6 ways to get more reviews for your podcast

Social proof can help grow your show by boosting your discoverability and building your reputation. With so much content out there to choose from, a 5-star  review makes you stand out and may just be the deciding factor why someone picks your podcast to listen to.

Read on for 6 ideas on how you can get more reviews for your show:

1. Make it easy

Not all pod platforms support reviews and it’s not always clear how to go about leaving them if they do. Why not help with a quick explainer or screenshot in your stories highlighting what to do? Currently, the main directories that support listener reviews are Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, Podbean, and Podchaser.

2. Include a call to action in your episode

The most straightforward and direct way to ask for reviews is at the end of an episode when your audience is there and engaged. If they’ve listened to the very end chances are high they found it of value and were enjoying it so what better time?

3. Email your community

If you have built an email list of loyal listeners or community for your podcast – and well done if you have – this is a great place to start. If you have a regular newsletter even better as you can pop it in each time as a gentle but consistent reminder. You’ll probably find your core supporters are only too happy to help you out.

4. Make them feel valued

If you’ve been blessed with a recent good review, there’s nothing nicer than showing some love and gratitude in return. Mentioning it on your next episode will not only make the person who left the review feel special but will likely encourage more listeners to do the same.

5. Incentivise

You could consider running a simple contest or giveaway and choose a winner at random, offer a prize to the first 5 people to leave a review or a group goal eg when we reach xx reviews. Do give some serious thought about which prize would most interest your audience. Ask them to screenshot and email you their review so you can keep track. This will also help encourage only genuine responses too.

6. Ask for them on social media

Whether part of your post for each episode drop or a standalone ‘ask’, if you’ve got an active and engaged following on your social channels use these platforms to encourage reviews. You could even record a short clip or video about why they’re important and what they mean for your podcast’s discoverability!