Podcasting for Solopreneurs | Podcasting Tips and Online Marketing Strategies for Business Growth

156. The Truth About Podcasting Reviews (And Why They Don’t Help Your Visibility)

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Spoiler alert: podcast reviews don’t help your show get discovered. But they do matter. In this episode, I'm sharing what reviews actually do for your podcast, how they influence listener trust, and five creative strategies to get more of them without sounding desperate. You'll learn why reviews don’t impact your visibility, how to turn casual listeners into loyal fans, and what to say when asking for that all-important feedback.

When you're done listening, please leave a review for Podcasting for Solopreneurs! Here's how: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hUxXKytPGAihlMiz65zvbIH97rRZoqo56sKZwwrR7o0/edit?usp=drive_link

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This episode was produced by me, The Podcast Teacher! Contact me at Hello@ThePodcastTeacher.com.

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You've heard it a million times. Leave a review. It helps other people find the show. But here's the truth that no one wants to admit. That's actually a myth. Reviews don't help you get discovered. So why are we still asking for them? Hey there. I'm Julia Levine, AKA the Podcast Teacher, and you're listening to Podcasting for Solopreneurs, the show that helps online business owners grow their podcast to get more listeners, leads, and sales.

Today, we're digging into what reviews actually do for your show and how to get them. Since Spotify only allows ratings, not written reviews, today's conversation will focus on Apple podcast reviews. Reviews are important, but probably not for the reasons that you've been told. I'll explain exactly what I mean in a a second. A lot of podcast gurus make reviews out to be the end all, be all metric of podcast success, but that's not quite true. And that's why I don't ask for them in every episode. Like most podcasters, every time I hear the leave a review, it helps others find the show phrase, I get a little twitchy because that's not technically true. Apple specifically says that reviews do not factor into their algorithm for search results or for chart rankings.

And if that surprises you, you're not alone. Most of us have heard the exact opposite. And by the way, if you're skeptical, I will drop the official Apple links in the description so that you can fact check me. So if reviews don't boost your show up in the search results or the chart rankings, why should you even bother with them? And that's because, while they do not impact your visibility, they do play a critical role in converting curious scrollers into committed listeners. Here's a scenario that might sound familiar. Your podcast pops up in the search results not because of your reviews, but because you used solid SEO strategies. And now the person is staring at your show page. They're looking at your cover art, your title.

They're scrolling through your episode list. But before they hit play, they want a second opinion. So what do they do? They go and check your reviews. When a potential listener reads words from other real people about why they love your content, your voice, your humor, what kind of tips you give, that is when trust starts to build. And of course, this does not just apply to podcasting. Think about the last time you checked reviews before watching a movie, buying a new product, or trying a new restaurant. You weren't just looking for a rating. You were looking for reassurance.

You were asking things like, is this for someone like me, will this be worth my time? What kind of experience can I expect? That is the job of a good review. It answers those questions through the lens of someone who's already experienced it. And so if you look up a podcast and one review says, I love this host's dry, sarcastic humor and you also love that kind of humor, you're probably immediately intrigued. But if you hate sarcasm, you will probably move on. And that's actually a good thing. Podcast reviews help to attract the right audience and to repel the wrong one. They do filtering for you so that you get more aligned, loyal listeners who are likely to stick around. So no, podcast reviews are not going to get your show discovered, but they will help you build something far more valuable, which is a loyal and connected audience that sticks around.

So how do you get more reviews? Let's break down five different strategies that you can use. Strategy number one is to simply ask. That sounds obvious, but many hosts don't do that or don't do it well. If you can ask in a memorable, fun or specific way, people are more likely to follow through. So you can get playful, get personal. Say something like if today's tip helped you survive a Monday, leave a review and tell me which part hit home. This creates a moment of connection and asking for the review feels less formulaic, less of a kind of boring expectation, and it feels more like participating in an inside and joke. It also helps to be specific in your ask.

Don't just say leave a review. Ask them to mention their favorite episode, something that they learned, or explain why they keep coming back every week. This makes the request easier for the listener to follow and it creates more helpful, detailed reviews for future listeners. Finally, make it easy. The Apple Podcasts review process isn't the most intuitive, so reduce the friction by recording a short video showing how to do it, or linking to written instructions in your show notes. You can make this ask in every episode if you want to. I would just vary the language that you use and when you do it within the episode so it doesn't become something thing that people tune out. Or you can choose to do it just here and there in episodes, which is what I choose to do.

So real quick, I'm going to practice what I preach and say that if you have been enjoying podcasting for solopreneurs, would you please take 60 seconds to go, leave a review and tell me what your favorite episode has been so far? That feedback, of course, is going to help new listeners, and honestly, it helps me to know what content is Hitting home for you. So thanks in advance. Now on to strategy number two, which is to ask specific individuals. Unfortunately, when you put out the request on your podcast, it's pretty easy for most people to ignore it. But there's one small shift that makes a massive difference, and that's asking individuals personally and directly. Asking specific people. Start with your warm circle people like friends, family, your biz, besties. Even if they're not your ideal listeners, they can still help.

And yes, it might feel awkward at first to be asking them, but. But explain to your friend or family member how this is going to help you, and that will give them extra incentive to do it. They like you, they want to help you out. This is not a huge lift. You can also ask this of individuals that you may be talking with, one on one, particularly if they give you a compliment about your show. I'll get compliments via email that say things like, oh, I really like this episode. Or. Or sometimes in a Facebook group or a membership that I'm a part of, it's a smaller, intimate community.

