Hey there! Welcome to the last installment of our weekly mini series where we, the Connect Moderators, shared tips and tricks on how to enjoy the redesigned Connect to the fullest.
I’m Jane, originally from Ukraine but now living in Italy. I’m a Local Guide Level 9 and have been a Connect Moderator since 2019. Traveling and meeting friends from different countries brings me joy and inspiration. I love adding photos and reviews on Google Maps during my trips and I especially enjoy organizing and attending Local Guides meet-ups.
Today, I want to share my tips for writing an engaging meet-up recap. I won’t cover the technical side of starting a recap topic on Connect; you can find all you need to know about this in How to write a great meet-up recap. Instead, I’ll focus on how to make the content of your recap more interesting and inspiring.
Here’s how:
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Tell a story
Describe your meet-up by sharing details about the where, when, who, and what. A good story creates emotion, makes people want to join the conversation, and carries a meaningful message or theme. I believe that when you write a recap like a story, it helps to capture the atmosphere of the meet-up, allowing both attendees and other readers to feel like part of this exciting experience once again — or for the first time. -
Share eye-catching photos
Use a cover photo, banner, or photo collages that grab attention, represent your activities, and invite Local Guides to read your recap. Share photos of the most remarkable parts of your meet-up and include a link to a Google Photos album for more. Whether it’s fun group moments, an interesting activity, or an exciting experience, these images bring your recap to life.
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Showcase your contributions
Make sure to highlight the Google Maps contributions you and your attendees made during the meet-up by sharing links or screenshots. These could include places you’ve added or edited, reviews, photos, videos, and more. This will inspire others to get involved and actively participate in meet-ups and contribute on Maps. -
Include a video
Add more energy to your recap with a video! Use tools like Canva or video editing apps to create short (1-2 min) engaging videos. If you didn’t record a video during the meet-up, try making a slideshow with photos, it works well. -
Share special moments
Highlight in your recap some unique experiences or fun facts, such as making new friends, learning something new about another Local Guide, trying unusual food, or discovering something unexpected in the area that made your meet-up truly special.
- Invite others to join in
End your recap on a positive note, celebrating the Local Guides community spirit and encouraging readers to join the conversation and share their experiences. Ask questions, offer suggestions, and invite insights and ideas.
In a nutshell: Make your recap visually appealing, entertaining, educational, and inspiring! This will motivate Local Guides to join more meet-ups, contribute better, and even organize a meet-up themselves to build their community!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this quick introduction! You can find more information about how to use Connect in the Community guidelines section where this mini series also lives. Check out the rest of the topics in the series, too:
- Make your Connect profile shine
- Translate what others share into your language
- Get answers from the community with polls
- Stay updated on the content you care about
- Reach Local Guides on and off Connect
- Style your posts to make them stand out
- Host successful virtual meet-ups
- Host successful in-person meet-ups
- Write engaging meet-up recaps (this post)
Your post certainly is a good refresher to remind me of what’s important to include! Thanks!