Is English still king for content writing?

Authored by Nikhil Pradhan, Senior Content Manager, Freo

Writing, not just content writing, has long been a domain ruled by the English language. English writers have dominated everything from journalism to advertising to professional writing in India and around the world. It’s understandable - English is the most widely spoken language globally, with 1.5 billion speakers.

In India, while only 11% of the population (130 million approx.) can speak English, 88% (114 million) live in cities. In terms of overall numbers, this makes India home to the second largest population of English speakers in the world, only behind the USA.

On top of these staggering numbers, English remains the lingua franca for urban businesses in India, especially those involved in technology and finance. Consequently, most content writers find it necessary to focus on English.

So, is it enough for content writers to keep their blinders on and stay on the well-tread path?

Probably not.

The democratization of information

Ironically, the rise of affordable smartphones & other consumer technology has resulted in English having to make room for other languages. The smartphone democratized information and made it inexpensive. As a result, neither do publishers of information have to spend money to print physical media nor do consumers have to pay a lot to purchase that information.

More people are now consuming media, information, and content at home or on the go for free. With this number also comes a diversity of languages meaning that many more people are consuming and seeking content in languages other than English.

Therefore, while English remains the most important language to master for content writers, it no longer holds a monopoly.

Today, content writers in India have plenty of opportunities to explore in languages other than English. These opportunities include:

Multi-lingual apps & websites

Indians downloaded apps 27 billion times in 2021, making it the second-largest app market behind China. Many apps, especially high-involvement ones such as banking, payments, finance, education etc., are now available in multiple languages. Also, websites continue to remain a popular destination for Indians. As a result, many brands in the categories mentioned above also offer multi-lingual websites.

Therefore, It’s a good idea for writers who have mastered multiple languages to upskill in UX & web writing to capitalize on this trend.

Media Outreach

As more cities, towns, & villages open up to e-commerce and digital services, it has become essential for brands to speak to these consumers through both organic and paid means. For the former, this means writing content like articles, listicles, blogs, press releases etc., for regional publications and websites. 

Documentation & compliance

Another consequence of a rapidly expanding consumer base is that product and brand-related documentation must also be in languages consumers are comfortable with. Whether it’s product manuals, FAQs, or more, there is a growing requirement for writers proficient in different languages.

Similarly, more markets mean more regulations and compliance requirements. This further widens the scope of content requirements to include contracts, agreements, policies, & other documents of a legal nature.   

Translation

While translation is a different skill set than content writing, it’s worth mastering. By becoming proficient translators, writers can work on all of the above projects and open themselves up to working on content for A.V. scripts, books, & a lot more.

As is apparent, there are plenty of reasons why English continues to dominate content writing. However, I hope I’ve also been able to offer many reasons why content writers should expand their skills to other languages. Not only will doing so help them stay ahead of developments like A.I. generated content, but it will also help them become an in-demand professional at both agencies & brand marketing teams.