How to write for Local Guides Connect post? What makes for a good entry? Which types of posts can you make here? There are different ways to post in Local Guides and after discussing this with community members (with different roles and profiles) I decided to make a post that integrates the vision of 6 of us:
As a LG Level 7 almost new to LGConnect, I am still defining “my voice”, trying to see how much of a match can I be with this environment, exploring it and seeing what works and what does not. I am curious, come on avalanches and post by bunches.
In a situation similar to mine @marcorp , LG Level 8, confessed to still be in the process of defining his style. He said: "On the one hand I do not know whether to specialize in any or some categories, for example, street food, or landscapes, or both. If I had more free time I would write about storytelling… Sometimes it’s complicated, but if I find some free time I try to make a short post.
@user_not_found , LG Level 10, started his LG experience about 3 years ago, he said: “the first year I was all but a good local guide: I was taking random pictures without caring much about quality and I was just seeking points. So we can say it’s 2 years I have started to be a good Local Guide, really interested about the program! The first year I was writing very short reviews in Italian language and was not posting on Connect. From the second year I started writing my reviews in English and making them longer. From the third year, I started also contributing more to Connect.”
From the Moderator’s perspective:
@FaridTDF said he went through several stages of experimentation and he understood that they can all fulfil a specific function. He mentioned to have used 4 types of posts:
· Thematic posts: made to expose information or experiences around some specific places or topics.
· Post series: a bunch of individual publications linked to a common theme, that if read as a whole makes a huge post.
· Isolated posts: entries without a specific theme but related to Connect or Google Maps.
· Post to engage: these are posts like this that we are dealing with here, where there is not necessarily a photo or a map in the post, it is to reflect on some topics.
From the perspective of @AdrianLunsong “there is no strict right or wrong way to write a post or to present your idea/story/info. But there are good ways that can provide you with great engagement from the community. And that ‘good way’ varies depending on the forum’s platform and also who are the community.” This are Adrian’s personal preferences:
· A medium length post with relevant/interesting photos.
· Videos and links are always nice to have but not compulsory.
· If the post is too short, text heavy or text only, is hard to maintain interest or get interested to read the post in the first place!
· Unless you’re creating a series of posts, he prefers to have all the information in a single post.
Lunsong went as far as actually doing a writing challenge to learn from the community what makes a good post, so he says that his ideas are evolving as he gets more and more feedback.
For @KarenVChin the recipe for a great Connect post is simple (in her words):
- Eye catching photo that grabs my attention
- A good title that quickly tells me what this post is about
- No more than 6-7 high quality photos that help to tell the story of the post. So “a photo is a 1000 words” - make every photo count, including a descriptive caption. Also a good video or 360 photos work too. But both, again, should be used with purpose and be high quality, eye catching (don’t have them be too long in length or blurry /out of focus).
- Simple text in short paragraphs. Try to not be wordy, and avoid any colloquialisms. This will make Google Translate work its best in terms of language translation.
- Lastly, show excitement or enthusiasm about what you are writing about. The best posts for me are when I learn something new. The author is excited to share his or her experience or knowledge about a place, subject, cultural event, food, etc.
Which tricks do you have, which process did you experiment with… What makes a good LGC post for you?
to mention some:soon: 
