Feb 7
Do I Really Need Ratings & Reviews?
Do I need ratings and reviews for my podcast? And even if I do, is there a way to ask without seeming desperate for validation?
Do I need ratings and reviews for my podcast? And even if I do, is there a way to ask without seeming desperate for validation?
Speaking of validation, it’s very much a part of us as humans to seek approval from others when making choices or taking action and in this case, making podcast episodes.
You see, even the most open-minded individual will struggle with an opinion that defers from theirs and one bad review or 1-star rating can do a lot to damage a podcaster’s confidence.
And now to the matter of the day.
How important are ratings and reviews to my podcast growth?
There’s the algorithm for instance. A listener or a brand is compelled to trust a podcast’s authority if there are lots of 5-star ratings and glowing reviews.
Ratings and reviews are important for gaining trust and credibility.
Now that we know it’s an essential CTA, is there a right or wrong way to ask for ratings and reviews?
I took this question to a number of Facebook Podcast Communities and received some interesting responses…
“Reviews are like social proof. Not every prospective listener will care to check them out but some will. It’s also good social proof for brands/advertisers that might want to partner with you.” Says Maria Moore.
She also recommends casually mentioning it in your outro and including a review link of your podcast on Apple and Podchaser at the bottom of the episode description.
Diana Wilson got creative with her request, throwing in some incentives. In October 2021, she did a giveaway for a Spencer’s gift card and a tee shirt. Those who left reviews were entered into a raffle. A dozen people entered and it helped her immensely.
After reading reviews and thanking reviewers, Leah Nass explains that the reviews help her reach more listeners.
“Our podcast listeners are a community we consider friends so they want to help. Our podcast is also based on furthering a common cause so that makes the audience want to share the podcast too. We have almost 400 reviews now 2 years into our podcast.” She adds.
For Cheris Nicky Peebles, audience feedback is a gift that is welcomed. And it seems to work quite well.
My favourite response came from Daniel J. Lewis, who has a newsletter I subscribe to.
Though lengthy, I’ll see if I fit abridge am…
Make a great show. Don’t make something crappy in content and audio and then carry confidence go dey ask for reviews and ratings.
Convert your audience into special guests on your show by sharing their reviews even if na just small snippets.
“Have fun. Inspire some creativity, suggest a question they should answer, or do something entertaining based on the review!”
Offer an incentive [just like Diane did] and don’t ignore the negative feedback either. “Learning from and sharing it on your podcast often inspires your fans to rise up to support you.”
In summary, “Deliver a good podcast first, and don’t overwhelm your audience by asking them to do too many things. Consider putting your request for reviews in a rotation of calls to action, or make it part of an automated email sequence.”
So, how do you ask for ratings and reviews, if you do?
I’d love to hear from you.
We’ve got a budding Podcast Family at NaijaPodHub. Care to join us?
And if you enjoyed this piece, putting a little something in my kolo will be greatly appreciated.
I have a podcast on Podchaser. If interviews with Radio Folks will interest you, do check it out and leave a review.
