Followers

Google Maps tips & tricks
1

I have been at this for a while now and am surprised when I see a Local Guide with only a few dozen reviews, but has hundreds of Followers.

So, my question is: How are people getting so many Followers?

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Hello @Sierra3

First things first, welcome to local guides connect forum since it’s your first post and visit here.

The question about follower,the right way is when you post great contents and very helpful contributions you definitely will get loads of followers. Sometimes the AI does suggest people you may like to follow as well. What I mean by great contents and quality contributions are:

  • Good clear quality photos that could even be featured by the AI as a cover photo for a POI on the maps. Photo that also show certain key detailed information about the POI
  • Good detailed reviews that helps map users make informed decisions
  • Giving right answers to questions by map users etc

These should earn you tons of followers. Another thing that can earn you lots of followers is following others and then they feel obliged to follow you back.

Whichever way, large number of followers is no big advantage on Google Maps. It’s not like a social media mind you. I have over 2000 followers but I am following about 25 local guides that I know well enough. Hope this answers your question.

Happy guiding

Cheers

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Hello @Sierra3 @SholaIB … I would like to contribute with some useful information:

The number of followers a Local Guide has on Google Maps can be influenced by various factors. Some Local Guides may have fewer reviews but a higher number of followers due to the following reasons:

  1. Quality over quantity: It’s possible that these Local Guides are posting high-quality, detailed, and helpful reviews, which garner more attention and appreciation from users. These users may choose to follow them for their valuable insights.

  2. Engaging photos: Local Guides who share captivating and informative photos of places they review can attract more followers. High-quality images can significantly improve the user experience, making others more likely to follow the contributor.

  3. Social media presence: Local Guides with a strong online presence on other platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook may have more followers on Google Maps as well. They might be sharing their reviews and photos across these platforms, resulting in more followers who are interested in their content.

  4. Active participation: Some Local Guides may actively participate in the Google Maps community by answering questions, editing information about places, and offering useful advice to other users. This engagement can lead to more followers as others may want to stay updated with their contributions.

  5. Networking with other Local Guides: By interacting with and supporting other Local Guides, one can create a network of like-minded individuals who are interested in their content, potentially resulting in more followers.

It’s important to note that the number of followers isn’t the sole indicator of a Local Guide’s impact or value. Quality contributions and genuine engagement with the community are what truly matters in making a difference on Google Maps.

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@SholaIB your answer was helpful, thank you, and thanks for the welcome.

Cheers

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Thank you @VivianePresa . I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Cheers

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Great question, @Sierra3 , that opens a large and interesting panorama.

Apart of the right answer by @SholaIB , there are factors that you should analyse but that a well educated AI will never tell you, Rob.

What I suggest you is to check the ratio between followers and followed. If a person have more followed than followers probably this person is simply using a technique well known in Social media: follow me back.

Someone think to be cool because she/he has a lot of followers, so they follow a lot of people to be followed back, even if there is a great risk when you follow a lot of people: if your contributions are not great: some good Local guide can check the contributions and report the follower.

Another interesting index can be the number of likes of a review.

In any case the “Local Guides to follow” are also suggested in the App, when you explore an area so, if you are interested to visit a specific area following the greatest Local Guides of that area may help you to have a better idea about where you want to go, but in this case the AI will suggest you active Local Guides with great contents, not just people with a few reviews

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Thank you @ErmesT .

Yes, that seems to be a common thing people do to manipulate social media platforms.

Google Maps Local Guides is a fabulous application with tremendous benefit. Even if this app/platform is polluted by manipulators looking for stats, the content provided by good Local Guides will still be there to serve. I have made use of the reviews left by Local Guides more times than I can count. I’m just trying to pay it forward now.

Cheers!

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I fully agree with you @Sierra3 , and I like your way to write genuine experiences through your reviews.

The only thing I would like to suggest you is to delete that kind of emoji you uploaded in a couple of places. It would be a mess to have some issues because of it, but with that picture you are breaking at least 3 of the basic rules of Google Maps:

  • The content is not originally created you
  • The content is not representing the places
  • The content is duplicated across locations

Removing that picture will improve your account a lot.

Don’t worry about followers. I see you have likes in your reviews even without followers. This is not so common, and it means that the likes are genuine

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You are very welcome @Sierra3 ! it is my pleasure to help anyone that needs help and I don’t mind doing it :slightly_smiling_face:
viv

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@ErmesT What’s wrong with my answer? Is this an open forum where people can do their research and try to respond the community?

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Hallo @VivianePresa , welcome in Connect. You are asking an interesting question, especially because I didn’t mentioned you on my previous reply. What I said is “there are factors that you should analyse but that a well educated AI will never tell you”. Was I referring to you with "well educated AI"? It sure seems like this is your impression, given your answer “people can do their research and try to respond the community”.

Given this, I wanted to go a little deeper, and I don’t know whether to define what I found more disheartening or more amusing.

You see, in your replies in other conversations in the community there are things so confusing, even if well written, that it makes it clear that you have no idea what you are talking about, especially when they are written in posts where the post itself explains it correctly.
You see, AIs are a wonderful thing, but they can’t always be trusted when we delve into specific topics.

