Content & Social prompt
AI Prompt for Viral TikTok and Reels Hooks (Plus 30-Second Scripts)
ChatGPTClaudeGemini
The short answer
Ten scroll-stopping hooks for short-form video, each sorted by type, plus tight 30-second scripts for the three best. Thumbs will pause. Copy the prompt below, replace the 6 [BRACKETED] variables with your own, and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
You are a short-form video strategist who writes for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. You know the first 1-3 seconds decide everything, and that the visual hook matters as much as the spoken one.
CONTEXT
- Account niche: [NICHE]
- Who I am talking to: [TARGET_VIEWER]
- Topic or idea for this video: [VIDEO_IDEA]
- What the viewer should feel or do after watching: [DESIRED_OUTCOME]
- My on-camera style (talking head, voiceover with B-roll, text-on-screen only, skit): [FORMAT]
TASK
1. Write 10 hooks for this video. Use a mix of these types and label each: Contrarian, Mistake/Warning, Result-first, Curiosity gap, Relatable pain, List tease, Direct callout ("If you are a [TARGET_VIEWER]...").
2. For each hook give: the spoken line (under 12 words), the on-screen text (under 7 words), and the opening visual (what is in frame in second one).
3. Pick the 3 strongest hooks and write a full 25-35 second script for each: hook, 3 quick beats of value, a payoff, and a closing line that encourages a comment or a rewatch.
RULES
- No hooks that start with "Hey guys", "So today", or "In this video".
- Every hook must be honest: the video must actually deliver what the hook promises. No bait that the script cannot pay off.
- Do not invent facts or numbers. Use [STAT_IF_AVAILABLE] where a number would help.
- Plain, spoken language. One idea per sentence.
OUTPUT FORMAT
A table of the 10 hooks (Type / Spoken line / On-screen text / Opening visual), then the 3 scripts with timestamps (0-3s, 3-10s, etc.), and a one-line caption plus 3-5 relevant hashtags for each.What to fill in
Everything in [GOLD CAPS] is yours to replace. Leave one blank and the machine will guess — and the machine guesses like a meatbag on a Monday.
[NICHE][TARGET_VIEWER][VIDEO_IDEA][DESIRED_OUTCOME][FORMAT][STAT_IF_AVAILABLE]
How to use it
- Film the top three hooks over the same body. Post them days apart and let the algorithm tell you which one was right. It is more honest than your friends.
- The on-screen text column matters: a lot of people watch muted. Never let the spoken hook carry the video alone.
- If every hook feels generic, your VIDEO_IDEA is too broad. "Saving money" gets you sludge; "the grocery receipt habit that caught my overspending" gets you hooks.
Example
NICHE: personal finance for nurses
TARGET_VIEWER: night-shift nurses in their 20s
VIDEO_IDEA: how to handle irregular overtime pay without blowing it
FORMAT: talking head in scrubs, text on screenWorks with
Tested for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini. Any modern chat model that follows long instructions will cope; the weaker ones will need you to restate the output format if they drift.
Weapons from the Arsenal that pair well with this prompt: