Introducing Local Guides to new people in a fun meet up

[NunungAfuah]

The message is clear, a lot of Local Guides want to have fun when having meet up. But the question is that "how if we hold a meet up with totally new people?" The new people who do not know about Local Guides yet. So, here's my story.

On Sunday, 21 of January 2018, me and my friend held a sharing session meet up in D'Leon Cafe, Pare, Kediri Indonesia. The recap is Here.are you ready to be Local Guides? Based on that sharing session meet up, I pointed out several points that mostly talking about introducing new community (i.e. Local Guides) is very challenging. Firstly, talking about Local Guides is always make people misinterpret with tour guide; the one who assists you into unfamiliar places. It is probably because of the word "guide" here which is normally define as "person who leads travelers or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations." Yeah, LG does it, but in the different way, we use Google Maps! Therefore, we need to "assist" them to do their first contribution on Google Maps.

One of Kediri Local Guides gave the example of making contribution in Google Maps

Secondly, people tend to assume that Local Guides are part of Google's employee, or, Google pays for Local Guides for doing their contribution. This "part" is very interesting to be shared to them. We are Local Guides just be happy to contribute for helping people. When we said that being Local Guides needs you to always mobile, visiting new places, or traveling a lot, we saw the happiness in their face. Well, it seems that everybody loves to do travel nowadays.Giving example of writing a review

Lastly, people are also wondering by asking about the benefits of being Local Guides. Besides this Link (points, badges, etc) the most interesting part of being Local Guides is that we can connect a new people with different background, cultures, nation, of course, because we are all in the same community: Local Guides!Being Local Guides means you will meet new friends everyday!

I wonder that a lot of Local Guides have their own stories for introducing Local Guides to new people. Overall, that is my story. How about you? Feel free to share!

Cheers,

Nunung Afuah.

Indonesia Local Guides.

[JeslynL]

@NunungAfuah You are amazing for spreading the word of the Local Guides program! First introductions to the program are critical and I'm glad you've shared the right information as well as managed expectations of new Local Guides. Knowledge sharing is absolutely powerful — kudos to you! 

[Shirley]

Hey @NunungAfuah! Thank you for sharing your meet up story. 

I have to agree with you, after hosting a handful of meet ups, I have had struggles with getting new Local Guides out as well in my community. But when we get new and interested Local Guides, it is a lot of fun because they have a certain excitement that is difficult to explain and they just want to hear all about your experiences as well. So I am glad you were able to experience this as well in your community!

Despite the challenges, it still sounds like you have a great meet up! Congrats! 🙂

[AndiBrata]

sepertinya seru dan acara berkualitas tentang google local guides apalagi menyebarkan kebaikan melalui gmaps. 

semangat dan sukses selalu!

salam dari kota tetangga 🙂

[NunungAfuah]

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@JeslynL wrote:

@NunungAfuah You are amazing for spreading the word of the Local Guides program! First introductions to the program are critical and I'm glad you've shared the right information as well as managed expectations of new Local Guides. Knowledge sharing is absolutely powerful — kudos to you! 

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thank so much @JeslynL. you're right, first introductions is very challenging as well.

@Shirley you are also right, it is kind of excitement of joining Local Guides community and we just want to spread all of the joy of being Local Guides. 

oh hai, Surabaya man @AndiBrata! ditunggu loh "keseruan" meet upnya di kota tetangga 🙂

[ValeriaA_]

Wow @NunungAfuah, this is great! Inviting other people to join local guides during a meet up is such a great idea. Everybody looks really interested in the pictures you have posted.

I hope I can do something like that, it's inspiring! 🙂

Regards from Buenos Aires

[ValeriaA_]

Hey guys look at this really interesting idea for a meet-up! What do you think? We could turn this into a worldwide thing ;D

@OSAMA @HelloSamsonR @Sagir @Haseeb @BishowvijayaP 

[TraciC]

Hi @NunungAfuah. This was such a great post to see and read through, thank you for sharing it.  Many of the items you mentioned are great pieces of feedback about the program itself and conversations I've had too at various points in time. To add to what you shared, I'd add that sometimes people ask WHY I'm a Local Guide (often times before they realize I also work here) and I proudly say it's because I like helping others and they get it then! 🙂 

[BishowvijayaP]

That's very interesting @ValeriaA_. I am happy to see @NunungAfuah's this great effort and well manged post.

Well Valeria, I started my journey as local guide just alone. I have a lot of fellow friends now and I knew all those from local guide connect. When I was in my first meet up nobody was known to me. This is the link:

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Share-Your-Photos-and/MY-FIRST-MEET-UP-TRAVEL-amp-EXPERIENCE-W...

I mean I alerady had such experience like Nunung.  And I am always ready if you wish to initiate such event worldwide. 

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@ValeriaA_ wrote:

Hey guys look at this really interesting idea for a meet-up! What do you think? We could turn this into a worldwide thing ;D

@OSAMA @HelloSamsonR @Sagir @Haseeb @BishowvijayaP 

[ValeriaA_]

Great @BishowvijayaP! I'll read that post right now 🙂 

It's great to know people that have the same interests as you and host such a successful meet up!