AI prompts for video hooks and cold opens

Generating genuinely different options

My video is about [TOPIC] for [AUDIENCE]. The payoff is [WHAT THEY GET].

Write 12 opening lines, one per mechanism: contradiction, specific number, warning, confession, unanswerable question, visual instruction, group callout, false assumption, countdown, mid-action open, cost framing, and time framing.

Each under 12 words. Then rank by stopping power for a viewer who has never heard of me, and explain the top three.

In practice: Asking for one hook per mechanism prevents twelve rephrasings of the same idea.

Making sure the hook is actually paid off

Take this hook: [PASTE HOOK]. Write the 30 seconds that follow it.

The opening promise must be partially delivered within those 30 seconds — not deferred to the end — while opening a second loop that keeps the viewer going. No recap of what the video will cover. No channel introduction.

In practice: A hook that promises and then stalls is worse than a boring one.

Fixing an existing video

Here is my current opening: [PASTE FIRST 30 SECONDS]. Retention drops [X]% in the first 15 seconds.

Diagnose it against: does the first line make a promise, is the promise specific, does anything delay it, is there throat-clearing, does it assume context a new viewer lacks. Then rewrite the opening three times with three different fixes, and say which failure each one targets.

In practice: Give the model the actual retention number — it changes how aggressive the rewrite is.

Removing the mismatch that kills retention

My title is [TITLE], my thumbnail shows [DESCRIBE], and my hook is [PASTE HOOK].

Check alignment: do all three make the same promise, does the hook repeat the title verbatim (it should build on it, not restate it), and would a viewer who clicked for the thumbnail feel the hook delivers?

Then give me one revised set where all three point at the same promise from different angles.

In practice: Mismatch between packaging and open is a common invisible retention leak.

One idea, four placements

Rewrite this hook for YouTube long-form, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels: [PASTE HOOK].

Account for the differences: long-form allows a slightly longer build, Shorts and Reels need the payoff signposted in under 2 seconds, TikTok rewards a conversational and slightly unfinished tone. Explain what you changed for each and why.

In practice: Reposting the same open across placements wastes three of the four.