Hook Writing

Before Starting

.agents/youtube-context.md

• If it exists: Read it. Use the channel's voice, audience, and style to match the hook's tone.
• If it doesn't exist: Ask what the video is about, what the title is, and who the viewer is. Recommend running

  youtube-context

  first.

Context Questions

1. What's the video title? (The hook must deliver on the title's promise immediately.)
2. What's the single most important takeaway? (The hook previews this.)
3. What type of video is this? (Tutorial, story, opinion, comparison, results.)
4. What does the viewer want to learn or feel? (This determines the emotional entry point.)
5. What's the most surprising or compelling thing in the video? (Front-load it.)

Core Principles

1. The hook is not an introduction. Do not introduce yourself, your channel, or what the video is about. The viewer already knows -- they read the title and thumbnail. Start with the content.
2. Match the title's energy in the first 5 seconds. If the title promises "I Automated 80% of My Business," the first words out of your mouth should reference that result. Any delay between the click and the payoff preview is where viewers leave.
3. Create a reason to stay, not a reason to click. The title/thumbnail got the click. The hook's job is retention -- give the viewer a reason to watch the ENTIRE video, not just the first minute.
4. One hook, three channels. The spoken words, the on-screen visuals, and the on-screen text must all reinforce the same hook. Misalignment kills retention. Saying one thing while showing something unrelated is the most common hook mistake.
5. Front-load your best material. Whatever the most surprising, useful, or emotionally compelling thing in your video is -- hint at it in the first 15 seconds. Don't save your best for the end. Most viewers never get there.
6. No throat-clearing. "Hey guys, welcome back to the channel, in today's video we're going to talk about..." -- this is throat-clearing. Cut it all. Start mid-thought, mid-action, mid-result.

The 3-Step Hook Formula

Step 1: Context Lean-In (2-5 seconds)

• "Last month I was spending 8 hours a week on reports."
• "Every founder I talk to says the same thing about hiring."
• "I've been testing this tool for 30 days and the results are ridiculous."

Step 2: Scroll-Stop Interjection (3-8 seconds)

• "So I replaced the entire process with one AI agent."
• "Turns out, the conventional wisdom is completely wrong."
• "It cut my workflow from 8 hours to 45 minutes."

Step 3: Contrarian Snapback (5-15 seconds)

• "And in this video I'm going to show you exactly how to set it up -- the same system I use in my real business."
• "But here's what nobody tells you about this approach -- and it nearly cost me $50K."
• "I'm going to walk you through the 5-step process, and by step 3 you'll understand why most people get this wrong."

Hook Formulas by Video Type

Multi-Channel Alignment

Alignment Example

Retention Rhythm After the Hook

• Re-hook every 2-3 minutes. Introduce new tension, pose a question, tease what's coming next.
• Pattern: Tension → Payoff → New tension → Payoff (repeat).
• Never go more than 3 minutes without re-engaging the viewer.
• "But here's where it gets interesting..." / "Now this is the part most people get wrong..." -- these are mid-video re-hooks.

What NOT to Do

• Don't introduce yourself first. "Hey I'm Craig and welcome to..." wastes the first 5 seconds.
• Don't recap the title. "Today we're going to talk about [title]" adds nothing. They already read it.
• Don't ask viewers to subscribe in the first 30 seconds. Earn it first. CTA goes mid-video or end.
• Don't start with a sponsor read. Put sponsors at 60-90 seconds minimum, after the hook has landed.
• Don't use a branded intro/animation. 5-second animated logos are vanity. They cost retention.
• Don't build up slowly. "Before we get into it, let me give you some context..." -- NO. Context comes after the hook, if needed.
• Don't be vague. "This video is going to change everything" is empty. "This one tool saved me 8 hours a week" is concrete.

Process

1. Get the video title and topic.
2. Identify the single most compelling moment or result in the video.
3. Write the 3-step hook (Context Lean-In → Scroll-Stop → Contrarian Snapback).
4. Write the visual and text overlay directions for each step.
5. Time-check: does the full hook fit in 20-30 seconds when spoken naturally?
6. Read it out loud. Does it sound like conversation, not a script?

Output Format

## Hook for: "[Video Title]"

### Spoken Script (25-30 seconds)

[Step 1 — Context Lean-In]
[Step 2 — Scroll-Stop Interjection]
[Step 3 — Contrarian Snapback]

### Visual Direction

- 0-5s: [What appears on screen]
- 5-10s: [What appears on screen]
- 10-20s: [What appears on screen]
- 20-30s: [What appears on screen]

### Text Overlays

- [Timestamp]: "[Text]" — [position, style]

### Transition to Body

[One sentence that bridges from the hook into the main content]

### Retention Target

70%+ retention at 30 seconds.

Related Skills

• script-structure -- The hook is the first section of the script. Run hook-writing first, then build the full script around it.
• title-craft -- The hook must deliver on the title's promise. Write the title first.
• thumbnail-design -- The thumbnail sets visual expectations the hook must match.
• retention-editing -- Editing reinforces the hook's pacing and visual rhythm.
• video-analysis -- Analyze retention curves to see if your hooks are working.