To me, the Google Local Guides Program means to take and give back to the society. It means, helping out people discover places, add reviews, encourage my fellow local guides and most importantly help small businesses get recognized at a bigger level.
It all began a few years ago, when I happened to open Google maps and then saw the Local Guides feature on it. Like always, being the excited girl when it comes to something fancy related to technology. I gave it a try. I was amazed about what Google Maps had to offer for each and every one all over the Globe. Not just directions, but it had everything that one needs to decide on a place.
I started contributing little by little from the places that I had visited and knew about. Ever since I’ve begun my journey as a Local Guide, each and every day I feel motivated to review and post more content to help the people around me. As it’s not possible to know every language from all around the world and communicating can sometimes get hard. Google Maps is a savior in such situations to find the hidden jems of a place. Difference in language can never be a reason to stop us from travelling and discovering new places. Google Maps helps us do just that, with the help of the contribution from all the Local Guides. On my journey as a Local Guide, I’ve discovered some amazing and beautiful places that I would have never done otherwise.
Most importantly, I feel that adding and reviewing small businesses helps them a lot in getting recognized on the internet. A small, yet meaningful review can help a place get visitors. We have a lot of places in and around us which are known to us but are unknown to others and adding these places would make a huge difference and help the visitors and local people as well.
What inspires me and pushes me to do a little better each time is the monthly email from Local Guides, it truly inspires and motivates me by giving me a summary of my activity from the previous month and the impact that my posts and reviews have had. It motivates me to contribute more than what I had done the previous month. I believe that my active participation as a Local Guide is helping a lot of people all over the world and I will continue my contribution for the same. It makes me proud and happy, when my contribution to Google Maps is recognized.
Google Maps is truly a blessing and the Local Guides who contribute to it are doing an amazing job and I’m glad to be a part of this wonderful community.