The Retirement Atlas

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Niche

Retirement-abroad town rankings with rent, budget, health and visa numbers

Audience

People within a few years of retiring (stated in the about text), mainly retirees from the US, Canada and the UK living on Social Security or a modest pension who want cheaper places to live abroad, with rent, health cover and visa figures (the three countries are named in descriptions; the rest is inferred). There are no audience statistics.

Avatar

• Realistic avatar
• A photorealistic middle-aged man with curly grey-streaked hair, grey stubble and a loose cream linen shirt, shown from the chest up in front of waterfront, beach or old-town scenes, often holding a prop such as a passport, cash, a lease or a bank book.

Format

A countdown of towns or cities (usually seven; 3, 5 or 9 in some), each scored on rent, a couple's monthly budget, health cover, flight home and one drawback. Most end with Ray's pick and a one-word comment prompt; descriptions open with the store link.

Content pillars

• Cheaper alternatives to famous expat towns
• Retiring on Social Security or about $2,000 a month
• Retirement visa income rules
• Health cover and flight-home costs for retirees
• Southeast Asia lists (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia)
• Southern Europe city rankings (Spain, Italy)

Title patterns

• Forget [Famous Town]: 7 [Country] Towns Where Social Security Still Works
• Skip [Famous Town]: [N] [Country] Towns to Retire on Social Security in 2027
• [N] [Country] Cities Beyond [Famous Town] Where $2,000 a Month Covers a Couple
• [N] Places I'd Retire on $2,000 a Month (Not Where Most People Look)
• [N] [Country] Cities to Retire On, Ranked by [Rent, Doctors and Winter]

Thumbnails

The same man at the right, usually looking at the camera and often holding a prop (bank book, passport, cash, lease key), in front of a bright scene of the town; a bold 4-6 word caption at the left with one key number or place name in red or yellow.

Their thumbnails, most viewed first

• 
  2.12K views (opens on YouTube in a new tab)
• 
  674 views (opens on YouTube in a new tab)
• 
  211 views (opens on YouTube in a new tab)

Why it works

• The two most viewed are the first Asia lists: Philippines 1,784 and Thailand 615 views, after the Spain and Italy lists drew 72 and 48
• A fixed data template: all 8 descriptions promise the same set of numbers for every place (rent, health cover, visa or flight details)
• A named guide with a stated track record: Ray says he has lived abroad for 10 years in both sampled captions and ends with his own pick and a drawback
• One thumbnail template in 8 of 8: the same man at right, a 4-6 word caption with a red or yellow key number or place, often with a prop
• One paid guide behind every video: the store link is the first line of all 8 descriptions and is also in the about text

• StoreThe Retirement Atlasretirement-atlas.page-shelf.com · About page · 9 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkincompetech.com6 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcreativecommons.org6 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcreativecommons.org6 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcreativecommons.org4 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcreativecommons.org4 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcreativecommons.org2 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcommons.wikimedia.org1 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcommons.wikimedia.org1 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcommons.wikimedia.org1 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcommons.wikimedia.org1 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkcommons.wikimedia.org1 of the last 9 descriptions (opens in a new tab)

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