I recently told a friend about Local Guides and casually mentioned I was a level 6, like it was a big deal. He asked my why I would bother wasting my time with something that I do not get paid for. To be fair, it's a decent question and one I've been thinking about for a little while now. I think I've come up with 3 reasons I feel proud to be a part of this group.
1) Sharing and Contribution - Let's face it, we feel good when we help people and here we get to help millions of people 24 hours a day. This platform provides a tremendous amount of help for people. While I cannot say how many people have benefited from my photos, reviews or contributions, I know there are people who have eaten at restaurants they never heard of because I gave a 5 star review or they took a walk in a new area because of a 360 photo I added.
2) Helping Everyone, Helps Ourselves - I cannot tell you how often I've used Google Maps and Street View to help me find a great restaurant or plan my holiday in another country. By helping others, we are building a platform that ultimately helps ourselves which helps everyone.
3) Noble Purpose of Connection - I honestly believe that when people openly share their ideas and contribute for a greater purpose, it helps everyone connect. This to me is the best way to motivate individuals and it brings a divided world closer together.
I know there is about 100 million reasons why people feel the need to review or add photos to Google Maps/Street View. I wanted to share my top 3.
Why do you contribute for no monetary return? What drives you to write your reviews and take photos of buildings when you could use your time for something else? Have you ever thought about it? Let me know, I'm interested what drives you!
2022
