Local guide for me means any person who is familiar with a particular place, area, shop etc and becomes a virtual guide and helps others know about it by adding photos, reviews, Q&A and also adding or editing information about a particular place. So in a simple sense you are exploring, gathering Knowledge and providing value information for other people
When I started my journey as a local guide I was not aware of all the things a local guide has to offer. For me it meant only to leave a rating of places.
It all started with leaving one review and later I came across the different levels and badges you get as you progress. From then on wards I started posting reviews and adding photos on places I visited. The reply I used to get from the business owners and the monthly email showing all the insights of the reviews and photos I shared really motivated.
Since I’m a foodie and mostly my search is all about new restaurants, cafes or patisserie I felt that there must be many like me and if I can help them know about that place it will be a great idea. One such incident happened when I shared my experience in detail about Labonel Fine Baking one of the best patisserie in Hyderabad. That particular review received more 3k views and 1 like for the detailed explanation.
Also, on the other hand if you are searching for a place and go through it’s reviews or photos you can also see who has added it. The moment you see the local guide badge and the level he or she is at you feel assured about that review.
I also feel that as a local guide we need to contribute in adding many businesses if they are not online because of this platform many businesses can grow.
Sometimes it is better to have a visual representation in the form of photos or videos rather than reading. Using this platform we can see some amazing shots taken by the local guides and also by contributing from our end. Some details such as a wheelchair access or a valet parking is really helpful for the readers.
So, this is my response for the prompt of “What does the Local Guides program mean to you?”.
Thanks for reading.
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