis

Hook Formulas

Universal Formulas

1. The Curiosity Gap

   "What [authority/group] know about [topic] that you don't"
   "The [adjective] truth about [topic]"
   "What nobody tells you about [topic]"
   

2. The Contrarian

   "Why [common advice] is wrong"
   "Unpopular opinion: [statement]"
   "Stop [common action]. Do this instead."
   

3. The Number

   "[Number] [things] to [achieve result]"
   "I spent [time/money] learning [topic]. Here's [what I learned]"
   "[Number] mistakes [killing/hurting] your [goal]"
   

4. The Story

   "I [failed/succeeded] at [thing]. Here's what I learned."
   "[Time] ago, I was [bad state]. Now I'm [good state]."
   "This [event] changed everything about how I [do thing]"
   

5. The Question

   "What if [possibility]?"
   "Why do [successful people] always [do thing]?"
   "Are you making these [topic] mistakes?"
   

6. The Direct Benefit

   "How to [achieve result] in [timeframe]"
   "Get [result] without [pain point]"
   "The fastest way to [achieve goal]"
   

7. The Social Proof

   "How [person/company] [achieved result]"
   "[Number] [people] are already [doing thing]"
   "[Authority] recommends this [approach]"
   

8. The Challenge

   "Most people can't [do thing]. Can you?"
   "Only [percentage] of [people] know this"
   "The [topic] test that stumps [most people]"
   

Platform-Specific Hooks

Email Subject Lines (28-39 chars optimal)

Formulas:

• Quick question about [their thing]
• [Name], [curiosity hook]
• re: [topic they care about]
• [Number] [things] for [result]
• Did you see this?
• I noticed [observation]
• Bad news about [topic]...
• You're invited: [exclusive thing]

Examples:

Quick question about your content
3 things killing your email opens
Did you see this LinkedIn post?
You're doing [topic] wrong
I have a confession...
This changed my business

Social Media (First 3 Lines)

LinkedIn/Facebook:

[Bold statement or question]

↓

[Promise of what's coming]

Twitter:

[Pattern interrupt or bold claim]:

Examples:

I fired my best client yesterday.

Here's why it was the best decision I ever made:
---
Stop creating content.

Start creating conversations.

Here's the difference:
---
$0 to $100K in 12 months.

No paid ads. No big following. No luck.

Just this system:

Video Titles (60 chars max)

Formulas:

• How I [achieved result] in [timeframe]
• I Tried [thing] for [time]. Here's What Happened
• [Number] [Topic] Mistakes You're Making Right Now
• Why [Common Thing] Doesn't Work (And What Does)
• The [Topic] They Don't Want You to Know

Ad Headlines

Formulas:

• [Result] in [timeframe] or your money back
• Finally, a [product] that actually [works]
• [Number]+ [people] can't be wrong
• Tired of [pain point]? Try this.
• What [authority] uses for [result]

Landing Page Headlines

Formulas:

• [Big result] without [big pain]
• The [solution] for [specific audience]
• [Result] guaranteed, or [safety net]
• Join [number] [people] who [achieved result]
• [Action verb] your [thing] in [timeframe]

CTA Writing

CTA Formulas

Type	Formula	Example
Action	[Verb] + [Benefit]	"Start Growing Today"
Urgency	[Verb] + [Time]	"Claim Your Spot Now"
Value	Get + [Outcome]	"Get Instant Access"
Risk-Free	[Action] + Risk Reversal	"Try Free for 14 Days"
Exclusive	[Action] + Scarcity	"Join 500 Members"
Personal	[Verb] + My + [Thing]	"Build My Strategy"

CTA Power Words

• Start, Begin, Launch
• Get, Claim, Grab, Unlock
• Join, Become, Enter
• Download, Access, Try
• Discover, Learn, Master
• Save, Boost, Grow

Platform-Specific CTAs

Email:

• "Reply with [word] to get started"
• "Click here to [get benefit]"
• "Schedule your [thing] now"

Social Media:

• "Save this for later"
• "Drop a [emoji] if you agree"
• "Follow for more [topic] tips"
• "Comment [word] and I'll send you [thing]"

Landing Page:

• "Start Free Trial"
• "Get [Benefit] Now"
• "Claim Your [Thing]"
• "Join [Number]+ [People]"

3-Mode Workflow

MODE 1: PLAN

1. Understand Context

   - Where will this hook be used?
   - What's the content about?
   - Who's the audience?
   - What action do we want?
   

