Share your best tips for other Local Guides in the New Year here

[BellaWi]

As Local Guides, you’re the explorers who share daily discoveries on Google Maps, from reviewing great lunch picks to photographing lesser known parks and other beautiful finds near you. While connected by a mission to make it easier (and tastier!) to navigate the world, each of you contributes in your own way. To celebrate all these efforts and kick off 2017, we’re compiling a list of your best tips from the past year.

On this post, share your insights into:

• Taking great photos
• Writing helpful, detailed reviews
• Adding hidden or great new places
• Answering questions
• Tracking down missing and incorrect information (editing a place)

Feel free to add anecdotes and inspiring stories about any of your favorite local finds and give kudos to anything added here that you find helpful

p.s. Check out our in-house photo expert @AnnaDickson’s tips on how to upload great photos to Google Maps.

[ArthandaI]

Actually im a new in Local Guide, but im try to share the best from me to other. Litle tips from me for review actually in Indonesia. I try to tell everything what im doing on a place. Like in cafe, first how about parkinf area, its a free or not, there is a parkingman or not. And than how about eksterior of that cafe, than interior, and the waitress. In cafe i try to tell about the taste of food and drink there in my review. I hope it can help other

Thanks,

Artha - Sidoarjo (Indonesia)

[carmenara]

tl;dr Don't be afraid to express yourself.

Being firmly in the "Jeremy Clarkson" camp of satire and bombasticness I typically dream up huge flowery verses with all the useful facts hidden between the lines. 

If you're reading this and say "oh God not again", think back to a time where epic works of literary art invited you to enjoy hours of reminiscing about your own take on the world, and where Arnold Schwartzenegger stood amid the newly terraformed atmosphere of Mars asking himself and the audience if this really was a dream - everything in life is an opportunity to enjoy and interpret, and share your own experience with others. 

So that being said there might be an element of "customer expectations" to it here; some people go around reading reviews asking if there are public restrooms and whether people are saying it is clean... what entices me to get out of my basement couch is some absurd fantasy of international cat armies and saluting to a pair of sheep.

Oh I did make an actual review like this some time ago; stay tuned for part 2 which does literally, involve a field of sheep...
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Share-Your-Photos-and/Good-Meowning-A-Malaysian-Tall-Story/m-p...

Or maybe I'll write something about a place that ended up giving me one of the best photos ever in Singapore...

Seletar Reservoir, Singapore

EDIT:

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! I posted Episode 2, Part 1 of the Malaysian Tall Story. 

Synopsis:
A shopping mall run plays out like a cyberpunk story as absolutely nothing, including getting out of the train doors, seems to go smoothly. A rag tag team of runners rendezvous at a legendary chicken statue before raiding the mall for discounts and attempt to defuse a bomb. Really. I told you it's a Malaysian Tall Story!

Link:
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Share-Your-Photos-and/Malaysian-Tall-Stories-Episode-2-The-Sut...

Lady of the LakeUmm I think we died?The Legendary Ayam (Chicken) Statue, Sutera Mall, Malaysia

[Kazem987]

hi - I try to add place with a live photo. this is best way to make map really useful.

[iyudhi]

• Taking great photos
  • Don't worry about quality of the camera. Composition is more important. This tips from Luis (can't mention him here for some reason) will help a lot! Photo Tip: Rule of Thirds and Golden Ratio
• Writing helpful, detailed reviews
  • Tell your experience. Write it so the person reading your review can have a vivid experience of the place even if they've never been there
• Adding hidden or great new places
  • Pay attention to places with 'Grand opening' sign. Most of the cases those places aren't on Maps yet, so it's your chance to add them 🙂
• Answering questions
  • Don't force it, as sometimes it can get overwhelming and never ends. Answer as much as you feel comfortable. If there are still more you're probably going to be asked again later
• Tracking down missing and incorrect information (editing a place)
  • Incorporate it into your daily activities. When you have dinner outside, take a quick glance on Maps to see if there's any missing info. While waiting for your food, you can fix them. Unless if you're on a date. Talk to your date 😛

[YK1001]

For Mappers at Level 0 [  Once signon with a Google Accont in Maps, we can contribute without joining the Local Guides program.]

- Thank you very much for your contributions!  Once you join the Local Guides program, all of your prior contribution will be recognized!

- The most significant benefit of becoming a Local Guides is to join our Connect forum!

For LGs at Level 1/2

- Come and Join us at Connect

- Try out the 5 different ways to contribute to Maps

- Start with contributions that is most helpful to YOU personally - certainly many of us will also find them helpful 

For LGs at Level 3

- To know more about the LG program.  What kinds of benefits are waiting for you to unlock

- Keep doing what you like to do most

- Know the difference between Good and Bad contents.

- Raise your standard from contributing Acceptable Content to Good Content.

- Flagging Bad contents definites helps, but the effect might be visible only after long long time....

- Connect more with other LGs.  Tell people why it is good to become a LG.

- You will be entitled to register for more Google Hosted events.  Thus stay connected at Connect Forum, you will konw more about the upcoming events.

For LGs at Level 4

- The very first is to got your Drive Benefit redeemed.  Even you decided not to use it personally, you CAN donate it to others.

- Konw the restrictions and what will happen when the Drive benetfis expires.

- Know the difference between Level 5 and Level 4. 

- Think about what is more beneficial to your community.

- Ask yourself what next

For LGs at Level 5

- I am sure you find some meaning in the LG program.

- Think about how to make the LG program even better

- Think about how to make the Maps ecosystem even more helpful to more users

- Think about how to help more to become better LGs

[ChristopherR]

I do a lot of driving all over the US. Each location I post about, I try to take photos of multie angles, inside and out so you know exactly what to look for. 

[Andre Buscaciod]

Eu recomendaria apenas agir naturalmente.. Quando ver coisas interessantes, registrar, guardar, organizar e sempre que acessar o mapa, lembrar que ele está ali porque nós ajudamos a montar aquilo... Se hoje você leu alguma dica, é porque alguém a fez.... Então por que não fazer? E assim de pouco em pouco, a comunidade fica bacana.

[KynanD]

As an avid Pokemon go player I like to leave reviews that also detail pokestops in the area as well as spawn density. I love reviewing my local area and Pokemon go has allowed me to branch out and explore my community in depth. If you play pokemon go let your fellow travellers know what they might come across!

[StephenH]

I'm actually new to Local Guides myself, but as a traveler, the only best tip I can offer is just explore. This world is a big one, and there's always something around the corner.