I bet we all use Google Maps for building our travel itineraries, saving our favorite locations, navigating, exploring new places, tourist attractions, bars or restaurants we have heard of or filtered, or simply virtually traveling, especially during these times of COVID-19. But what does being a Local Guide mean?
Generally speaking, whenever I post a review on Google Maps, I more often than not feel the weight of responsibility upon my shoulders, especially when a business is concerned; the unmeasurable amount of exposure to my posts can cause a great impact – both to readers and the business owners that are being reviewed. I know that from first-hand experience, as I have based a lot of my decisions on either reviews I’ve read or pictures I’ve seen on Google Maps, and got contacted by numerous business owners after I posted a review thereon (some of them even became friends of mine. It is amazing). Reviewing a business on Google Maps, in my humble opinion, has more impact than, for example, reviewing a tourist attraction; especially when you are a Local Guide.
Being a “Local Guide” is not just a title. It means you have travelled to myriad of places, checked them out and shared your personal experience with millions of people on this platform – whether by a few words, a picture or both – which potentially influenced their decisions. Another interesting aspect is the influence such reviews have on business owners: many of them take reviews – especially those of Local Guides – in all due seriousness, and do their best in order to improve their clients’ experience. It’s a win-win situation – reviews also reflect to business owners what may require improvement, providing business owners a chance to better their service/products, considering that satisfied clients post positive feedbacks which in turn translate to proceeds. I’ve seen local businesses which treated reviews seriously, and improved their score on Google Maps by upgrading their services/products and thanks to clients who had a good experience and wrote about it. Sharing is caring – it’s not just a slogan.
I am thankful to be able to use this incredible mass wisdom, and I am honored to pay it forward by adding contribution of my own.