A couple of weeks ago I had this interesting question from Arlene Crespo from lifeplanweb.com.
I have been blogging since November of 2009 and I really enjoy writing especially about my experiences with life.
My problem is that my age works against me, If people see how old I am which is in my fifty’s they will be turn off. Most of the bloggers are young people in their twenty’s thirty’s forty’s.
What’s one to do when your at this age?
I thought this was an interesting question and one that might generate some good discussion so I’d like to hear your opinion on it. But before I do – let me share a few thoughts:
I’ve not really run into this question before and as a blogger still in my 30’s have not had to face it personally – so I can only really speak from my own personal experience as a blog reader but when I arrive on a blog by someone who is a little more ‘mature’ than myself I don’t think I’m any more likely to read, if anything it could make me think that the person is a little more experienced.
I’m a big believer in trying to use the situation that you’re in to your advantage and to try to turn perceived problems into opportunities – so if I was in this situation I’d probably be wanting to almost use my age as a way to market and brand myself rather than hiding it.
I’d be exploring trying to position myself as someone who has experience in my field, who has faced the challenges that others might not have faced and as someone who can coach and mentor a less experienced person.
That approach may not work in every niche but it’s probably where I’d be starting.
What Do You Think?
- Do you think age matters (on either end of the spectrum)?
- Could being a little older be used as an advantage?
- Have you used your age in some way in marketing yourself (whether you’re younger or older)?
PS: as I’ve written this post I realize I have been asked the question before, but by young bloggers who have asked if they should reveal their age out of fear of not being taken seriously.
I know of a number of bloggers who are still teens who’ve chosen not to reveal their age for this reason – but also have seen a few who have used their youthfulness to their advantage as a blogger by shouting from the hilltops that they’re young. I guess it can work both ways but I’d love to hear from both younger and older bloggers on their experiences with this.
It absolutely cracks me up to read comments like, “I’ve struggled for years” and then you find out they are 21.
My wife and I just started a website and we were just talking about this topic. The question was should we put our photos on the about page?
Let’s say we’re older than most in our niche, much older:)
We’re going to test the photo thing and see how it plays out. Hopefully our visitors will be able to connect those age lines with experience.
I’ve just turned 18 and started on my blog when I was 16. My blog is currently in the 20,000’s alexa ranking and I get a good amount of visitors per day.
I think the age of the blogger depends of the niche of the blog. My blog is on a music artist and no one over 30 I think listens to them.
So it is probably better to be my age on my blog than around 30-40 so the readers can understand what I take about.
Hope that comment made sense :P
talk*
Age doesn’t matter…content does. I’m so inspired by the range of ages of the bloggers who commented!
Arlene, what does one do when you’re in your 50’s? Keep doing what you love no matter what you adversity you come across because if you’re having fun what does it really matter?
In blogging I think having experience is an advantage, and usually older = more experience.
I’ve only seen teens or very young people using their age for marketing purposes, and I don’t know why, but I don’t believe them. They claim to be experts, and when did they learn all that stuff? While they were in junior high?
I read blogs written by both “younger” and more mature writers. I feel it is the type of content first of all that is more important. However, I find that if it is someone who is quite young, for example, in their early 20’s, giving out advice on some aspects of life in which they wouldn’t be very experienced, I get turned off. Most of the bloggers who are over 50 and have many life experiences tend to be very interesting!
It must depend on the type of blog you’re reading.
There are millions of 18 year olds out there with 100 times more knowledge and information than me on technical topics, so I could care less how old the author was if the info is good.
If on the otherhand I was looking for marketing and sales exercises, I may be inclined to seek out someone that has had a few more real life experiences, shortfalls and victories.
For the most part though, age should not matter, some people learn faster than others, some people advance in their career faster than others, it all depends on how someone absorbs information and how they apply it to whatever task is at hand.
I write my blog about marketing and promotions for personal trainers based around experiences I’ve had over the 15 years I’ve been involved in the fitness industry…my content may not be any more innovative than someone who has been in the biz for 5 years, but I’m sure I have a lot more stories to tell.
Age is always on our side.
Idealism and energy comes with youth; wisdom and experience comes with age — sometimes.
I’m 38, and I see no reason to hide that piece of information. I’ve mentioned it on my blog several times.
