hook-matrix-forge: the hook matrix
What it does
Section titled “What it does”Turns a cleared angle territory into a testable matrix of openings. For each territory it forges 7 to 15 hooks across genuinely distinct mechanisms, so you are testing different ways of opening the argument rather than fifteen rewordings of one.
Two things make the matrix usable rather than decorative:
- Every hook is built from a real customer verbatim (carrying its bank id), or from a real observed line anchored to its source, or it is labelled CRAFT so you always know which is which. It never quietly presents invented language as customer language.
- One variable per cell. Openings lock, so when a test comes back you know what actually moved.
Each hook ships with mobile-legible overlay copy already written and per-platform fitness notes.
When to reach for it
Section titled “When to reach for it”- You have an angle map and need the executions.
- Building a creative batch and want the openings to be a real test rather than a vibe.
- “Write me hooks from our reviews.”
- Your ads all open the same way and you need mechanism variety.
Where it runs
Section titled “Where it runs”Both. Read-only.
What it needs from you
Section titled “What it needs from you”- A ranked angle territory from angle-architect.
- A voice-of-customer bank. Without one, the matrix comes back mostly labelled CRAFT, and it will say so rather than dressing invented lines as verbatims.
- The platforms you are writing for.
What you get back
Section titled “What you get back”- The angle × hook matrix, persona-tagged, 7 to 15 openings per territory.
- The mechanism family each hook belongs to, so you can see the spread.
- The evidence tier per hook: banked verbatim, anchored real line, or CRAFT.
- Ready-to-use overlay copy, already sized for mobile legibility.
- Platform fitness notes.
A worked example
Section titled “A worked example”You: “Hooks for the upkeep angle.”
11 openings across 6 mechanisms. Verbatim-led (
VOC-011): “I don’t want another thing to maintain.” Confession: “My last one lasted nine days.” Cost-of-inaction: “The one you quit still costs you $40 a month.” Category callout: “Every brand sells you the cold. Nobody mentions the cleaning.” Two labelled CRAFT, flagged as unbanked. Overlay copy written for each, at feed-legible sizes.
Tips & gotchas
Section titled “Tips & gotchas”- One variable per cell is what makes the test readable. If you change the hook and the image and the offer, you have learned nothing about any of them.
- CRAFT labels are a feature. They tell you which lines have real customer weight behind them and which are your writer being clever. Both are legitimate; conflating them is not.
- Test across mechanisms, not within one. Six confession-style hooks is one test.
- Lock the opening once it is testing. Editing mid-flight is how you get results that mean nothing.
Related skills
Section titled “Related skills”Consumes angle-architect territories and voc-miner banks. Feeds concept-lab, meta-image-ad-generator, seedance-video-ad-generator and ad-overlay-copy-engine.