This post is Part II of RECAP: International Women’s Day Photowalk
In the first section, I discussed the format and participation, and began to list the places that were part of the Photowalk by the numbers, with anecdotes and lessons from each location. It continues below.
Rare Bird https://goo.gl/maps/8g1rtZyvZ9D2
Total Photos: 3
Total Views: 705
Most Views on one Photo: 545
Rare Bird Vintage was a last-minute addition to the lineup for the photowalk. A friend suggested this mother-daughter team had the best curated vintage clothing in town - a statement which I can only confirm. They were excited to become active within their business listing.
Kountry Korner Cafe https://goo.gl/maps/G6Gq9fo85qw
Total Photos: 8
Total Views: 683
Most Views on one Photo: 265
Kountry Korner Cafe is a landmark of local commerce. They have a laid back atmosphere that encourages groups of friends to linger and chat through the afternoons, and a music lineup that makes dinner entertaining almost every day of the week. I was able to speak to the owner, Betty, about GMB, and she was pleased to discover that her social media person was already active - posting their music lineup to events!
This stop was especially fun because of the patrons who were sitting at the table in the corner. They were fascinated by the 360 Camera. I was able to demonstrate how 360 pictures work. So much fun!
Korner Klub https://goo.gl/maps/ULPQ3P1gDG12
Total Photos: 22
Total Views: 1.6 K
Most Views on one Photo: 245
This bar has a comfortable atmosphere decorated heavily with vintage memorabilia. There is so much to see in the 360 photos I took here! I only wish Maps hadn’t blurred out the James Dean and Marilyn cutouts that mark the men’s and women’s restrooms!
You’ll notice that the count from the photo above is higher than the count reported. For whatever reason, I struggle with double photos uploading to Maps and Streetview - and not always right away. I regularly go back through my photographs to check for double uploads, and in the case of the Korner Klub, I found several.
Girls Outdoors https://goo.gl/maps/hodrzfCmmnF2
Total Photos: 10
Total Views: 782
Most Views on one Photo: 285
Girls Outdoors was one of my very last stops of the day. This shop is full of high-quality outdoor gear with an emphasis on being functional while fashionable. The owner and I were able to have a wonderful chat regarding the benefits of the tour, and I encouraged her to claim her listing.
Olivelle https://goo.gl/maps/nrDzHAuPE8N2
Total Photos: 5
Total Views: 492
Most Views on one Photo: 300
I have been coming to Olivelle for the freshest olive oil my town has to offer for several years. The first time I came in and saw the amazing array of products and the generous try-before-you-buy table, I was in heaven. Photographing this store was a dream come true. All of the displays are locally made with reclaimed wood, and the naturally occurring saturation of color it lent the photos was mind blowing.
Sassy Sisters Google Maps
Sassy Sisters is an adorable gift shop located in the heart of downtown Bozeman. Once I had the “ok” to take photographs, the store clerk and I had a complete blast finding and framing unique 360 photographs. This store’s displays stretch floor to ceiling - the baby room was my absolute favorite. By the time I left, the clerk was determined to sign up to be a Local Guide herself - she is taking a solo vacation to Europe this summer and after seeing @vvbellur 's video, wanted to follow her footsteps! Note: Sassy Sisters did not upload to Street View despite my best efforts over the past 10 days. I finally opted to directly upload via Maps.
Lessons Learned
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#WomanLed makes more sense than any other hashtag in regards to these businesses. The women in charge of these businesses are leaders in the community and role models for other business women. It is their leadership and determination which allow their businesses to persist long enough to grow. Furthermore, women who come together into unstoppable teams deserve recognition for their efforts, and should not be excluded simple because they do not (yet) own a piece of the businesses they devote their lives to. As such, their leadership skills should be recognized more than their ownership. Thank you @JordanSB for first bringing this topic of leadership to my attention.
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Businesses believe that Local Guides receive compensation for their reviews. At more than ⅓ of the businesses I visited, I was pressed to take gift certificates, or free refreshments. Unilaterally, businesses were astonished to learn that Local Guides cannot take compensation, and in fact, could lose our LG status if we do.
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Some shop owners believe that they can pay for reviews, leave negative reviews on competitors, or review their own shops. Gentle explanation that these behaviors can lead to explosions from LG or GMB is almost always an eye opener. The business redressal form could not have been released at a better time.
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GMB, Maps, and LG are a symphony of communities. We work together. I truly believe the reason the LG community is so active and vibrant is our positivity and altruism. Conveying this to business owners puts their suspicions at ease and often gets them excited to be interacting with Local Guides in their business listings.
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The videos on the Local Guides channel on YouTube are incredibly compelling, and it is easy to find a video that can tap into the passion projects of any individual if you listen closely. Giving a business owner a video to watch about the amazing efforts of other Local Guides while I took my photographs became a go-to move by the end of the day.
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I am putting together an ONOFFICIAL slide deck with some of the simplest Questions and Answers from my experience with this Photowalk. Distilling our community guidelines into a Q&A format helped guide many conversations in a very positive direction.
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Finally, if there is one thing I could tell every business owner on the planet: Google will not call you unsolicited. Maps is free. Just about everyone else is a telemarketer.