When I joined Local Guides program about eight years ago, it was a mere fun thing to add places and give a review on places I visit. It was about trying a new thing and also make use of my smart phone in an era when content was not that easily available. I don’t remember that much, but back at that time it was mostly in ratings and reviews. Nowadays, you can add photos and videos and also give 360 degree pictures.
Then came the point system where you can see how much you have contributed and how many views of photos and reviews you have. You can compare them with your friends and can brag about it. This gave a sense of engagement and an experience like never before. It also showed if you are the top 1% or the top 5% among the Local Guides in your area or not.
To me Local Guide program is all about making memories and share it among the people you know or may not know. I love to travel and I love giving reviews and ratings to places I visited, so that others like me can chose and decide where to go, what to order, when to board etc. Nowadays, my wife and daughter also accompany me to places I go. And with them I make the reviews and also take their point of views as well while reviewing. I believe that gives an extra edge to my reviews as they see it from a completely different perspective. It also provides a lot of information for people who travels with their families.
Local Guide program means a sense of accomplishment - I now know that a picture that I clicked today has thousands of views worldwide, a review I wrote helped hundreds of people. And that is how my pictures have almost 2 million views and over 62,000 people have seen my reviews.
Local Guide program means a sense of ownership to be a part of Google, which is known throughout the world. I now know that my simplest of contribution had made me an integral part of the biggest brand of world. That my little content flows though the net at every corners of the globe.
Local Guide programs means a sense of belongingness - to be a part of a big, fat family of Local Guides from all over the world.
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