Hi Darren-As a 50+ don’t think that age matters. I’ve been blogging since 2007 and feel that the experience I have in my niche allows me to bring a lot of value to readers. In fact, because I Twitter/Facebook, run a tweetup site, and do other social media fun stuff, my kids and their friends are a little surprised when they hear that. I guess they think these activites are for the younger generation. I think age is a mindset!! 50 is the new 30. :)
A thought provoking post, for sure. I have asked myself the same question as I am in my late 50s. The conclusion I have come to is basically the same conclusion I have come to in other areas in my life throughout my life – enjoy being myself to the fullest. I blog about my passion, which is sewing and gardening and have a current photo of myself on my blog. That being said, I don’t emphasize or de-emphasize my age. Rather, I try concentrate on quality writing and interesting content, which is what I look for in the blogs I like to read.
After I post this comment ask me and I might change my opinion from what I am going to say once people find out I am an older blogger.
I am in my 50s. Talking to me on the phone you would think I was in my 20s. Age is nothing but a number. I am young at heart and in spirit, hip to pop culture etc. Many of my friends are much younger.
I have run into bloggers in their early 20s who have blown me away with their talent, insight, writing style and I have run into older bloggers who are stodgy and boring. I think a lot depends on the topic one is writing about and the manner in which the topic is delivered.
I used to think that age would enhance my opinion of a blogger, I no longer think that is the case. Some of my favorite blogs that I am following are written by individuals in their 20s and 30s.
To me it is about the subject matter, the individual’s writing style and if the blog is of interest to me.
If all of that is delivered in a way to pique and hold my interest I could care less if the blogger is 22 or 92.
Caren Gittleman, Cat Chat, http://opcatchat.blogspot.com
Age certainly plays a role. However, it can be a positive or a negative.
If you’ve been making the same dumb mistakes from age 12 to 40 then, sure, age goes against you.
On the other hand, if you’ve learned a lot and changed your life from your 20s to 30s, 40s or 50s or beyond then your age is absolutely an asset. One thing we can all use more of is perspective. Different ages provide varying perspectives.
Age doesn’t matter, the quality is what matters. Just because someone is much younger doesn’t mean they will be more recognized. What puts me off in blogging is the people who say they are so experienced when they have only been blogging for 3 months and just copying everything off other blogs.
I agree with you entirely, age should be an advantage.
There are in my opinion 2 ways in which you can make mature age work in your favour.
Firstly, younger people generally speaking look for advise from there elders. Being 50+ should mean that you have allot of experience and knowledge to pass onto the younger generation.
Secondly, another approach would be to target a more mature readership. this is probably a huge untapped market to date. For example, think about all those retired people with not allot to do other than read newspaper, surf the internet, watch TV, or do the gardening. They would probably turn out to be very loyal readers.
You are never to old my friend.
Clinton.
Hi Darren,
Your age is all in your mind. The body follows the Mind & Spirit. Pierrette & I are 58 and know many 20 year olds we love to call friends. We also know many 60 year olds that act like children.
Being in good Body, Mind and Spiritual Health is all in the eye of the beholder.
We feel young just to be older, if that makes any sense.
Thanks for the listen.
Pierre & Pierrette
Thee Quest For Perfect Health
Since my blog is about early retirement, I proudly proclaim my age all the time on my blog – I’m 44. I don’t think my topic written by someone in their 60’s would be as credible – unless they’d been doing what I’m doing since their 40’s. I’m also kind of immature for my age which I blame on my kids, so that seems to be a plus.
I do have a hard time with understanding the perspective of much younger bloggers who write about some general topics like life, careers, time management – all topics which I think experience really lends itself to. Maybe part of that is the language which is more of the “rebel against conformity” tone. At my (not that advanced age), I don’t want to rebel against conformity, I just want to do some cool stuff in the years I have remaining. I don’t really give a **** what everyone else is doing.
As a few others have noted, you can’t talk about age in a vaccuum. It’ll depend on the niche. (That’s true of all sorts of demographic markers.) I do think I’d be looking for ways to leverage anything that’s distinctive from typical bloggers as long as it won’t work against you in terms of the subject matter. I was about to say a blogger in her 50’s doing a Miley Cyrus fan blog might be an example where age works against her, but then as I thought about it more she could STILL leverage it — I think a 50-something’s take on a teeny bopper movement could be full of irony and humor.
To develop a real following your readers inevitably want to feel they know who they are “talking” to, so it’s better to reveal it head on and look for leverage if you can. I am a mommy blogger, and one of my more recent posts was titled “A Woman of Advanced Maternal Age.” That’s an example of trying to use my demographic details to attract audience.
I think most people are troubled by their age, whether they think they’re too young or too old. It’s just one of those peer neuroses we continue to pass on. *puts on Mr. Rogers’ sweater* Remember that you’re not a number, you’re *you* and have something valuable to contribute whether you’re 8 or 98.
