“You’ve just accomplished what very few people have done: reached 1,000,000 photo views. Congratulations on the amazing accomplishment.”
When I received this message in early 2018, it made my day. It was in Paris, at a hamburger shack, in the heart of the city. It was Sunday afternoon and we surfed Google Maps for a nearby foodie spot. We found it! It was one of the best hamburgers I’ve ever had in my life and I wanted all the world to know about it. All I needed to achieve that was to post a couple of photos there and write my review about the place.
All the ‘wows’ and motivational messages which come in the form of emails to my inbox, have kept me motivated to contribute as a local guide for so many years.
‘Your photos are popular’
‘Your photo is really popular!’
‘You’re a top photographer on GoogleMaps’
‘Your photo is making a difference’
The most I enjoy about me being a local guide is the effect I have on other people’s lives. My photos give a clearer idea of the expectations and my reviews give a sincere opinion on the whole experience.
I enjoy posting photos since I take a lot of them; however, all the edits and other forms of contributions which I do to the map bring me joy knowing that this will help someone somewhere over the world where I’ve been before them.
Whenever I travel I make sure to do contribution sessions to the map after each trip. Whether in Europe, the Middle East, or the U.S, I am proud to be a top local guide.
‘Congrats! You reached a new record on Google’