Hey everyone,
I haven't posted here much, but I follow along quite a bit. I'm a Local Guide based out of North Carolina and Washington, DC. I just hit Level 10 after almost exactly a year at Level 9. 1300 reviews, 2400 photos, and 21,000,000 photo views later, here's my advice to everyone who's looking forward to that ten-point badge.
Pay attention to the mundane -- it matters. I take photos of rest areas, gas stations, bus stops, boring fast food restaurants. I review them with the same care as I review an exciting new restaurant or museum. These things matter to people, because these are usually the things that people need. The contributions I've made to boring places get lots of attention (likes, views, etc.) and it's a great way to give yourself more things to review.
Grinding is tempting, but ultimately unrewarding. Early in my Local Guide days, I wanted to contribute, so I started fact checking as many things as I could -- but so much of it was simply unverifiable that I spent most of my time clicking "Not sure" and not being able to contribute. It wasn't worth it. (Side note: a better system for fact checks would be great!) The same goes for answers -- answers are great, but after a while there are diminishing returns and, like mass fact-checking, it's simply not a rewarding way to engage with this wonderful program. Try to spend more time writing reviews or taking photos.
Instead of grinding, develop a system. Efficiency can still be the name of the game, and if you're aiming for 100,000+ points, it might help you stay sane. My system was:
- Go somewhere. Could be anywhere! Take a bus to a mall, walk to a park, Lyft to a museum.
- Take photos of everything. Bus stop? Photo. Gift shop? Photo. Fountain? Photo. Parking garage? Photo.
- While you're at each place, add a star rating. This is much quicker and easier than adding a review, and can easily be done on the fly for lots of places.
- Once you get home, handle them one at a time. Go through your banked star ratings from your outing -- add a substantive review, upload your photos for that place, and answer the questions that are on deck on mobile.
The above was what I found to be the most efficient way to contribute to Google Maps -- and more to the point, it felt far, far more in the spirit of the program. I went to new parts of town, took lots of photos, and didn't let the obligations of the program (reviewing, etc.) get in the way of life and adventuring.
Get creative to remember where you've been. Location history on Google Maps and location tags on your photos are great ways to remember where you've been (and discover what you can review!) if you didn't have time to submit a star rating while you were there.
Every once in a while, scroll through your old reviews. See how far you've come and how your writing and photography styles have (hopefully!) improved. Also take a look at the responses from business owners -- it was a great motivator for me to see that my feedback was taken into account or hear how much a positive comment meant.
Be patient. Level 10 snuck up on me, and when it arrived, I was almost sad it was there. I have tons more answers left and a bunch of photos I haven't uploaded. (I'll upload them, of course, and keep contributing!) But the point is -- you'll make it there if you're a regular contributor and you have a system. You don't need to rush it.
This advice might not apply to everyone, but I think it would have helped me going in. I hope this helps someone else, and I wish you all the best on your Local Guides journeys! Remember -- it doesn't stop at Level 10.
2022