Well, I am older than most bloggers, because I am more than 50, but I always believe that age does not matter in blogging. I maybe older in age, but I can be as young as anyone else and as old as well. The ability of the mind to adjust to such situations is unlimited. I am young at heart and people usually perceive me as such. Lol… Oftentimes, my readers thought I was younger.
But you are right, older people should take advantage of being more “experienced”; hence being more knowledgeable. And the propensity of people is to listen to you.
This IS a good question. My $.02? Age matters much less than a discovered niche audience, genuinely honest style and and quality and creativity of content.
For instance, if you search for “justin beiber” on Icerocket, you pull of a lot of post mentioning the name, but no single fan blog written by a passionate 15 year old covering his stardom.
His fan base is largely teen/tween females and their moms. Could a tween claim this niche and build readers?
The older I get the more I realize what my 88 year old aunt once told me is true. She said inside here I still think of myself as a young person. The body ages but the self-image does not always keep up. Even though I am 61 I always check out the latest Lady Gaga video. The problem is I don’t have a single friend with whom I can discus this; but I can blog about it. As an online marketing consultant my age seems to be an advantage, but if I were applying for the same job with a firm, they would not give me a chance. Blogging as a medium has the advantage of anonymity. The words stand alone whether you are 23 or 61.
As Chris Brogan says – ‘we now have the means to find each other’. People will be drawn to your blog content no matter what your age is. As long as you are authentic, it will rock. if you try to hide your age, you’ve taken one step in the other direction.
Iggy Pintado is another one who has a great concept for the way we all utilise and consume the technology – we are part of the Connection Generation. Online, we are not defined by age – we are defined by the way we use the tools to broadcast and consume media.
Agree that age is a factor from many perspectives. Challenges are faced whether in the youth of ‘mature’ segment. Those of us in the mature segment often wonder if we are leveraging social media as well as the youth segment. Anyone know of good social media sites/blogs that help the mature group to understand and leverage social media?
It’s interesting you should tweet this today.
This morning I had a comment on one of my posts saying for a young man I had alot of wisdom. I’m 54.
Two things: 1. You can use this to your advantage (experience, etc.)
2. I feel if you beleive in what you are writing then don’t worry about it. If your posts are interesting they will be read.
I think that getting a more “mature” opinion on things can definitely help. This person can have more wisdom in the area that he is blogging about.
I think that it’s great that they are sharing their ideas.
I think the only thing that matters is content, not age. I’m 54, live in a van, blog, write and travel as much as possible when I’m not in my office working. There are people who care how old you are, but they’re shallow, tortured souls who think what other people think of them matters more than what they think of themselves.
Every age has something to say and what matters is that you’re honest, authentic and passionate about your blogging. Age only matters if YOU let it. Don’t silence your voice or let anyone tell you you’re too old, too young, too fat, too uneducated, too anything to blog. You have a right to your voice and those who appreciate you will find you. Mark Horvath of invisiblepeople.tv is working on a website to teach the homeless how to blog. I believe, as does he, that PEOPLE have a right to be heard. Don’t let age, living situation, gender, education or anything else stop you from expressing yourself!
I think it’s not as simple as a yes or no whether age matters. It’s much deeper than that.
Mostly depending on subject matter and experience.
For example, age would matter in a Teen niche blog if the author is say 30+, even 23+.
Age might matter when it comes to business and experience where a younger person might be perceived as not have the wise years behind them.
Age might not matter when it comes to a sport niche, or a Food niche.
Then it’s got to do with your target audience. what age bracket might read your blog. Normally this would be an issue if the age difference is large either side of your targeted audience norm.
So he’s been blogging for seven months and blames his age for his problems. I’m older than he is, have been blogging a few months longer, and am very frustrated with my slow progress, but it never occurred to me to blame my age. I blame my lack of knowledge and experience. I can do something about that, and I am. Anyone looking for an excuse for failure can find it easily. How many teenagers do you suppose quit after a few months and say they’re obviously too young to succeed? Or others who quit because their male or female, or some particular race, or. . . Sheesh.
Q1 Do you think age matters (on either end of the spectrum)?
Q2 Could being a little older be used as an advantage?
Q3 Have you used your age in some way in marketing yourself (whether you’re younger or older)?
Q1 – I don’t believe it matters what age you are. It’s all about the quality of content that you deliver to your reader. If the outcome of reader is happy with the time they allocated aside to go to the bother of reading your posts then it’s mission accomplished in my book. Regardless of what age you are, once you deliver something that is engaging to the reader you’re ahed of the game.
