Headline and Hook Generator

Produces 10–15 headlines across five strategic categories — each with a character count, strategic note, and hook continuation — plus a top 3 ranking and an A/B test suggestion.

What it does

Generates headlines in five strategic categories, each representing a meaningfully different angle rather than cosmetic rewrites of the same idea:

• Direct benefit — states the outcome plainly; the value proposition is the headline
• Curiosity gap — creates an information gap the content honestly resolves; bait-and-switch options are discarded
• Specificity — uses precise numbers, timeframes, or details; where exact figures aren't available, placeholders are marked [VERIFY]
• Contrarian — challenges a common belief, only where the content genuinely supports the position; forced angles are flagged
• Social proof — leads with a result, data point, or evidence rather than an assertion

Every headline includes a character count (useful for platform constraints), a strategic note explaining why the approach fits this audience and format, and a hook continuation — the first 1–2 sentences that follow the headline and show how the opening develops.

The output closes with a top 3 recommendation with ranking rationale, and an A/B test suggestion specifying which two headlines to test first and what the test is designed to teach.

Banned formats — "The Ultimate Guide", "Everything You Need to Know", "A Comprehensive Guide", "X Tips for Y" — are never produced.

When to use it

Use it before finalising any content piece, once you have a clear topic, target audience, format, and value proposition. Works across blog posts, landing pages, emails, social posts, ads, and video. Register and length are adjusted to match the platform. Sonnet is the recommended model. The output from content-brief-generator provides the strategic inputs this skill needs.

When not to use it

• Without a clear topic and value proposition — generic inputs produce generic headlines regardless of category
• For email subject lines with preview text — use subject-line-generator for that; it adds mobile truncation checks and performance risk ratings
• For body copy or long-form drafting — this skill covers opening lines only