Meet Souha!

Immediately we hit it off in my driveway as we watched the hired muscle (aka our partners) loading said desk onto the trailer and chatted about what we do. Cut to maybe 3 days later and we were swapping cost proposals and witty banter as we collectively quoted on an upcoming project we had on the Crumpet Club books. 

Amy: We’ve now worked with Souha on a myriad of projects and are SO thrilled to officially introduce her as a Crumpie! WELCOME TO CRUMPET CLUB SOUHA!!!!!!!!!

Souha: Good to be here! Rihanna was right, we found love in a hopeless (Market)place.

Didn’t we just! You and I have now bonded over some really weird and wonderful things. Tell the readers, who are you and what is your vibe?

I’m a copywriter, third-culture kid, and big time word nerd. I wield copy and ideas to form stronger connections with people, communities and yes, businesses. I would describe my vibe as expressive, curious and interested – big on feelings.

You run your own copywriting business and collaborate with us creatively (lucky us!!!) – tell us how you got started in the world of words. Have you always been a massive word nerd or is this something that came later in life?

I’m the lucky one. The nerdery is a constant, the words followed.

I worked at an ad agency when digital was in its infancy. (LOL!) There weren’t enough copywriters to cover the work, so our creatives would often ask me, an Account Manager, to draft copy and show them for approval. Eventually, the higher-ups noticed my writing and ideas, and offered me a junior role writing sing-song TVC ads for a major Aussie retailer. The opportunity came with a pay cut, but it’s definitely paid off.

I love that the hustle paid off! Was running your own business always on the cards, or were there other careers on the horizon?

Well, I could’ve been a pharmacist. While I’ve always been an arty kid, STEM really fascinated me. So when I completed VCE, I applied for two degrees; pharmaceutical science and media. It was unconventional given my culture and upbringing (read: I am the eldest daughter of Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern parents, in an Islamic household) but I followed my heart and went with media. I was set on being a film director, but now I call the shots in my own business instead.

What are your opinions on ChatGPT and AI in general?

ChatGPT is like spellcheck in Microsoft Word. If you don’t understand how the English language works, this tool simply enables bad habits, reinforces ignorance, and helps you make mistakes faster. Bring back Clippy. 

I know AI can be useful for making the world more accessible, especially marginalised folks and those excluded from certain industries, information and technologies. But, ChatGPT is flawed, unethical, and not the answer for half the things that most people use it for. 

PREACH! Say our clients are hiring a copywriter for the first time, what advice would you give them?

Firstly, hell yeah. For me, it’s all about clarity, capability and chemistry.

Have a clear understanding of your business and a clear idea of what you want. A clear brief benefits everyone, and a great writer with a strategic background might even help you develop this info.

Make sure you’ve picked the right person for the gig. Has this copywriter done this kind of thing before and can they share examples? Otherwise, have they demonstrated the skills to help you create what you want?

Finally, find someone who is value aligned and gives a damn about the project. Are they invested in you, your business and the task itself? Finding someone who ‘gets you’ can help make the whole process smoother and straight-up enjoyable. This might mean hitting up a few different writers until the chemistry feels right.

Settle the debate: what should come first when building a website – the design or the copy?

Both! I think the best designers consider copy from the get-go, from what kinds of information is essential to your website goals, where the words live, and how much copy might be needed. The same goes for copywriters. The best writers consider the purpose of the website, user experience, and visual hierarchy itself. It’s magic when both disciplines are briefed-in together or work collaboratively. ✨

Do you prefer writing your words on a computer screen or on an IRL notepad?

IRL notepad for chaos, creativity and ideation. A screen for distillation, refinement and edits.

What would a graphologist (someone who studies handwriting) say about your handwriting?

Upper or lower: pick a case, hun.

What is a tone of voice document, and should every brand have one

A tone of voice document is the Rosetta Stone of your brand communications; a blueprint for how you write for customers, other businesses, and even your team. Depending on your brand, you might have a mini TOV or something more comprehensive to cover all bases and all channels.

For me, a TOV should include a brief outline of who your brand is from a personality perspective, as well as a set of guidelines to help clarify your voice, values and vocabulary. It should also include practical tips to help you (or your team) put these words into action. I’m talking: tips for email vs. social captions, product description prompts and rules for print media.

So, if your brand wants to be a) recognisable, b) consistent, or c) efficient, then
yes, a tone of voice can help you achieve all of these things.

How many times have you corrected the spelling or grammar on a sign or restaurant menu in your life?

If restaurants paid me to proof their menus, I would not know hunger.

Any advice for people getting started in business on how to get their copy sounding right for them?

What do you want the copy to do? How do you want to make your audience feel when they read it? Do you want to entice, encourage or poke fun at them? What problems should your copy solve? Is it explaining the complex or brightening something heavy?

Consider other brands, businesses, movie characters or real-life people who do this well. Think about the kinds of language they use that makes people feel this way.

Try a few tones on for size and see what resonates most. If your copy isn’t landing the way you’d hoped, you can always reconfigure, refine and relaunch. The best thing about language is that it can evolve and shift just like our vocabularies.

Quick five:

Are you a passenger princess or captain chauffeur on a roadtrip?

Captain. If you’ve ever received a voice note from me, you’ll know that I’m always driving. That, and I can generally manifest a parking spot.

Dogs or cats or other?

Cats, but also dogs, hens,
and mini ponies.

What’s your go-to comfort watch?

Ru Paul’s Drag Race or the Twilight Saga: a biyearly tradition.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Alchemised,
lol. Iykyk.

Final obligatory question: what’s your favourite crumpet topping?

Butter, crunchy peanut butter, sliced banana, honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.