How often do you check the listener reviews of your podcast? What do you do with the information listeners share with you? Have you made efforts to get more reviews? In this Mr. Thrive Media blog, we’ll walk you through the benefits of podcast reviews and how important they are for your podcast business.
Podcast reviews can boost your ROI for podcasts. They help you get podcast sponsors and host a great podcast. Keep reading to learn the benefits of podcast reviews. We’ll dive into what you can do to get more reviews and make them work for your podcast.
7 Best Benefits of Podcast Reviews
The benefits of podcast reviews focus on increased engagement, brand and business growth, and digital ecosystem improvements. These seven best benefits of podcast reviews make the work of gaining more reviews well worth your while. If you haven’t been putting an effort into getting listener reviews, these benefits will convince you to start putting in that work.
7. Audience-Generated Marketing
The reviews you receive are a form of audience-generated content, which can then act as audience-generated marketing. The more marketing efforts you can work with that take minimal work on your part, the better! You can share reviews on your homepage, in your podcast blog, and in email blasts.
6. Increased Visibility
Increased visibility is always a good thing, and good reviews are some of the best visibility you can get. The influence of podcasting is only as powerful as the reach of the podcast. The more reviews you have, the more people will learn about your podcast and add it to their playlists.
5. Credibility and Industry Authority
One of the lesser-known podcasting mistakes is not paying enough attention to your place in your industry. To grow your podcast and business, you need to be an authoritative voice in your niche. Having reviews that talk about your expertise in the industry helps to build your credibility.
4. Increased Engagement
Increased engagement is a two-fold benefit of podcast reviews. Firstly, when people leave reviews of your podcast, that’s engagement on their end. That tells you they like the show and want to engage further. Secondly, when you receive the reviews you get the opportunity to engage with those folks and broaden your community.
3. Content and Episode Ideas
The more in-depth reviews you receive, the more beneficial they are! You’ll find that some listeners mention things they would want to hear more about in their reviews. You can take these notes and integrate them as much as makes sense for your show. You can engage more with those reviewers by making a note of those ideas in the new content.
2. Networking Opportunities
Part of the work of building a podcast business is networking. Networking can be a slog. It takes time and constant effort to get the ball rolling. Looking for ways to pad your networking efforts, such as reaching out to reviewers, is always helpful. If you receive reviews from people in your industry with whom you want to engage, reach out!
1. Improved Podcast SEO
Using SEO best practices to improve your podcast and digital presence is a constant need. One of the quiet benefits of podcast reviews is how they help your digital presence and SEO rank. The more information there is about your show online, the better your SEO is, and the more Google will promote your site and content.
7 Best Ways to Encourage Podcast Reviews
There are many ways you can encourage people to write reviews of your podcast. There are different options for gathering reviews from listeners and guests. The common denominator of these tips is making sure people know you want reviews, and giving them an easy way to leave reviews. These seven tips will help you gather the best reviews to boost your show.
7. Include a Review CTA On Your Site
Including a review CTA on your website is a quick and easy way to add an option for leaving a review. You can put a form on your homepage or contact page. In that form, either ask for a review directly or send people to a separate review page.
6. Send Automated Review Request Emails To Podcast Guests
One consistent option for gathering reviews is to send automated review request emails to guests after they’ve been on your show. You can give them a few specific questions to answer and use these reviews as a promotion to get more guests.
5. Ask For Reviews In Your Episode Outros
The outros of your podcast episodes are a time to wrap up and remind listeners to tune in on a regular basis. You can also use your outro as a plug for listener reviews. This should be fast and painless, no more than a sentence letting people know where they can leave reviews.
4. Promote Each Episode on Social Media
Promoting each podcast episode on social media is good for getting reviews and your podcast growth in general. On your social platforms, you can include a review form in your bio, in comments, and as interactive content in reels and stories.
3. Utilize Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of your friends in the podcast business, and it’s a friend that sticks close with your review support. You can ask for reviews from guests in follow-up emails. You can also have a review form in your newsletters, to consistently provide the opportunity for people to leave reviews.
2. Promote On All Podcast Directories
Podcast directories, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify, have built-in spots for listeners to leave reviews. To make the most of this feature make sure you promote your podcast on all applicable podcast directories. This will help with reviews and growing your listenership.
1. Text Your Friends, Family, and Network Connections
This final option is one of the most effective but least desirable choices on this list. Texting your friends, family, and network connections and asking them to review your podcast gets you great reviews from people who care about you. It’s time-consuming, and you won’t always have that time to spare, but when you do, text away!
The Role of Podcast Reviews In Your Digital Ecosystem
Your digital ecosystem, meaning all your business activity in digital spaces, is the greatest indicator you have of how your business is functioning. An audit of your digital ecosystem shows you what you’re doing that’s working well and where you have room for improvement.
Podcast reviews are a part of your digital ecosystem, and they are a key indicator of how well your podcast is doing. When you have lots of reviewers, you have the benefits of podcast reviews as a marketing tool. You also have the comfortable knowledge that your show is garnering success and a robust community of listeners.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Podcast Reviews
The benefits of podcast reviews are something every podcast can benefit from and every podcast host should learn about. Our answers to these FAQs give you further background info on why podcast reviews are important and how to leverage them for your podcast. Read on, review these practices, and grow your show!
Why Are Reviews Important for Podcasts?
Reviews are important for podcasts because:
- They provide valuable feedback, to allow you to make meaningful improvements to your podcast.
- They give you social proof and credibility, to add to your authority on your podcast subject.
- They work as a marketing tool, to draw in more listeners through positive reviews.
Reviews help you build up your listenership and your podcast quality. In the long run, reviews make it easier to get podcast guests and grow your podcast business.
How Do Reviews Help Podcasts?
Reviews help podcasts grow their listenership and meaningfully engage with guests. For listenership growth, reviews help people find your podcast and encourage them to listen. In terms of meaningful engagement, the benefit is two-fold.
On the one hand, you’ll find an increase in engagement through new listeners finding your show and tuning in. On the other, when you actively interact with reviewers, they know you care about their opinions. This is key to building a community out of your podcast audience.
What Should You Include In a Podcast Review?
The critical elements of a podcast review are:
- How you discovered the show
- The most memorable part of the podcast or episode
- Anything that confused you, or that gave you a reason to pause
- The piece or pieces of the podcast that drew out a strong reaction in you
As a podcast host, you can request these facets in reviews. You can also create a review template to share through email, text, show notes, and podcast distribution platforms.
What Are Five Essential Things That Make a Good Podcast?
Five essential elements of a good podcast are:
- An easily understood, digestible topic
- A general plan, or even a full script for each episode
- Consistency in tone, content, and brand
- Audience inclusion
- A conversational tone in each episode
These five show elements will give you a podcast that is inviting for listeners and guests alike. If you keep these ideas in your plan you’ll also make it easier on yourself to create each episode.
Reaping the Rewards of Podcast Reviews: Reflect, Review, and Renew Your Podcast Vigor
Gaining new listener reviews, engaging with them, and using them as a marketing and podcast promotion tool adds to your podcast digital ecosystem. If you’re looking to improve your digital ecosystem and grow your podcast, reach out to Mr. Thrive Media about our free digital ecosystem audit.
Available through October 14, 2023, this audit helps to find areas of potential growth in your podcast plan. Sign up for your audit today!