skills/write-hooks/references/hook-eval-judge.md

# Hook Evaluation Judge

Use this reference to evaluate every hook before including it in output. A hook must pass all 5 tests to ship. About 35% of hooks typically pass this bar.

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## 5-Test Quality Bar

1. **Genuine cognitive friction** — would a stranger scrolling at full speed involuntarily stop? The hook must break autopilot.
2. **Strong psychological trigger** — you must be able to name the specific trigger, and it must feel powerful, not just technically present. Valid triggers: pattern interrupt, identity call-out, pain agitation, curiosity gap, social proof/validation, contrarian/myth-busting, loss aversion, visceral/taboo, relatable experience, brand vulnerability.
3. **Complete thought** — the hook gives the viewer enough to feel the friction. No half-formed ideas, no setups without payoffs. "Most anti-aging serums are like men" — like men HOW? That's incomplete. Don't do that.
4. **Authentic voice** — sounds like something a real person would say on camera, not polished ad copy. If a skeptical viewer would roll their eyes, it fails.
5. **Personal stakes** — answers "why should I care?" There must be a personal emotion, consequence, or desire at play. Naming a tactic without connecting to a feeling is not enough.

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## Tactic x Trigger Menu

| Tactic | What it does | Trigger it runs on |
|---|---|---|
| Aspirational | Frames the identity/lifestyle the viewer wants | Aspiration/Desire |
| Authority | Establishes credibility via expertise or credentials | Social Proof |
| Bold Claim | Makes an outsized or superlative promise | Pattern Interrupt |
| Challenge | Invites the viewer to test or prove something | Identity Call-Out |
| Confession | Candid admission that builds trust through vulnerability | Social Proof, Pattern Interrupt |
| Contrast | Juxtaposes two things to highlight a mismatch | Pattern Interrupt, Pain Agitation |
| Contrarian | Goes against conventional wisdom | Pattern Interrupt, Myth-Busting |
| Curiosity | Creates an open loop that needs closing | Curiosity Gap |
| Demographic Callout | Names a specific audience to make them self-select | Identity Call-Out |
| Direct Address | Speaks directly and personally to the viewer | Identity Call-Out |
| Directive | Instructs the viewer to change a behavior or mindset | Pattern Interrupt |
| Exclusivity | Signals selective or limited access | Urgency, Identity Call-Out |
| Explainer | Explains the reason behind something using "why" | Curiosity Gap, Myth-Busting |
| FOMO | Creates anxiety about missing a trend or movement | Urgency, Social Proof |
| If-Then | Qualifies with a condition, then delivers a promise | Identity Call-Out, Pain Agitation |
| Myth Busting | Directly debunks a widely held misconception | Pattern Interrupt, Myth-Busting |
| Price Anchor | Frames cost against a familiar benchmark | Pattern Interrupt |
| Relatability | Anchors in a shared everyday scenario | Pain Agitation, Identity Call-Out |
| Reverse Psychology | Tells viewer NOT to act to trigger reactance | Pattern Interrupt, Curiosity Gap |
| Risk Reversal | Reduces perceived risk with guarantees | Social Proof |
| Shocking Statement | Leads with a surprising or provocative claim | Pattern Interrupt |
| Social Proof | Leverages reviews, testimonials, or popularity | Social Proof |
| Storytelling | Drops mid-moment into a personal or brand story | Curiosity Gap, Pain Agitation |
| Urgency | Creates time or supply pressure | Urgency |
| Warning | Issues a sincere caution that halts default behavior | Pattern Interrupt, Pain Agitation |

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## What ALWAYS Fails

- Product/brand before tension — lead with friction, not the brand name
- Benefit-first without pain — the viewer must feel the problem before you offer anything
- Content format announcements — "5 signs of...", "3 reasons why...", "Here's how to..." always fail
- Vlog openers with no hook mechanism — "Hey guys, so today..."
- Unfinished hooks — trigger is set up but the thought goes nowhere
- Commands without the why — "Stop buying X" without making the viewer FEEL the cost
- Broad accusations — "You're doing X wrong" must specify HOW or WHAT is at stake
- Overly dramatic claims — "I threw out every pair of shoes I owned" sounds manufactured
- Demographic callouts without emotion — "I'm 43, a mum of three" is a census entry, not a hook. Connect to a fear or desire
- Rhetorical questions with obvious answers — if the viewer isn't personally implicated, it doesn't work
- Generic testimonials — "I love this product" without prior skepticism or surprise
- In-group language for cold traffic — don't assume the viewer knows your world

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## Calibrated PASS Examples

- "So [celebrity] came out with a protein and I do not think I have ever been more offended." — Celebrity pattern interrupt with humor and curiosity gap. You need to know why they're offended.
- "We apologize to anyone who purchased our starter kit bundle because we lied." — Brand vulnerability. An apology from a brand is so unexpected it forces attention.
- "You know, normally I'd be like, wow, really shiny hair. No, girl, this is oil. This is all oil." — Relatable experience with visceral honesty. The pivot from compliment to confession is authentic.
- "This one easy mistake will cost you thousands when buying a used car." — Loss aversion with specific stakes. The viewer feels the cost personally.
- "Why did no one tell me these foods were hurting me?" — Pain agitation with betrayal. The viewer feels implicated — am I eating those foods too?
- "This is my 48 year old chest, redness, rosacea, broken capillaries, stretch marks." — Visceral vulnerability with demographic specificity. Raw and real.
- "The second I get home from doing anything, you can bet the makeup is immediately coming off." — Relatable experience. The precision of the routine makes it feel real and universal.
- "Have I been a mom for almost five years and never have had a nebulizer?" — Identity call-out with self-directed disbelief. Parents immediately feel implicated.

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## Calibrated FAIL Examples

- "[Brand] bikes are lightweight, kid-friendly, and thoughtfully designed." — Benefit-first, no tension. Just a product description.
- "These [brand] meals really made my life so much easier." — Generic testimonial. No prior skepticism, no surprise, no friction.
- "Three reasons why men love [brand]. Number one, self-locking design." — Content format announcement. "Three reasons why..." is an instant scroll-past.
- "Well, top of the morning, friends. Hope you're having a good one. I'm going to pop my probiotic and then be on my way." — Vlog opener with zero hook mechanism. Nothing creates friction.
- "Hey, [name] here, and please don't scroll because I got to tell you something." — Asking not to scroll is not a trigger. There's no reason to care.
- "Did you know 65 to 90% of cancers are preventable based off of lifestyle factors?" — Stat-lead with no personal stake. Facts don't stop scrolls — feelings do.
- "I told y'all we were doing a restock restock." — In-group language for cold traffic. Only makes sense if you already follow this brand.
- "Listen, you don't have to keep scrolling in silence. Finding a therapist doesn't need to be this hard." — Command without the why. Telling someone to stop scrolling doesn't make them stop.

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## Format Constraints

- Hooks: 1-10 words or one to two sentences. Winning hooks average 75 characters and never exceed 100.
- Conversational, authentic, specific to the brand's actual product and audience.
- Vary tactics across all hooks — use a different tactic for each. Do not repeat the same tactic or trigger pattern.