Hey fellow Local Guides! It’s midweek so it’s time for another Go Loco podcast! Episode 7 is out now and it’s focused on the Connect Live 2019 application process! It’s not the definitive guide because we do not profess to have any insider’s knowledge of the selection process but hopefully, it will give you some useful tips/advice on how best to apply!
I brought back the full Go Loco team and each one has a handy advice for all you listeners! @Pedi , @vvbellur and @Linnea were first timers at Connect Live 2018, whilst @KimberlyAnnG , @Shirley and myself have been very fortunate to have attended all three of the last events. So between us lot, I’m sure we managed to pull something useful together. At the very least, you can listen to Pedi doing her best fish impression 
In the podcast, I covered the four main areas; Google Maps list, Connect post, application video and application form. I didn’t go through in detail on how to do them as there are numerous official posts already available but what I did present is the overall strategy. Just to stress this again, the strategy is my personal strategy so I can’t say it’s the right strategy for each and everyone of you but it has helped me plan on what to say in each of the areas or how to use them effectively.
The general gist of the strategy:
- Figure out what your story is; what do you want Google to know about you such that they feel compelled to pick you as an attendee! Your story should cover your passions, achievements and should celebrate your uniqueness! Maybe you have a specialised profession/hobby that nobody has heard of, maybe you use Maps in ways that others haven’t, maybe you have great ideas on how to improve Maps? How do they fit in into the Google Maps/Local Guides story?
- Take that story of yours and figure out how you can weave them into the four areas that I’ve mentioned above. Try to not repeat your story too much. For example, you can mention your stats (number of reviews, photos, view counts etc) in your Connect post but don’t mention it again in your application form! Side note, I’m not too hot on the stats because Google can easily find that out themselves. Instead, you should focus on things that Google won’t know! Like if you’re a huge fan of Game of Thrones and you have created a list showing where the series were shot or where each actor is from.
- Application form – there are two questions that have a bit of a free-form answer; “…tell us about Local Guides involvement…” and “…tell us why you want to attend Connect Live 2019 and what you hope to learn if chosen to attend…”. This is an amazing opportunity for you to tell part of your story. Obviously, try and keep it brief as nobody wants to read a long answer!
- Connect post – another great opportunity to tell your story! My take on it is start with a brief info about yourself (add a lovely photo too so we can all see who you are!), then answer one of the prompts and add some side info about yourself that you feel is related to the prompt. Again, it’s about getting others to know you and what drives/excites you! I’ve seen way too many application post that dives straight into answering the prompt and has no picture whatsoever!! You really do need to add a photo or two (or add a collage of photos) and give a short backstory! It is Connect Live and you should be connecting with your audience!
- Google Maps list – use the list to exemplify your passion/interest! So if your Connect post is about your love for community work, then maybe you should make a list showing all the various places that you can go to to volunteer your time/help! #protip you can/should reference your Maps list in your Connect post! Marketing rocks! Oh, and don’t go for the bare minimum of 5 places. Aim higher. 10 places is great because you can call your list the “Top 10 places you should visit before you…”. And don’t forget to add description and choose your thumbnail photos etc. A curated list shows you’ve made the extra effort!
- Application video – keep it simple, keep it real. My take on it is that it’s partly to confirm that you can communicate well in English, but mostly to see what sort of person you are! So use it wisely to showcase your personality! And don’t worry, there’s no “right” personality but you also don’t want to come across dour and grumpy! Be yourself and be positive! And also choose your backdrop/location wisely! Do we really need another video that’s been taken in a bedroom with blank white wall as a background? Go outside, shoot in your garden, in a park, out on the streets! Your choice of backdrop/location can say a lot about you too!
That’s the gist of it. Do you have to follow this strategy? It’s up to you. I have seen application videos from attendees that are super simple (hello bedroom!), I’ve met folks that have never hosted a meet up or barely use Connect for various issues. But they were still selected. And there’s nothing wrong with that because we do need a good mix of people from all walks of life, with all sorts of backgrounds and experiences.
More useful links below:
- (Official) 9 tips for creating your Connect Live 2019 application video
- (Official) How to write a great post for Connect Live 2019
- (Official) How to make great restaurant lists on Google Maps
- (Official) 4 tips for creating better lists
So yeah, there’s 26 days left until the end of the application period! Don’t wait too long and start planning today! With this podcast out now, I can definitely switch gears and focus on my own application! Best of luck to everyone; may the odds be ever in your favour! 
#golocopodcast #connectlive2019 #cl2019 #letsguide #mcrlocalguides #manchester
Any thoughts and comments about the strategy/tips? Any questions that we can help answer or point you to the right direction? As always, if you like our podcast, do subscribe and let others know! We would love to have as many Local Guides tune in and enjoy all the work we’ve put into this. We push out an episode once every two weeks and if you have any ideas for future episodes, do let us know in the comments below. So far, we’ve done more story based episodes to highlight Local Guides from all over the world and hear their stories. We hope to do some technical discussions too focused on specific features on Maps/Connect. Just let us know what you would want to hear more of!
