I love to post reviews but what I love most is showing my readers what I have experienced. I do this through my photos and it has changed everything.
Being a Local Guide is being part of a larger, global community. I travel a lot for work and that means I have to find a place to eat, find places to stay, find a bathroom nearby, et cetera. By sharing what I have discovered in that locality, it makes it easy for the next person.
What I share most is often about food – because everyone has to eat! And here is where photos can change everything in a Google Maps review.
Experiences are visual: Let readers see through your lens
For the sighted, visual cues are the most powerful. Whether they be a landmark (who hasn’t used Street View when travelling to a place for the first time?) or of an interesting element of that place, the photos are the first to be viewed.
In a recent Reuters article, Here is why photography is essential to your content, the international publisher explains, “images are an international language.” I believe this to be true. When travelling in a foreign country, where the reviews and place names may be in a foreign language, the images attached tell the story for the reader. An ice-cream parlour will have photos of their delicious flavours and sundaes, a pizzeria will demonstrate the toppings.
The fact of the matter is, a review without photography is incomplete. The reader is not able to see the full experience without the visual aide.
Snap well and snap often
Admittedly, when a well-plated dessert is served in front of me, the compulsion to dig in as soon as possible is strong. But if I’m looking to share my discovery of this new (to me) place – which I love to do – I have to take pause and take a photo.
To the frustration of my companions when I’m out as being “that” person, I take as many photos as I can. Different angles, playing with the lighting. This is all important as the perfect picture will have a huge result to the overall review.
It isn’t just with food either. Sharing a good view or even showing that there’s live entertainment can make a big difference in the overall review and visibility of the place discovered.