Q2 – I believe it is a great advantage, not only from an experience point of view but also you have that element of maturity, been there, done that.
Q3 – I’m 29 yrs old – I still have lots to learn and even when I’m 89 I’ll still be learning – From a martketing point of view it’s not about what age you are it’s about your knowledge and your capacity to retain it and run with it. I believe marketing is a skillset in itself, I don’t believe you can use your age to influence your readers – unless it’s a teeny bopper website and you have to appeal to that target audience. But in terms of a general blogger I believe your success relies heavily on your content and keeping your readers happy – that is always paramount to me.
Interesting topic overall, enjoyed reading it and the user submitted comments *thumbs up*
Hmm….Very interesting post and comments. I myself am about to hit the big 6 oh. I haven’t been blogging too long but can smell bull 2 miles away. This is due to the fact the with age comes experience and the ability to sift through all the crap that all Internet marketing folks throw at me.
Paul
Does age matter? I can think of several answers:
(1) Hope not. I just began my first blog, and I’m sixty. Don’t tell anyone. (2) Probably, at least to some readers, looking for a sense of shared experience or common values. (3) Shouldn’t. How well you write — ie, use language to connect to another person — should matter more. (4) Not to me. Beyond my control anyway.
I’ve been freelance for 19 years and my blog is about freelancing. From the comments that are left, it seems my readers appreciate the experience I have and can learn from the tips and advice I pass on.
I refer to myself as the “Old Soldier” on my blog. I let my readers know that I’m a Vietnam War veteran and that I got my BA and MFA in my 50s. My blog niche is flash fiction. I publish my own flash fiction and the flash fiction of others. There are lots of articles on my blog about writing flash fiction. I run a flash fiction writing contest with a cash award. My degrees say I have knowledge of my niche and my age says I have a lot of life experience to back my knowledge up with. I think my readers can appreciate what my age says about me and my blog. This is the Old Soldier reporting from the heart of the nitty, gritty city.
Darren, What a great post and excellent comments. I really liked your idea about using the situation you’re in to your advantage.
My blog is about how most of what we know about aging just isn’t true. I write about things that are important for old people and people whose parents or grandparents are growing old and people who hope to live to a healthy old age. That’s just about anyone in the world who can read (English).
Besides my age, what I use to my advantage are strong writing skills, life exerience, personal stories, and a sense of humor. For example, my next-to-last post was “Three unmistakable signs that you’re turning into a little old lady.” I’ve written about the myths that old people can’t use computers or have sex (two areas in which I have some experience). I do have a sense though that, for the most part, my readers are younger than I am.
I have thought of this question myself. I think both younger and older bloggers have something to offer.
I am blog crazy. Mostly for frugal living, saving a buck, and for cooking.
I am in awe of some of the cooking blogs by younger women and there are so many good ones out there) because the thinking of today, it seems ( among older ones and even older cooks/chef/food writers, or experts) seems to be that “young people don’t know how to cook.”, or appreciate hard times, or frugality of the “older generation”…
I see that is not true.
I envy that this medium (the whole internet) is available to them and was not when I was younger….
I am amused (and PLEASE don’t ANYONE here take this as an insult…) when younger ones with little experience, behave as if they have discovered some frugal tip that possibly their grandmothers used, and yet applaud them for “discovering” it and trying to pass it on.
There are some VERY young bloggers out there that are already “experts”, even if experience is some what limited..I can just imagine what they will offer when they DO have experience (of life)
Older bloggers offer something else..and that IS [life] experience…
And I think as long as the older bloggers keep up with technology, and young thinking (which is a good thing, right?), and know really what is going on in the world, they have something to offer also.
So for me, personally, I do not think age should really matter…because we all are in this together and we all have something to add to this life’s experience…the key is, possibly, not to think we are the only ones with something to offer to this potpourri of life….no matter what the age.
I do like your readers Darren…(I am 60 by the way)
Janie
I’m amazed by the number of comments on this topic! Glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks about this. It’s also heartening to see that so many people don’t consider age an issue. For older bloggers I think if you just try to offer information in an interesting way, and don’t try to tell people what to do or how you did it way back when, then experience can be valuable. For young bloggers, it’s always valuable to hear a fresh point of view, or to understand how/what people of a younger generation think. Everyone can offer a worthwhile perspective.
Hi Darren- Very interesting and provocative post. Generally I’ve found that my age, 55, is an advantage for blogging in my field, which is psychotherapy. I think that people are often looking for a therapist with a fair bit of life experience, so I feel that I’ve been able to use this to advantage with my blog. I can see how that might not be true in every area, but I feel like it’s been a positive factor for me.
