/ads-hooks

name: Scroll-Stopping Hook Generator
description: Generates 20+ scroll-stopping ad hooks organized by psychological angle (pain, curiosity, social proof, contrarian, urgency) with platform-specific formatting, A/B variations, and psychology breakdowns

Scroll-Stopping Hook Generator

Skill Purpose

Generate 20+ battle-tested hooks that stop the scroll across every major ad platform. Hooks are the single most important element in any ad — the first 1-3 seconds determine whether your ad gets watched or ignored. This skill produces hooks organized by psychological angle, each with platform-specific formatting, an A/B variation, a psychology breakdown explaining why it works, and guidance on where to use it. Output is ready to plug directly into ad copy, video scripts, or email subject lines.

When to Use

• User runs `/ads hooks`
• User asks for scroll-stopping hooks, opening lines, or attention-grabbers
• Called as a subagent from `/ads strategy` (the main orchestrator)
• User needs hooks for ad creative, video intros, or email campaigns
• User wants to improve CTR on existing ads by testing new hooks

Input Requirements

• **Required:** Business context — a URL, product/service description, or prior strategy data
• **Optional:** Target persona, specific platform focus, industry vertical, offer details

How to Execute

Step 1: Gather Business & Audience Context

If a URL is provided, fetch it using `WebFetch` and extract:

• Business name, industry, and niche
• Core value proposition and USPs
• Target audience indicators
• Pain points the product/service solves
• Price point and offer structure
• Social proof assets (review count, client count, awards)
• Competitor landscape

Run supplementary research:

WebSearch: "[Industry]" best performing ad hooks
WebSearch: "[Industry]" viral ad examples
WebSearch: "[Product category]" ad copy examples high CTR

Establish the hook foundation:

## Hook Foundation

**Business:** [Name]
**Product/Service:** [What they sell]
**Target Audience:** [Primary persona in 1 sentence]
**Core Pain Point:** [The #1 problem the audience has]
**Core Desire:** [The #1 outcome the audience wants]
**USP:** [What makes this different from competitors]
**Proof Points:** [Stats, results, testimonials available]
**Offer:** [Current promotion, pricing, free trial]

Step 2: Generate Hooks by Psychological Angle

Generate **20+ hooks minimum** distributed across 5 psychological angles:

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Angle 1: Pain/Problem Hooks (5 minimum)

These hooks work by calling out a pain the audience already feels. They create instant recognition — "that's me!" — which stops the scroll.

**Psychology:** Loss aversion. People are 2x more motivated to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. Pain hooks activate the amygdala's threat detection system.

**Template patterns:**

• "Stop [doing painful thing] and start [doing desired thing]"
• "If you're still [painful situation], here's why..."
• "[Number]% of [audience] are making this [topic] mistake"
• "The [topic] mistake that's costing you [specific loss]"
• "You're losing [specific amount] every [time period] because..."

For each hook:

### Hook P[number]: [Hook Text]

**Full text:** [The complete hook — 1-2 sentences max]
**A/B variation:** [Alternate version testing a different angle or word choice]
**Character count:** [count] characters
**Best platform(s):** [where this hook performs best]
**Funnel stage:** [TOFU / MOFU / BOFU]
**Why it works:** [2-3 sentences on the psychology — which cognitive bias, emotional trigger, or pattern interrupt is at play]
**How to use it:**
- **Facebook/Instagram ad:** [how to format — as primary text opening, headline, or text overlay]
- **TikTok/Reels:** [how to deliver — on-screen text, voiceover opening, or both]
- **Google ad:** [how to adapt — as headline, description opening]
- **YouTube pre-roll:** [how to deliver in first 5 seconds]
- **Email subject line:** [adapted version for email]
**Emoji treatment:** [which emojis to add and where, or "none — let the words hit"]
**Hashtag pairing:** [2-3 relevant hashtags if used on social]

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Angle 2: Curiosity/Question Hooks (5 minimum)

These hooks create an information gap that the viewer must close. The brain cannot tolerate an open loop — curiosity is physically uncomfortable until resolved.

**Psychology:** The Zeigarnik Effect. Unfinished thoughts create cognitive tension. Question hooks exploit the brain's compulsion to find answers.

**Template patterns:**

• "What happens when you [unexpected action] with [topic]?"
• "I tested [thing] for [time period]. Here's what happened..."
• "The [topic] secret that [authority] don't want you to know"
• "Why do [successful people] always [unexpected behavior]?"
• "I asked [number] [experts] one question. Their answer shocked me."
• "This [simple thing] changed my [topic] forever. (Not what you think.)"

For each hook, use the same template as Angle 1.

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Angle 3: Social Proof/Authority Hooks (5 minimum)

These hooks leverage other people's actions or endorsements to trigger herd behavior. If others are doing it, it must be good.

**Psychology:** Social proof (Cialdini). Authority bias. The bandwagon effect. We look to others' behavior to determine the correct course of action, especially under uncertainty.

**Template patterns:**

• "[Number] [audience type] already [action]. Here's why."
• "[Authority figure/company] uses this [product/strategy]. You should too."
• "We helped [X] clients [achieve result] in [timeframe]"
• "Rated [X] stars by [number] [audience]. Here's what they're saying..."
• "[Well-known company] switched to [product/approach]. Their results?"
• "The [product/method] that [impressive stat] people can't stop talking about"

For each hook, use the same template as Angle 1.

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Angle 4: Contrarian/Controversial Hooks (3 minimum)

These hooks challenge conventional wisdom or say something the audience doesn't exp