Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing / The Em Dash Made This Headline Pull 38 Percent Better
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this moment in a headline where you've got a setup and then a payoff, and the space between them is where the magic happens. Most writers just use a comma, but I want to talk about the em dash, and why swapping that comma for a dash can lift response by nearly forty percent. Luna: Wait, an em dash? The long dash that looks like a suspended hyphen? That's a persuasive tool? Lucas: It is, and it's one of those things that's been hiding in plain sight. Think about it: your eye catches a headline, it reads a phrase, and then there's this dash that stops you for a split second before the reveal. That pause is pure drama. Luna: Yeah, I remember you talking about the pause in spoken language, but I never thought about how a dash creates that same rhythm in writing. Lucas: Exactly. And before we go deeper on the mechanics, I want to mention something that keeps this podcast going. We deliberately don't run ads on these episodes. It's a choice that keeps the conversation clean and focused on the craft. If you've ever learned something here that you've actually used in your own writing, and you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: It's a nice way to keep this ad-free and exactly as nerdy as we want it to be. Lucas: So, back to the dash. I want to walk through a specific split test from a 2025 email campaign. The subject line was, 'Your next client is closer than you think' with a comma before 'and here's how to land them.' The alternative version swapped that comma for an em dash. The dash version pulled a thirty-eight percent higher click-through. Luna: Thirty-eight percent just from a punctuation swap? That's huge. But was it just because the dash made the subject line longer? Lucas: That's a fair question. But length was the same. The only difference was the typography. So the dash wasn't adding information, it was changing the flow. And that flow is the whole story. Lucas: Let me get into the psychology. When you read a comma, your brain treats it like a gentle pause, a soft separator. But an em dash signals a bigger break, a kind of dramatic turn. It's like the musical equivalent of a rest before the final chord. Luna: So it's not just a longer pause, it's a different quality of pause. Lucas: Right. And that's why it works so well in headlines. Headlines are promises. The first part sets up an expectation, and the dash sets up a surprise or a payoff. It's the difference between 'New study reveals the secret to better sleep, and it's not what you think' and 'New study reveals the secret to better sleep–it's not what you think.' The second version feels more mysterious, more urgent. Luna: Yeah, I can feel that. The comma just kind of rolls into the next part. The dash stops you and makes you pay attention to what's coming. Lucas: And that attention is the currency of copywriting. If you can hold the reader's eye for an extra half second, that's often the difference between a click and a scroll past. Luna: So should we just replace every comma with an em dash then? Lucas: No, and that's the trap. The power comes from using it sparingly. If every headline has a dash, the pause loses its punch. It becomes noise. The dash works because it's unexpected, because it breaks the pattern. Lucas: There's also a brand voice angle. A dash can feel more casual, more direct, more conversational. It's great for brands that want to sound like a smart friend. But for a more formal brand, a dash might feel too informal, too abrupt. So you have to match the punctuation to the persona. Luna: That's a good point. Like, you wouldn't see a dash in a legal document, but it's perfect for a startup's homepage. Lucas: Exactly. And let me give you another concrete example from a sales letter. The headline was, 'How a retired teacher made $50,000 in six months' and then there was a dash and 'without a single student.' The original version with a period just didn't have the same pull. The dash created that contrast, that surprise that made you want to read on. Luna: So it's not just about the pause, it's about the contrast that the pause highlights. Lucas: Precisely. The dash sets up a tension between the first part and the second part. And tension is what keeps people reading. Lucas: Now, I want to be honest about the limits. Does this work in every medium? In subject lines, it's been shown to boost open rates, but in body copy, it can be overused. And in formal writing, like a white paper, it might undermine credibility. Luna: So it's a tool for short-form persuasion, not for long-form authority. Lucas: Right. But there's another layer: the dash can also signal a shift in tone, from serious to playful, or from fact to opinion. That's powerful in social media posts and landing pages. Luna: Can you give us an example of that? Lucas: Sure. 'We've helped 10,000 businesses grow' and then a dash and 'here's how.' That turns a stat into a story. Or 'You're one decision away' and then a dash and 'make it today.' That's a call to action with a built-in push. Luna: I notice you're using dashes naturally in your speech. Do you think that's why it works in writing? Lucas: That's a great observation. In spoken language, we use pauses to emphasize, to create suspense, to signal a turn. The dash translates that into text. It's the closest thing to the human voice that punctuation can do. Luna: So it's not just a typographic gimmick, it's a way to make copy feel more human. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why it works so well in a world where everyone is competing for attention. A dash can cut through the noise because it triggers a different reading rhythm. Lucas: But here's a caution: don't use a dash just for the sake of it. If the payoff isn't surprising or the contrast isn't strong, it won't help. The dash amplifies a good idea; it doesn't create one. Luna: So the next time I write a headline, I should ask myself if the second half is worth the dramatic pause. Lucas: That's the discipline. And when it fits, test it. Run an A/B test, like the one I mentioned. You might be surprised by the lift. Luna: Have you seen any cases where the dash actually hurt performance? Lucas: I have. In a few cases, the dash added a sense of urgency that felt pushy for a luxury brand. The audience valued a more reserved tone, and the dash felt too aggressive. So it's not universally positive, it's about alignment with your brand and your message. Lucas: And there's a technical note, too. In digital media, the dash is easy to render, but in some old email clients, it might not appear properly. So if you're sending an HTML email, you want to use the proper em dash character, not a double hyphen. Luna: Good to know. It's a small detail, but it can make a difference in how it's perceived. Lucas: Alright, let's wrap up with a simple takeaway. Next time you're editing a headline or a subject line, look for a natural break. If you find a spot where a comma feels too soft, try an em dash. See if it adds a beat of suspense. And if it does, you've just made your copy more persuasive with one keystroke. Luna: And if it feels forced, you know the dash isn't the problem, it's the idea. Lucas: Exactly. The dash is a spotlight, not a solution. Use it to shine on something worth seeing.