Thanks for raising the interesting question, Darren!
I think it depends on your niche and your style, but I don’t believe age should be a barrier to blogging at all.
I can see the life experiences that age brings, together with lessons learned, would be a real advantage in a number of subject areas.
Of course, if you blog semi-anonymously (at least, you don’t reveal a huge amount about yourself) then no-one need ever know how old you are. It might reflect in the way you communicate, but only based on generalisations.
I think age totally matters when it means the writer is young. Lets face it, what is a 16 year olds credibility, life experiences, failures? Not a whole lot of experience to connect with.
For me age ain’t a deciding factor whether to read a blog post or not.
Take the example of Gloson, a kid in Malaysia who is blogging since he was 10, could you imagine that, he is a popular name and writes quite technically.
If you have the skills, there is nothing more that matters :D
The first post of my first ever blog was the day after my birthday.
The first words of the first post of my first ever blog where:
“Today, I am fifty-seven years and one day old”
I wanted to state that I was experienced at life but today, that day was a new day.
Age is always a factor. If you are aware of someones age you will unconsciously assign your own preset characteristics to that person. Until they show you more of who they are and then you will build a character set unique to that person-Maybe
Some people are unable to see past age. This applies to gender, race, nationality etc.
Do I do it-sure. If a 14 year-old is writing a blog about how to sustain a long-term relationship-there is no much they can do to gain credibility in my eyes.
Now, if they were to go out and study long term couples, interview them, research it and so on then that may be different story. Still, I would have a hard time getting past the 14 year-old part.
So I say use what you got and buck the stereo types with outstanding work when you can.
In my particular niche market—writing as a female motorcyclist—my age demographic (40s–50s) is well represented. I feel I am writing to my contemporaries, both female and male. I’m certainly not interested in appealing to young male racer-type riders, but in encouraging more women of my age to ride and certainly in sharing my experience as a female motorcyclist.
So, no, I don’t think it matters what age you are, as long as your writing is fresh, enticing, and appealing to your particular market.
I’m sooooo glad you published this question. At 62 and starting to get serious about blogging, I’ve been wondering the same thing. It’s gratifying to read all the comments from people who think age is irrelevant. I do get tired of hearing people my age described as likely to be computer-illiterate. I want to peer over my reading glasses and tell them “I was on the internet before you were born.” Is that an advantage?
Women my age are so often treated as invisible that I’ve considered marketing myself as “The Invisible Blogger.” Either that, or taking up a life of crime.
This is an interesting dilemma as I just turned 60, I look 40 and feel as if I am in my thirties. I happen to like where I am now, since most situations do not surprise me. However, I have noticed, when marketing my business, that ageism is alive and well. This is unfortunate because the experience and grace that comes with age is a wonderful thing. Years ago, I worked in the medical field and often worked in the ER. When a large number of injured come in, you triage them to take care of those that are most critical first and the rest have to wait awhile. I have learned to utilize my triage skills in other areas of life and most certainly use the calmness, commen sense and the experience that comes with age to handle the situation. What the heck! It’s fun!
I don’t think age should matter at all, it should be about the content that is posted on on the blog. As long as you know what you are talking about it doesn’t matter if your 15 or 95 .
I definitely believe that age matters since it has a direct influence on authority, tone and slant of content. For instance, in my own tax practice, I have developed many new approaches for saving small businesses significant monies AND supporting these approaches (if needed) with the IRS. In fact, just my experience – over time – with the IRS gives me a great edge in client tax planning. In my blog, my tone is very positive because I have more self-confidence than I’ve had at any other point in my more public career (which goes back to working for a Big 8 firm and as head of taxes for a major Texas bank). If I were 30, people would have less trust in my recommendations.
No- Age is not an issue on the net…That is one of the advantages, I guess, of the relatively faceless technology.. As people are saying, it is not about your age- that is of no consequence, so long as you have something engaging, even compelling to say. And whilst a young person might have ”the passion” or ”the fire,” an older person has life-experience and the credibility that comes from being able to make comment from a position of being informed and knowledgeable. So the views of the very young and the very old, plus everyone in between, all have equal value. Seth Godin is far from young, yet is currently one of the most famous marketing bloggers on the planet.
I’ve wondered a lot about this. I think that if the good content is there, and a blog offers things a reader can apply immediately to their situation, the age factor falls by the wayside.
I’ve found that age doesn’t seem to matter when blogging. Find a niche in which you’re experienced or can offer information readers are looking for. Blog readers, also, are of all ages. So there are topics needed for all ages.
Go for it! Blogging is an exciting adventure for everyone.