Remember that little voice inside you urging you to try that hidden local gem or explore a breathtaking new corner of the world? That’s the voice I love to amplify as a Google Local Guide! And guess what? This month, I have finally reached a major milestone that I’ve been working towards - my photos surpassed 1 Billion Views!
From well framed storefronts and cascading waterfalls, to vibrant street art and mouth watering dishes, my Pixel lenses have consistently helped me capture the magic of everyday moments. My photos have helped travelers locate their desired destinations quicker and easier. They’ve helped hikers locate a trailhead and parents to locate a playground. They’ve also inspired countless adventurers to chart a new course or wander off the beaten path.
But wait, another equally rewarding milestone? Yes - Seeing my Reviews surpass 400,000 Views! To know that I’ve helped that many folks find their perfect margarita, discover a favorite park, or sample a new dish at a delicious Peruvian restaurant, inspires me to share and also brings a hearty smile to my face.
It’s been a whirlwind experience! I’ve been blessed to have one of the best mapping partners on the planet, these last 4 years - Thanks for all the fun times, laughs, adventures and comraderie @MelTG . Everything from exploring hidden gems as well as big box strip malls, you’ve been there for the majority. I’ve been seen climbing light poles, standing in the middle of the street to capture a photo, even hanging over a bridge to shoot a waterfall… all to get “The Shot” By sharing those photos and honest reviews, I’ve helped others discover the best of their communities and beyond.
I’ve become a better LG and photographer, thanks to the sharing of ideas and resources on Connect. One of those resources is the Top 100 Leaderboards. The mastermind behind those Leaderboards @AdamGT @ - Without your vision to create that platform, myself and many others would have likely lost interest long ago. They’re a great tool to motivate, as well as analyze & forecast trends & views.
I still remember when I found the first Leaderboard and how exciting it was to participate. I believe my views were in the neighborhood of 8 million at that time? I had some really terrible photos. There were photos on my profile that were redundant, others that had only amassed 6 or 7 views. As I watched my name move “higher” up the boards, I became more interested in posting photos that would become featured and gain more views while also working to reach the next milestone.
The Average Views per Photo board is what drove me to strive for a “lean and mean” (as @TerryPG likes to say lol) profile. As a result of my profile management, you may notice that it’s a little different from the others that have reached 1 Billion Views - I’ve only shared 635 photos! My strategy is to hunt the “big fish” - POI that get a larger number of views than most others. Because of this methodology, 43% of my photos have over 1 million views
Every photo, every review, every tip we share builds a global map of discovery, one unforgettable experience at a time. So here’s to all the fellow Local Guides out there, spreading the love for local treasures! Let’s keep exploring, sharing, and inspiring in 2024 and let’s see who’s next to reach the 1 Billion Views Club!
What impressed me the most is not the number itself, but the fact that you reached the number (10 times bigger than mine as I reached 100 million today) with less than 1 tenth of my photos. I’m shocked
Thank you for contributing in Maps on a so helpful way.
I believe Google should reconsider the way they attribute the Master photographer badge, a badge that you don’t have yet, as you are the living demonstration that quality is much more important than quantity. With an average of 1.2 photos per place you are showing everyone that a good photo is more impactful than 50 average photos of a place.
Thanks @Rednewt74 for your congratulations! It was a one I’ve been chasing for awhile, so it was great to finally achieve the mark.
I’m honored to read that you find my work inspiring - That’s a compliment I very much appreciate. Your dedication to videos has inspired me to give them another shot and I’ve been seeing results, so thank you as well.
A BIG congratulations @Mikeinthefalls , an amazing achievement hitting this milestone at Level 7 Local Guide and with so few photos (a note here to @katydarhel )…quality above quantity, something I’ve been saying since first joining Connect. Sadly something I myself didn’t appreciate until way too far in my journey as a Local Guide.
I’m over the moon to hear you say that the Leaderboards have been a motivating factor in your journey and I’m very pleased that over the past few years many have said this - one of the missions of the Leaderboards accomplished. Many have struggled to participate (see the crazy list of new entrants in the January boards) and I am working on ideas to simplify this. Others joined but then lost interest and dropped out (they know who they are). In your case you saw the benefits and not only grabbed the opportunity to make it work but inspired so many of us along the way. Thanks for being part of the Leaderboards and showing that the impossible is possible Mike.
@Mikeinthefalls Congratulations joining the 1b photo views exclusive club!
Only 12 members so fat and I only predict 2-3 more in 2024 ( @photoslinger is the latest rising views meteor + @SamanthaSheehy by end of year. Not sure about others)
People don’t understand how much EXTRA effort the “lean and mean” method takes.
Getting this achievement while keeping the photos at 164 takes hours of filtering and deleting - you have mastered it perfectly.
I would guess you had to remove at least 10k-20k photos (just avoiding hitting one of those GOOD ones must be a pain - I’m sure you have done it by mistake more than once at the beginning…
Some extra impressive achievement in my book.
Being into statistics, what is also interesting (IMO) is that your method is very efficient at views growth compared to the typical “dump and forget”.
Most on the people leaderboard achieve about 30% annual views growth with significant photo addition but seems most of the views growth are indeed generated from those top featured photos.
Checking your progress in 2023 - the views jumped from 515k to 1b (49%).
It is also applicable for @TerryPG ,that advocates the same method, with 873k views to 1.46b (40%) photo views growth in a year.
I would have said it is only due to the method of clean up but… someone clocked better growth (65%) and he is on the other “camp”.
Plus, our teacher and master @Herve_Andrieu “modest” 28% growth meant 4b views generated only in 2023 (holly mother of contributions…)
Now, that is a number I totally respect. 4b photo views in a year. Imagine that…
This is fantastic @Mikeinthefalls To hit the 1 billion photo views is an unbelievable accomplishment, I know.
Who would ever dream that these numbers were even possible when we started. @abermans said a lot of the things that I also believe. “Lean and Mean” really works, Keep up the great work as I know you will.
Your photos are a testament to how WE should take photos and not barrage the POI with dozens of photos as @ErmesT has mentioned.
Thanks so much @renata1 I wish I were the first, but I’m very happy to join the club!
I always enjoy the thrill of my photo being selected as Featured, because I know I’ve taken the time to frame that poi as best as possible. A win for the POI/business owner, the community and myself
By sharing those photos and honest reviews, I’ve helped others discover the best of their communities and beyond.
