Viral Hooks

---
name: viral-hooks
description: Generate platform-native hooks optimized for engagement, curiosity, and audience tension. Use when creating social media hooks, launch post openings, thread starters, video intros, founder story angles, or campaign first lines.
tags:
  - social-media
  - hooks
  - copywriting
  - agentreacher-compatible
---

# Viral Hooks

Create hooks that make the right audience want the next sentence. Do not chase generic virality. Optimize for relevance, tension, credibility, and platform fit.

## Inputs

- audience: who should care
- platform: X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads, or Bluesky
- asset: product, announcement, idea, story, opinion, data point, demo, or lesson
- desired action: read, reply, click, follow, share, try, join waitlist, or book demo
- proof: screenshot, metric, user quote, failure, before/after, demo, or specific experience

If no platform is provided, produce hooks for X and LinkedIn by default.

## Taste Rules

- Lead with a specific tension, not a category claim.
- Make the reader feel "this is about my problem" before asking for attention.
- Prefer concrete nouns, numbers, stakes, and tradeoffs.
- Avoid fake contrarianism, engagement bait, vague inspiration, and "game changer" language.
- Do not overpromise. A hook should create curiosity the post can satisfy.
- Do not use hashtags unless the user asks.

## Workflow

1. Identify the strongest tension:
   pain, surprise, status, proof, urgency.

2. Pick hook families:
   observation, confession, result, teardown, behind-the-scenes, warning, open loop.

3. Generate in batches:
   10 hooks for the primary platform, 5 safer variants, 5 sharper variants, and 3 anti-hooks to avoid.

4. Score the best hooks from 1-5 on:
   audience specificity, curiosity, credibility, platform fit, and follow-through potential.

5. Return the top 5 with one-line rationale and the post angle each hook implies.

## Platform Adjustments

- X: compressed, opinionated, high information density.
- Instagram: visual-first, caption supports the creative instead of carrying all context.
- Facebook: accessible, conversational, clear enough for broader mixed audiences.
- LinkedIn: clear professional stakes, less irony, more context.
- TikTok/YouTube: first 1-2 seconds must be visual or spoken plainly.
- Pinterest: outcome-led, searchable, and tied to a concrete visual promise.
- Threads: conversational, casual, founder/personality-led.
- Bluesky: concise, specific, and less sales-coded.

## Output Format

```md
## Recommended Hooks
1. "[hook]"
   Angle: [post angle]
   Why it works: [one sentence]
   Score: [x]/25
## Safer Variants
...
## Sharper Variants
...
## Avoid
- "[anti-hook]" - [why]
```

## AgentReacher Notes

This skill works well inside AgentReacher campaign workflows where one product moment becomes scheduled variants across X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads, and Bluesky.

Example usage in AgentReacher: "Create hooks for a launch campaign announcing autonomous social posting from ChatGPT and Claude."