Mixing roles and skills in specific posts and providing contradictory elements with the content of the post itself is not a way to show expertise. On the contrary, it’s a way to make a fool of yourself. I won’t go further with my answer because this isn’t the subject of the post, but I’ll be happy to delve into the subject in a post written by you.
Now, I don’t like Local Guides in the community making a fool of themselves, especially if they really want to help.
My advice is: be yourself, don’t try to look different. Join the community, and present yourself for who you are. Write a post about your way of being a Local Guide, let us know your places. And above all read, read a lot, find out which posts you like and interact with the authors, from Local Guide to Local Guide.
Grow your experience with the program, not your ability to find answers online that can be wrong, and often are, if you can’t determine for yourself which answer is right
Have fun in Connect

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@ErmesT what is wrong with you? I just wanted to address the recent interaction we had on the forum. It’s important for me to let you know that English is not my first language, and there’s a chance that I might have misunderstood something and responded accordingly. I didn’t use AI for my response, and I believe it’s wrong to make such assumptions about others. As a Latina woman, I am fully capable of being smart and expressing my thoughts.

I am always open to constructive criticism, but I don’t think it’s fair to publicly criticize my writing style or make me feel humiliated. Being judgmental is not helpful, and we should strive to create a supportive environment where we can learn from one another.

We all come from different backgrounds and have unique perspectives to offer. I don’t understand why you felt the need to single me out and make a spectacle of my comment. Was your goal to prove that you’re the best or to genuinely help me improve?

I would appreciate it if we could treat each other with respect and kindness moving forward. We can all learn something from one another if we approach things with an open mind and a willingness to grow

I did not use ai to reply, if that what are you implying. You know nothing about me… so, please stop with the discrimination and judgment

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Thank you for your reply, @VivianePresa , and thanks for confirming that the text is not generated by an AI. I really appreciate it.

As you know, I didn’t wanted to involve you in this conversation till you tagged me but, when someone ask, I am used to respond.

Don’t worry, your English is much better than mine, I am latino too (Italian), and I an a Volunteer that help to moderate Connect since April 2017.

It doesn’t mean that I am better than others, on the contrary I am learning here from others almost every day, but it means that I’ve seen a lot of post, and I perfectly know that what you says, in a well written way, can be misleading for many.

As you joined the community just yesterday you may have no idea about how many people believe that having a lot of contributions in Maps can help to find a job in Google. So when you say “Becoming a Google Moderator, especially for the Connect platform or a similar role, typically requires a strong track record of contributions and engagement within the Google Maps and Local Guides community. While earning all the Connect badges might be helpful, it’s not a strict requirement for becoming a Moderator.” you are reinforcing this misconception. As mentioned in Who are the moderators on Connect? (you responded in that post too) “Google Moderators work on behalf of the Local Guides team”. Do you see the link? You have no idea how much spam Maps generated from this misunderstanding. You have no idea how many people have written ‘how many points do I need to work for Google’?. You have no idea how many people have been suspended from the program for uploading thousands of photos taken from the web to Maps, thinking that in this way they would become moderators, perhaps thinking that even Connect Moderators are paid, while instead we are volunteers.

I deeply love the Local Guides program, as it gave me a way to develop my projects about environments and social inclusion.

But I also know that many people think the program might be a way to make money, when it isn’t, and I strongly believe that any statement to the contrary can be misinterpreted by many, and should be clarified.
I never reply unless I strongly believe that the people I interact with can improve, and this is the case.
If I thought there wasn’t a space to talk with you I would have simply flagged your responses. But since I believe in constructive discussion and the possibility of improvement, here I am.
But I also honestly believe that we are abusing this post, which is reserved for something else.
Happy to continue the conversation in some of my post, you will find many in my profile.
Good night

Ermes

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@SholaIB Thanks for a good explanations.

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I find your post unnecessary long and exhausting… that’s my personal opinion, just like you had yours about me. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hello @Sierra3

Just wanna add a line to what @SholaIB & @VivianePresa shared with you. You will see many places lists on Google Maps created by Local Guides. There is a L7 local guide from New Delhi and he created many lists with around 1400+ followers.

I am still on 99 :grinning: but 2000 is a huge number.

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@deepakjhic thank you for the tip.

I’ve learned a lot for one question.

Much appreciated everyone.

Thanks,

Rob

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@deepakjhic I am just like you. Wondering how some LGs can have so many followers. I have 36 and am following 28. Found this thread by @Sierra3 as I was doing research on the benefits of following or being followed. Thankful for the answers by @SholaIB @VivianePresa and @ErmesT

Not sure what changed but recently I’ve been getting an increase in notices like “You have a new follower”, and suggested names that I could follow. Just wasn’t sure if there was any value in it, or what it does for me.

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19

You are welcome @tony_b

That’s a settings you can change. I have close to 3,000 followers and got irritated having that everyday so I disabled it. The followers keep coming,but I don’t get the alerts or notifications anymore.

There are no benefits for large followers on Google maps. At least not that we know of. Just for the popularity or something. I follow local guides that I know well enough and see their amazing contributions.

Happy guiding

Cheers

1 Like
20

Everyone has his own feeling, @tony_b .

Many uses maps as a social media, thinking that having a lot of followers made them cool and trendy. Personally I follow two categories of people:

  • Good Local Guides that I know in person
  • People who is posting interesting contents in the area where I live, or in places where I would like to go.

Maps suggestions may help a lot in this, giving us the possibility of improving our experience before a visit

Personally I am quite annoyed by the ones who follow me just to be followed back, then remove the “follow” after a few days.

But if it is fine for them, I have no issues.

The only thing that I would like Maps to change is the possibility to keep your the profile Hidden when you follow someone.

In my opinion when someone is following you his profile should become visible for you, to have the possibility to choose is I want to follow that person

1 Like