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

[IQA]

We hope can add something new in this year 

[JacobS]

Gracias por la oportunidad de compartir estas herramientas para nosotros, poder ayudar a mas gente!

[AndreaW]

My biggest suggestion would be to only leave positive reviews. The world is currently so full of bad that it's good to not add to it. What I see sometimes is that people had bad 'experiences'. If the bulk of the other reviews are positive or 3 or more stars, why drop a bombshell review? Maybe the server was having a bad day, maybe they used that cup by accident instead of a clean one. You know what I mean. So my approach is if the place is OK or better, comment away. And if you ate/saw/read/experienced something exceptional, share that information as well.

Regarding pictures, I think it's best to auto-enhance them. They always look brighter than the original!

[DrewW]

I try to just take a picture of whatever might give you information about the place. If it's a bar, a picture of the bar itself, so people know what kind of rail liquor they have or what's premium. If it's a park, maybe a picture of a cool spot, or the hours of operation or maybe a sign pointing to the washrooms. I also try to post photos of things that might expire. Perhaps a place has a sandwich board advertising a daily special. I'll post that (though I still haven't figured out if we can put a time limit on a photo, that would be cool).

I also try to post pictures of people enjoying themselves. Nothing says BORING like a place without people. lol Like the local guides community!! We'd suck without all of us being here 🙂 a little pat on the back for everyone

Cheers

[MutasemB]

My tips are:

• Don't be afraid to take a photo thinking that nobody will benefit from it. I was surprised to the number of viewers for some of my photos.
• Always keep in mind: this photo might help or inspire someone

[AdamzyLee]

It was a great 

[HugoM]

La verdad sacar fotos es un placer para mi. Y compartirla para que todas las personas que esten por mi pais me produce una satisfaccion. Vamos por mas 

[LucasR]

As dicas que digo para todos:

Tirem fotos de lugares importantes de sua região, pontos de referência, restaurantes, postos de gasolina, praças, supermercados, pontos turísticos.
Não tenham medo de publicar achando que não irá ajudar ninguém, pois a sua informação pode ser muito importante para as pessoas.

Façam esse trabalho com prazer, é muito gratificante saber que podemos ajudar alguém desconhecido.

Obrigado a todos!

The tips I say to everyone:
Take pictures of important places in your area, landmarks, restaurants, gas stations, squares, supermarkets, sights.
I'm not afraid to publish, but there's nothing that can help.
Do this job with pleasure, it is very gratifying to know that you can help someone unknown.
Thank you all!

[ThatGuyU]

I really enjoy taking photos and doing surveys so people can get the real deal about places

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@BellaW wrote:

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.

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[BobThor]

Hi Local Guides, My best tip is to take photos of real aspects of your experiences to give reviewers a sense of being with you. Too often I see reviews with photos that don't capture the experience. So be natural with your camera!

Enjoy and keep reviewing.