Introducing Local Guides to new people in a fun meet up

Meet-ups
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The message is clear, a lot of Local Guides want to have fun when having meet up. But the question is that “how if we hold a meet up with totally new people?” The new people who do not know about Local Guides yet. So, here’s my story.

On Sunday, 21 of January 2018, me and my friend held a sharing session meet up in D’Leon Cafe, Pare, Kediri Indonesia. The recap is Here.

are you ready to be Local Guides?
are you ready to be Local Guides?881×587 157 KB
Based on that sharing session meet up, I pointed out several points that mostly talking about introducing new community (i.e. Local Guides) is very challenging. Firstly, talking about Local Guides is always make people misinterpret with tour guide; the one who assists you into unfamiliar places. It is probably because of the word “guide” here which is normally define as "person who leads travelers or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations." Yeah, LG does it, but in the different way, we use Google Maps! Therefore, we need to “assist” them to do their first contribution on Google Maps.

One of Kediri Local Guides gave the example of making contribution in Google Maps
One of Kediri Local Guides gave the example of making contribution in Google Maps899×600 161 KB

Secondly, people tend to assume that Local Guides are part of Google’s employee, or, Google pays for Local Guides for doing their contribution. This “part” is very interesting to be shared to them. We are Local Guides just be happy to contribute for helping people. When we said that being Local Guides needs you to always mobile, visiting new places, or traveling a lot, we saw the happiness in their face. Well, it seems that everybody loves to do travel nowadays.

Giving example of writing a review
Giving example of writing a review788×525 103 KB

Lastly, people are also wondering by asking about the benefits of being Local Guides. Besides this Link (points, badges, etc) the most interesting part of being Local Guides is that we can connect a new people with different background, cultures, nation, of course, because we are all in the same community: Local Guides!

Being Local Guides means you will meet new friends everyday!
Being Local Guides means you will meet new friends everyday!3963×3120 2.73 MB

I wonder that a lot of Local Guides have their own stories for introducing Local Guides to new people. Overall, that is my story. How about you? Feel free to share!

Cheers,

Nunung Afuah.

Indonesia Local Guides.

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@NunungAfuah You are amazing for spreading the word of the Local Guides program! First introductions to the program are critical and I’m glad you’ve shared the right information as well as managed expectations of new Local Guides. Knowledge sharing is absolutely powerful — kudos to you!

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Hey @NunungAfuah ! Thank you for sharing your meet up story.

I have to agree with you, after hosting a handful of meet ups, I have had struggles with getting new Local Guides out as well in my community. But when we get new and interested Local Guides, it is a lot of fun because they have a certain excitement that is difficult to explain and they just want to hear all about your experiences as well. So I am glad you were able to experience this as well in your community!

Despite the challenges, it still sounds like you have a great meet up! Congrats! :slight_smile:

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sepertinya seru dan acara berkualitas tentang google local guides apalagi menyebarkan kebaikan melalui gmaps.

semangat dan sukses selalu!

salam dari kota tetangga :slight_smile:

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@JeslynL wrote:

@NunungAfuah You are amazing for spreading the word of the Local Guides program! First introductions to the program are critical and I’m glad you’ve shared the right information as well as managed expectations of new Local Guides. Knowledge sharing is absolutely powerful — kudos to you!

thank so much @JeslynL . you’re right, first introductions is very challenging as well.

@Shirley you are also right, it is kind of excitement of joining Local Guides community and we just want to spread all of the joy of being Local Guides.

oh hai, Surabaya man @AndiBrata ! ditunggu loh “keseruan” meet upnya di kota tetangga :slight_smile:

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Wow @NunungAfuah , this is great! Inviting other people to join local guides during a meet up is such a great idea. Everybody looks really interested in the pictures you have posted.

