More and more we see people working well into their late 60’s, a time previously reserved for retirement.

When you plan for retirement, you might be thinking about spending time with your grandkids, visiting the world, or settling in some warm town. But it appears that this idea is outdated as far as many baby boomers are concerned.

And by the way, for those of you who may not be familiar with the term “Baby Boomers”, it generally refers to people born between the years of 1946 and 1964.

If you are in this age group, and still want to work – for extra income, to stay active or for any other personal fulfillment, you are not alone.

In fact, in a Glassdoor report published on 12^th November, “Job and Hiring Trends for 2020”, they state that “Baby boomers will be the fastest-growing age category in the U.S. and U.K. workforces next year.”

In this report, Glassdoor Chief Economist Andrew Chamberlain explained that;

“In 2020 and beyond, we expect to see a dramatic shift in recruiting focus, with more strategies aimed at attracting the booming 65+ workforce and using it to companies’ strategic advantage.”

During a recent discussion amongst some of my colleagues at iDesignYours, we came to the conclusion that Digital Marketing may be one of the best “Retirement Career” choices for baby boomers.

Benefits for Baby Boomers To Choose Online Marketing as a Continuing Career;

In Most Cases It Is Self-Taught

Many online marketers are self-taught. They take classes online, read articles and watch how to videos to learn and hone their craft. The fact that you don’t have to go back to college to learn a new career is a huge benefit in and of itself.

No Boss Staring Over Your Shoulder

Anyone who has worked in an office knows this feeling all too well! By choosing to “telecommute” to work, which in most cases means commuting to your home office, you tend to eliminate the headache of being in range of “the boss”. Yes, you will still have to meet deadlines, but nobody will look at you cock-eyed if you arrive at your computer at 9:05 am.!

Little To No Overhead

There’s a big advantage to having a career in digital marketing. Your expenses will be close to nothing, and your accountant will even help you write off a part of your taxes for having a home office. If you own a business with a storefront, unless you are the landlord, you have to worry about paying rent each month. Online Marketing eliminates this worry, right off the bat.

No Physical Labor

Although many of the baby boomers are in better shape than today’s lazy generation (my apologies to us youngsters), some may choose to avoid physical labor at this stage of their lives. And let’s not forget: your brain is considered a “muscle” too, one that needs to be “flexed” often if it is to remain in shape! Digital Marketing offers you an opportunity to do this -and more.

Work from Home

You don’t need to waste time commuting to work in traffic or on public transportation. You can easily work from your home. All you need is a computer and a comfortable chair and desk to spin your magic and be a great digital marketer. Another alternative is to work from your phone, while vacationing, if you so desire.

Online Marketing Allows You A More Flexible Schedule

Another advantage that Online Marketing offers is that you can work on your own schedule, whereas if you work in an office, you are usually tied to office hours.

Online Marketing Is Becoming A Very Promising Industry

Freelance digital marketing is one of the most promising industries today. Some entrepreneurs are even making six figures or more in this business. As technology continues to evolve, it gives way to more online jobs, thereby creating the need for more workers. Baby Boomers are in a unique position to fill this employee gap, by working as freelancers. Who knows, with their extensive life experience, some of them may even end up leading the pack!

Plethora of Choices

Everyone has different interests, and as it happens, digital marketing offers a huge variety of career options for baby boomers. Whether you have a knack for pen and paper, an artistic eye, or you know how to write code, there is an opportunity waiting for you in the field of digital marketing. Here are some of your options;

• Mobile marketing
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Social media
• Email marketing
• Marketing automation
• Content management and curation
• Web development
• Web design
• Copywriting and editing
• Video/audio production
• Interactive technology (such as AI)
• E-commerce
• Analytics
• Business/marketing strategy

Re-Inventors

Digital marketing is, in a sense, reinventing your business or brand using online and social media channels. And baby boomers are known for reinventing themselves. With all their experience and dealings with different types of people over the span of a lifetime, baby boomers are in a unique position of having a really diverse knowledge of consumer psychology, making online marketing the logical career choice for them.

Digital Marketer Qualities

Digital marketing is a rapidly growing and evolving career path. As more channels of communication become available, the need for people qualified to keep pace with the demands grows as well. Baby Boomers possess many personality traits that make them best-suited to excel in a digital marketing career.

• The desire to work even in the age of retirement gives you a certain passion and an innate curiosity and desire to create.
• Age gives baby boomers a unique experience to think outside-of-the-box to come up with new and exciting ways of reaching new customers.
• Patience. Like fine wine, is a virtue that develops with age. And so is experience. Digital marketing is sometimes a trial and error process, and many baby boomers have had a lot of experience with this aspect of work!
• Possesses a degree of finesse when interacting with customers.
• Strong listening skills – by far one of the greatest personality traits a digital marketer needs to possess. A lot of baby boomers have learned this skill, over the years, by necessity.
• What you do in your golden years can naturally benefit you. For example, spending time with family and friends can keep you on top of you “social game”. And business is social, to a certain extent.
• With age comes experience, and with experience, comes a sharpening of the instincts. Sometimes instincts, or intuition, if you will, play an important role in marketing. They can tell you when it’s the right time to stay or walk away.

Final Thoughts

According to research from the AARP, 40% of baby boomers feel they will not have enough money to maintain their standard of living for retirement, and 50% of boomers still want to continue working , or even start a new business.

As you can see, the experience that comes with age can give baby boomers an extraordinary advantage over, well, let’s call them the “younger generation”, when it comes to an online marketing career. This, along with the above- mentioned benefits, can make Online Marketing a wonderful option for those who want to get back into the race, or continue in it- in a different direction.

What do you think about these reasons? Do you agree or do you have a different opinion? I would love to hear your opinion in the comments.