And so someone will say something like, oh, I caught your recent episode. It was great. And those things can be an opportunity for you to say, oh, thank you so much. That means a lot. If you haven't had a chance to write a review yet, that would be amazing. So you can ask that. Individual people are much, much, much more likely to follow through and do something when you specifically ask them individually rather than giving just a generic call to action. So if you were to say, hey, Julia, will you do this? Then I feel that responsibility as opposed to, hey, anyone out there, can you do this? I feel much less obligation to participate in that kind of ask.

All right, so in terms of individuals, you can also ask this of your guests. If you have them on your show, you can say, hey, I'm loving having you on the show. This is a great episode. We're about to air. Have you had a chance to write a review yet? And generally, if a guest is coming onto your show, it's because they see value in what kind of content that you're creating and providing to your audience. And therefore they are going to naturally have something positive to say. Okay, moving on to strategy number three, which is to run a giveaway. Sometimes people need more than just a giveaway.

Good reason. They need a little extra motivation. And that's where a good old fashioned giveaway comes in. One way that I like to do this is to celebrate a milestone. So this can be a big milestone, a small milestone, or anything in between this could be for publishing a certain number of episodes. Maybe when you publish your 25th episode or your hundredth episode, it could also be for a number of downloads. So when you hit 1000 downloads, that is an amazing accomplishment and you can celebrate with a giveaway. During any kind of giveaway, you want to make sure to give some kind of grand prize away.

And it really doesn't matter what specifically it is. The key is just to make it something that your audience wants. So it could be a scholarship to one of your programs. It could be a one on one session with you. Those are great options if you don't really have a marketing advertising budget. But it could also be something like an Amazon gift card or a industry specific gift card. Whatever it is, just make sure that it's something your audience actually wants. Make it desirable so that they're going to want to complete the action of writing a review in order to win the prize.

And then I always love, whenever possible to kind of go above and beyond and give something. Obviously something much smaller. Give something away to everyone who enters. So every single person who writes a review every and enters the giveaway, they get something in return. This can be something like bonus content. Maybe they get access to a special training or a PDF that's usually reserved for inside your program. Or it could be something fun like a blooper reel or an ask me anything session with you. Something just to make every single person feel special.

Of course, this is kind of an above and beyond tactic. You don't need to do this, but if you can, I think it adds a really nice touch. And finally, whenever you're doing a giveaway, make sure it is super easy and you're super clear about what they need to do to enter. So you can say something like write your review, take a screenshot, post it on Instagram and tag me in your post. The fewer steps that you involve, the more likely people are to follow through. Strategy number four is very much along the same lines, although it's centered around a relaunch of your show. So if you update your brand, you change your podcast title, maybe you're giving your just cover art a refresh. Something new and exciting is happening.

You can kind of relaunch your show and generate excitement along with a giveaway to celebrate. So the same things that I just talked about apply here. Give away a big prize and make it super simple and clear how to enter. All right. And strategy number five is to participate in genuine review swaps. The idea here with this is simple. I review Your podcast, you review mine. But the catch is that it only works well if this is a genuine review swap.

Unfortunately, many of the review swaps out there feel sort of transactional. You jump on a zoom call with a group, you exchange links to your podcasts, and every person leaves a quick, generic review, often without even listening to the show. So these reviews end up being something like great podcast, Keep up the great work. That's not very helpful for new listeners. That review doesn't build trust with your audience, and in my opinion, that's kind of unethical. So when you participate in a review swap, I encourage you to treat it like you're recommending the show to a friend. Actually listen to an episode or two. Find something real that you appreciated within the episode.

Maybe it's the host's storytelling, their vulnerability, the quality of their questions, or how they explain complex topics. Then when you leave a review, say something specific related to one of those things. So an example might be I loved how this podcast breaks down social media tips without the fluff. The episode on Instagram captions gave me three ideas I used immediately. That review is honest, it's helpful, and it makes a real impact on the potential listener. Sometimes you're doing a review swap with someone whose show is not one that you'd normally listen to, and that can make things a little bit more challenging. But let me give you an example of how I handled it when I was in this situation. I once did a review swap with a podcast host who had a show about motherhood.

Now, spoiler alert. I am not a mother. I am clearly not her target audience. But I listened and participated in the swap. And what stood out to me when listening to one of her episodes was her transparency. She spoke really candidly about her challenges, which created a feeling of deep authenticity. So I left a review saying, I appreciate how refreshingly honest this podcast is. If you're looking for real conversations about motherhood, give this a listen.

That's a genuine review. It's honest. And even though I'm not her ideal listener, it still helps someone who may be reading it who is her ideal listener. And those are the kind of reviews that help a show grow. Another tip here is that if you are the one initiating the swap, make sure to set the expectations up front and say something like, let's both listen to at least one full episode and share something specific in the review. That way you avoid confusion and you attract people who value real feedback. If you're open to doing these genuine review swaps, try posting in Facebook groups or other communities that you're a part of. Just make sure to specify that you're looking to do these genuine review swaps where you each actually listen and provide real feedback that will help you to attract other podcasters who are going to respect the process.

In conclusion, remember that reviews may not boost your discoverability, but they absolutely influence the right people to press play. And if you want to get more reviews, remember these five strategies. Ask and make it fun and specific. Whenever possible, ask individuals directly run giveaways to celebrate milestones, relaunch with excitement and a giveaway. And you can do genuine review swaps that actually mean something. So let me wrap up by practicing what I'm preaching and say that if you've gotten value from this episode, if something I said today sparked a new idea, gave you clarity, or made you feel more empowered as a podcaster, would you please leave a review for Podcasting for solopreneurs? Your words could be the exact message someone needs to hear before giving this show a chance. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Podcasting takes energy, vulnerability, and a lot of unseen hours behind the mic, but every honest review reminds me why I hit record in the first place.

Until next time, happy podcasting.

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Julia Levine

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