I hope I can do something like that, it’s inspiring! :slight_smile:

Regards from Buenos Aires

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Hey guys look at this really interesting idea for a meet-up! What do you think? We could turn this into a worldwide thing ;D

@OSAMA @HelloSamsonR @Sagir @Haseeb @BishowvijayaP

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Hi @NunungAfuah . This was such a great post to see and read through, thank you for sharing it. Many of the items you mentioned are great pieces of feedback about the program itself and conversations I’ve had too at various points in time. To add to what you shared, I’d add that sometimes people ask WHY I’m a Local Guide (often times before they realize I also work here) and I proudly say it’s because I like helping others and they get it then! :slight_smile:

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That’s very interesting @ValeriaA . I am happy to see @NunungAfuah 's this great effort and well manged post.

Well Valeria, I started my journey as local guide just alone. I have a lot of fellow friends now and I knew all those from local guide connect. When I was in my first meet up nobody was known to me. This is the link:

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Share-Your-Photos-and/MY-FIRST-MEET-UP-TRAVEL-amp-EXPERIENCE-WITH-LGs-Nepal/m-p/309752#M21432

I mean I alerady had such experience like Nunung. And I am always ready if you wish to initiate such event worldwide.

@ValeriaA wrote:

Hey guys look at this really interesting idea for a meet-up! What do you think? We could turn this into a worldwide thing ;D

@OSAMA @HelloSamsonR @Sagir @Haseeb @Bishowvijaya

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Great @BishowvijayaP ! I’ll read that post right now :slight_smile:

It’s great to know people that have the same interests as you and host such a successful meet up!

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@NunungAfuah keep it up sister . i try to follow this for my community female members

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@NunungAfuah What you’ve done is very good. You have cut out a path for the other local guides like me by giving an idea of how to make meetups special. It is very joyful when we introduce the local guides program to someone and teach them. I will also try the same, not in meetups only, but will try to make my daily routine. Congrats for your work…!!:clap::clap:

Regards,.

JUSTIN ALEX

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@NunungAfuah Sister has done a great job.

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This is so lovely @NunungAfuah ! Thank you for sharing!!

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@NunungAfuah that’s great content by you, actually Local Guides is a profession in which we are continuously helping other in a digital way or you can say it’s digital help, making easy for travellers, mentioned Points of wheelchair accessible places etc and getting prays by them is a very big reward for us being a Local Guide

Ata Ur Rehman

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Mba @NunungAfuah it’s an interesting perspective of being “a Local Guide”

many promotional activities have been done by Local Guides Program such as perk, push message notification in google Map significantly encourage the growth of new member participation in google map or local guide program. Sometimes we tend to be busy alone with Local Guides Community and then we forget to and share our knowledge inspiration and encouragement for a good cause not only for community but for our society (everyone LG or not LG can submit a contribution on google map)

i think that’s the point why there’s many spamming activity , may be it’s not because they want to spam or do the wrong thing, maybe they just don’t know how to use it properly…it’s a big challenge for us in 2018 on how introducing Local Guides to new people and contribute in good ways ., thanks for reminds me Mba Nunung :+1:

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Direct to the point @NunungAfuah you talk about everyday challenge we face as LOCAL Guides :ok_hand::+1:

Guide = tourist Guide for 90% of people and when you said Map so 99% think it’s real Tourist Guide topic :-))))

So my trick is to talk about reviews and sharing where we travel on the Google map application :slight_smile:

They ask me how I said it’s an option on the Google Map app they said show me how !!!

I sad click get started next next I am more than 18 years and where are you from …

When finished they feel very happy

But for the majority they ask. :

HOW MUCH!? I said how much what !??

They replied : How much Google will Pay us to make this … i replyt its volunteering and good to help each other … some like the idea some dont want to go out the comfort zone …

first i feel bad about this , then its okay who want to join i can help who dont want to join also i can help

one funny story :

one day i make a presentation about local guides program to one of the big Mobile shops in the area they don’t like the idea and start said we don’t have time for this we have facebook page we have…etc

but two of them join just because i am customer there ,

after a while they call me to help them in editing the Information and to edit for another shop owner information on google maps and thanks me :))))

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thank you very much @ValeriaA :)))

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@NunungAfuah its a appreciate experience you shared… I like your thought and ideas can promote this community…

Happy Guiding!!!

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Ciddi ve dikkatli bir çalışma ile hiç durum engel değildir @NunungAfuah

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