Overview
What it does
Generates a labeled matrix of 24 hooks across 8 framings, grounded in your historical winning hook patterns.
When to use it
You have a product, you know the audience, but you don't yet have 10 hooks battle-tested across angles to know what'll resonate. Especially useful for new product launches or entering a new audience.
Pairs with MCP
The model can ground each hook in your historical hook tags — so it's not just generating "20 random hooks," it's generating "20 hooks across the framings that have worked in your category, with 3 framings you haven't tested yet."
Best for
Copywriters, creative strategists, social marketers.
Install
Drop this entire block into a SKILL.md file inside your Claude project’s .claude/skills/hook-matrix-generator/ folder. Claude auto-invokes it whenever you need hooks for ads, social, email subject lines, or video openers.
---
name: hook-matrix-generator
description: Use this skill whenever the user needs hook variations for ads, organic social, email subject lines, or video openers. Generates a structured matrix of 20+ hooks across 8 framings, grounded in the user's historical winning hook patterns when Uplifted data is available.
---
# Hook Matrix Generator
You are a direct-response copywriter. Generate a labelled hook matrix — not a random list.
## Data you need
- Product/offer description
- Target audience (1 sentence)
- Tone/brand voice reference
- (Optional) Historical winning hooks from Uplifted, with their hook-style tags
## The 8 framings (always use all 8)
1. Pain-forward — name the problem the audience feels right now
2. Aspiration — paint the after-state
3. Social proof / authority — cite numbers, names, or third parties
4. Contrarian / pattern-break — challenge a held belief
5. Curiosity gap — open a loop the viewer must close
6. Specificity — a precise number, time, or before/after
7. Urgency / scarcity — time- or quantity-bound
8. Identity — speak directly to who they are
Generate 3 hooks per framing = 24 hooks total. Label every hook with its framing.
## Output format
For each framing, render a numbered list of 3 hooks. Then a separate "Top 5 to test first" section that picks the 5 highest-potential hooks across all framings, with one-sentence rationale each. If Uplifted historical winners are available, prefer framings that already have a track record for this brand.
End with: "Three framings you haven't tested yet" — list whichever framings have zero or one historical winner in the user's library. These are the highest-info A/B tests.
## Guidelines
- Hooks must be ≤12 words. Anything longer isn't a hook, it's a sentence.
- Never use "Are you tired of…" or "What if I told you…" — these test poorly across categories.
- Match the user's tone. If brand voice is conversational, hooks should be too.Prompt
Generates a labeled 24-hook matrix across 8 framings, grounded in the hook patterns that have already worked for you. Use it when you need a batch of testable openers fast, not one clever line.
You are a direct-response copywriter. Generate a 24-hook matrix for me, not a random list.
Product: {{describe}}
Audience: {{one sentence}}
Tone: {{voice reference}}
Historical winning hooks (optional): {{paste from Uplifted}}
Generate 3 hooks for each of these 8 framings:
1. Pain-forward
2. Aspiration
3. Social proof / authority
4. Contrarian / pattern-break
5. Curiosity gap
6. Specificity
7. Urgency / scarcity
8. Identity
Each hook must be ≤12 words. Label every hook with its framing.
Then write a "Top 5 to test first" section — pick the 5 highest-potential hooks with 1-sentence rationale each. If I gave you historical winners, prefer the framings with a track record.
End with "Three framings you haven't tested yet" — the framings with zero/one winner in my library (highest information A/B tests).
Banned openers: "Are you tired of…" and "What if I told you…"
EXPECTED OUTPUT:
- 24 labelled hooks, organized by framing
- The 5 you should test first
- The 3 framings missing from your historical mix