2. Select Approach

   • Choose emotional trigger(s)
   • Pick appropriate formula(s)
   • Note any constraints (character limits)

3. Document Plan

   ## Hook Plan
   
   ### Context
   - Platform: [where]
   - Topic: [what]
   - Audience: [who]
   - Goal: [action]
   
   ### Approach
   - Trigger: [curiosity/fear/etc.]
   - Formula: [which one]
   - Constraints: [limits]
   
   ### Will Generate
   - [Number] variants
   

MODE 2: CLARIFY

Questions:

• "What's this hook for - email, social, ad, landing page?"
• "What's the main topic or offer?"
• "Who's the target audience?"
• "Any specific angle you want?"
• "Character or word limits?"

MODE 3: IMPLEMENT

1. Generate Options

   • Create 5-10 variants
   • Use different formulas
   • Mix emotional triggers

2. Evaluate & Rank

   • Check against best practices
   • Verify character limits
   • Rank by likely performance

3. Save Output

   output/content/hooks/
   ├── [date]_[type]_hooks.md
   

Output Format

# [Topic] Hooks

## Context
- Platform: [platform]
- Topic: [topic]
- Character Limit: [limit]

## Top Recommendations

### Option 1 (Recommended)
`[Hook text]`
- Formula: [formula used]
- Trigger: [emotional trigger]
- Character count: [number]

### Option 2
`[Hook text]`
...

## Additional Variants

1. `[Hook]`
2. `[Hook]`
3. `[Hook]`
...

## A/B Testing Suggestion
Test: [Option 1] vs [Option 2]
Hypothesis: [why these differ]

Example Interactions

"I need subject lines for a product launch email"

[PLAN]
- Email subject lines
- Product launch = urgency + benefit
- 28-39 character target

[CLARIFY]
- "What's the product?"
- "Any launch deadline or discount?"
- "Target audience?"

[IMPLEMENT]
10 subject line variants:
1. "It's finally here: [Product]"
2. "[Name], you're getting first access"
3. "Launching today (24hr early access)"
4. "The wait is over"
5. "We built this for you"
...

"Create hooks for LinkedIn posts about productivity"

[PLAN]
- LinkedIn first 3 lines
- Productivity topic
- Pattern interrupt hooks

[CLARIFY]
- "What aspect of productivity?"
- "Personal experience or general tips?"
- "Controversial or inspirational?"

[IMPLEMENT]
5 hook options:
1. "I deleted all my productivity apps.
    My output doubled.
    Here's why:"

2. "The most productive people I know
    don't have morning routines.
    They have this instead:"
...

"Write CTAs for a coaching program landing page"

[PLAN]
- Landing page CTAs
- Coaching program = transformation
- Mix of action + benefit

[CLARIFY]
- "What transformation do they get?"
- "Price point (affects CTA style)?"
- "Any guarantee to mention?"

[IMPLEMENT]
Primary CTA options:
1. "Start Your Transformation"
2. "Apply Now (Limited Spots)"
3. "Get Your Strategy Session"
4. "Join 500+ Successful [People]"

Secondary CTA options:
1. "See Success Stories"
2. "Download Free Guide First"
...

Testing & Iteration

A/B Testing Guidelines

• Test ONE element at a time
• Run for statistical significance
• Document learnings

What to Test

• Curiosity vs. direct benefit
• Question vs. statement
• Numbers vs. no numbers
• Urgency vs. no urgency
• Personal ("you") vs. general

Tracking Metrics

Platform	Primary Metric
Email	Open rate
Social	Engagement rate
Ads	CTR
Landing page	Conversion rate
Video	Click-through rate

Output Files

Hooks saved to:

• output/content/hooks/subjects/ - Email subject lines
• output/content/hooks/social/ - Social media hooks
• output/content/hooks/ctas/ - CTAs
• output/content/hooks/headlines/ - Landing page headlines
• output/content/hooks/swipe_file.md - Best performing hooks

Quality Checklist

• Creates curiosity or urgency
• Specific, not vague
• Benefit or outcome clear
• Within character limits
• No spam trigger words
• Matches audience language
• Delivers on promise (no clickbait)