hook

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Translated

Create retention-optimized opening hooks for any content type. Extends curiosity from title/headline, prevents common opening mistakes, and maximizes early engagement.

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Sourcekenneth-liao/ai-launchpad-marketplace
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NPX Install

npx skill4agent add kenneth-liao/ai-launchpad-marketplace hook

Tags

Translated version includes tags in frontmatter
content-hook-creationaudience-retentionengagement-optimizationhook-patternscontent-strategy

SKILL.md Content

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Hook Creation

Overview

This skill provides concrete requirements and proven patterns for creating opening hooks that retain audience attention, extend title/headline curiosity, and maximize engagement. The opening content is critical for retention across all platforms — video, email, and social.
Core Principle: The opening must EXTEND the curiosity created by the title/headline, not repeat or waste it. The audience already engaged based on the title's promise. The opening must ADD new intrigue and make them MORE interested.

When to Use

Use this skill when:
  • Planning new content and need to design the opening hook
  • Reviewing an existing opening for engagement optimization
  • The user asks for help with retention, early drop-off, or opening strategy
  • Creating content that requires strong audience engagement from the start
  • Analyzing why content has poor early engagement metrics

Content Type Resolution

Before creating hooks, determine the content type and load the appropriate platform-specific reference file:
Content TypeReference FileOpening Format
YouTube video
references/youtube-hooks.md
First 5-15 seconds of video
Newsletter
references/newsletter-hooks.md
First paragraph / preview text
Social post
references/social-hooks.md
First line / hook tweet
MANDATORY: Read the relevant reference file before creating hooks. These references contain platform-specific patterns, timing requirements, and forbidden patterns.
If the content type does not match any reference file, apply the universal principles below and adapt to the format.

Critical Requirements

1. Curiosity Extension (CRITICAL)

Opening content MUST build upon the intrigue from the title/headline, never repeat it.
CORRECT Example:
  • Title: "Teach Your Cat 5 Tricks in 10 Minutes"
  • Opening: Rapid preview montage of impressive tricks in action
  • Audience thinks: "I can teach my cat ALL of that in only 10 minutes?!"
INCORRECT Example:
  • Title: "Teach Your Cat 5 Tricks in 10 Minutes"
  • Opening: "Today we're going to look at 5 tricks you can teach your cat in 10 minutes"
  • Audience thinks: "I know. Get on with it."
The opening must make the audience MORE interested than when they engaged. Attention must INCREASE, not drain.

2. Direct Content Connection (MANDATORY)

Opening content MUST directly relate to the title/headline promise.
Rules:
  • NO unrelated tangents or side stories in the opening
  • NO delayed starts where main content appears much later
  • Content must be tightly connected to the promised value
  • If additional context is needed, it must come AFTER the hook is established

3. Forbidden Opening Patterns

These patterns are DISQUALIFYING violations across all content types:

3.1 DO NOT Repeat the Title (FORBIDDEN)

Never restate what the title already communicated. The audience already has this information. Repetition drains attention.

3.2 DO NOT Greet Before Hooking (FORBIDDEN)

Never start with greetings, welcomes, or introductions before the hook. Greetings are acceptable AFTER the initial hook is established.
  • Bad: "Hi everyone, welcome back..."
  • Bad: "Hey what's up, thanks for clicking..."
  • Bad: "In this issue, we'll cover..."

3.3 DO NOT Start with Unrelated Content (FORBIDDEN)

Never open with tangents, stories, or content disconnected from the title/headline promise. Audience confusion triggers abandonment.

Effective Opening Hook Patterns

Use one of these proven hook structures:

Pattern A: Preview/Teaser

Show a brief glimpse of the payoff before diving into the full content.
Creates thought: "I need to know how to do that!" or "I need to read this."
Works best for: Educational content, tutorials, how-to guides.

Pattern B: Intrigue Escalation

Add surprising context that makes the promise MORE compelling than the title alone.
Example: Title about a technique -> Open with "What I'm about to show you took professionals years to discover, but you'll learn it in 60 seconds."
Creates thought: "This is even better than I expected!"
Works best for: Expert content, reveals, insider knowledge.

Pattern C: Problem Amplification

Immediately validate why the audience needs this content by amplifying the problem.
Example: Title about mistakes -> Open with "If you're doing [X], you're losing [specific bad outcome]."
Creates thought: "I need to fix this now!"
Works best for: Problem-solving content, mistake-avoidance content.

Pattern D: Immediate Value Demonstration

Jump straight into delivering on the promise. No preamble, just results.
Creates thought: "This is exactly what I came for!"
Works best for: Tactical content, quick tips, high-value insights.

Hook Creation Workflow

When creating or reviewing opening hooks, follow this workflow:
  1. Review title/headline — Understand what curiosity was created
  2. Identify the escalation — How can the opening make it MORE intriguing?
  3. Choose hook pattern — Which structure (A/B/C/D) best serves the content?
  4. Draft opening content — Create the opening section
  5. Apply verification checklist — Ensure all requirements are met
  6. Test against forbidden patterns — Ensure none of the 3 forbidden patterns are present

Voice Application

Before finalizing any written output, invoke the 
writing:voice
skill to apply voice rules. Hooks should reflect the user's authentic voice, not generic copywriting language.

Brand Compliance

When creating assets for The AI Launchpad, invoke 
branding-kit:brand-guidelines
to resolve the correct design system and check anti-patterns.

Quality Verification Checklist

Before finalizing any opening hook, verify ALL of these:
  • Non-Repetition Test: Does this opening avoid repeating the title? (Must be YES)
  • Curiosity Extension Test: Does this make the audience MORE curious than the title alone?
  • Direct Connection Test: Is this immediately related to what the title promised?
  • No Greeting First Test: Does this avoid greetings before the hook? (Must be YES)
  • Attention Increase Test: Will this INCREASE audience attention, not drain it?
  • Engagement Validation Test: Does this confirm the audience made the right choice engaging?
  • Platform Timing Test: Does this meet the platform-specific timing/length requirements?

Common Failure Patterns

Pattern 1: The Friendly But Empty Greeting

Bad: "Hi everyone, welcome! Thanks so much for being here..."
Problem: Drains attention before value is delivered.

Pattern 2: The Exact Repetition

Bad: Title: "5 AI Agent Patterns"
     Opening: "Today I'm showing you 5 AI agent patterns"
Problem: Audience already knows this. No new information.

Pattern 3: The Meandering Start

Bad: Title: "Amazing Coding Hack"
     Opening: "So I was browsing GitHub yesterday and I saw
     this interesting repo and it reminded me of..."
Problem: Takes too long to get to the promised content.

Pattern 4: The Over-Explanation

Bad: "Before we get started, let me explain why this is
     important and give you some background on..."
Problem: Delays the payoff. Audience loses patience.

Critical Success Factors

Priority Order (highest to lowest):
  1. DO NOT repeat the title (instant failure if violated)
  2. Extend curiosity beyond the title/headline
  3. Connect directly to promised content
  4. DO NOT greet before hooking
  5. Meet platform-specific timing/length requirements
CRITICAL: If the opening repeats the title, greets before hooking, or starts with unrelated content, the hook has FAILED regardless of other qualities. These are disqualifying violations.