When you’re looking at your Google Maps, especially when you’re in unfamiliar territory, don’t you just wish there were more recommendations and reviews of the places you’re going to? Of course you have apps for that, but wouldn’t it be more convenient if it was in the map app that you’re using at the moment? Well now Google Maps is expanding its Local Guides program so that more people would contribute to this database, and earn points and rewards at the same time.
You can now sign up and join the already thriving Local Guides community and whenever you contribute to a place, whether it’s adding a new place, writing reviews, correcting outdated information, uploading photos, or even answering simple questions, you’ll earn points which can then be turned into rewards. Each contribution is worth one point, so you can actually earn five for each place, provided you diligently do all that we mentioned above.
Some of the rewards you can redeem with those points include entering exclusive contests to win the newest Google devices (Level 1, 0-4 points); getting early access to new Google products (Level 2, 5-49 points); getting your Local Guides badge and that showing on the map (Level 3, 50-199 points); getting an additional 1TB upgrade of your Google Drive (200-499 points); and becoming eligible to attend the first Local Guides summit in 2016 (Level 5, 500+ points).
You can already sign up to become a Local Guide through this link. Then you’d need to update your Google Maps to its latest version where you’ll also be able to see your contributions and points you’ve earned and what level you’re in now.
SOURCE: Google Maps