How I Got Over 1000 Five-Star Reviews on my Podcast

Hey Friend!

Getting quality five-star reviews does not happen on your podcast without continuous effort. There is a strategy behind it. Building up a lengthy list of reviews for your podcast is crucial for ranking higher in the Apple Podcast algorithm, plus it’s the go-to place for podcast listeners to scope out your podcast before they decide to invest their time into listening to your show.

These listeners are potential clients and sales, so you want to have a long list of reviews for them to read. Why not give them a great first impression by showing them quality five-star reviews when they click on your show? 

I got over 1,000 five-star reviews on my podcast, and I will tell you what I did to get those reviews. And I’m excited to say it’s easier than you may think!

If you are new to podcasting, have just launched a podcast, or are in the middle of a product launch on your show, these three tactical tips will help you grow and rank faster on Apple Podcast and, more importantly, increase your reach.

Getting Quality Five-Star Reviews for Your Podcast

Podcasters don’t often put much time and effort into getting quality reviews for their show. It’s more like an afterthought. But remember – reviews don’t just come without a strategy in place.

I’m here to tell you that you do need to emphasize getting quality five-star reviews for your podcast, no matter what stage you are in. But I’m also here to help you with that and give you my three best tips for getting quality reviews. 

It’s important to understand that the more five-star reviews your show has, the more Apple Podcasts will be placed in the “Recommended Podcasts” section of Apple Podcasts. It’s also important to understand that your quality reviews are helping your new audience decide whether or not they really want to invest their time and energy into your show.

Additionally, reviews help your audience make purchase decisions from your show. Reviews will also help your audience build trust with your brand. Without reviews, it’s hard for your audience to make those decisions.

Steps to Quality Five-Star Reviews

Podcast reviews not only grow the show as far as getting the show a higher boost within the podcasting algorithms but also help other people decide whether or not they want to listen or buy from you.

Now that you understand the importance of getting good quality reviews, I want to help you get more of them for your show by following these three tactical tips. Getting quality reviews is actually a lot easier than you might think.

The First Step to Five-Star Reviews: Relaunch Your Podcast

The first thing that I didn’t do was launch the right way. Back in October of 2018, I launched with no plan. I can’t recall how many episodes I launched with, but they were not strategically planned out. I wasn’t micro-niched in any way, which is what I recommend to anyone who starts a podcast. My channel art was not created professionally, and it showed. I learned the hard way, and I did not rank.

 About six months in, I treated my podcast like I was relaunching it. I had new podcast art, and I created a strategic launch plan. Now, I teach my students inside the Stefanie Gass School to follow my launch plan. Podcast Pro University has everything mapped out from start to finish, without social media.

Launching involves leaning in on the people in your life you trust and asking them to help boost your rankings with reviews. And what’s most important is that the launch and the increase in reviews need to all take place quickly. This gives you and your podcast a significant boost in the rankings.

Already Launched Your Podcast? Then It’s Time To Relaunch!

If you have already launched your podcast without a plan in place, without reviews, and without ranking, you can relaunch it as I did. You still have an excellent opportunity to rank higher in the algorithm by getting more five-star reviews. I recommend that all podcasters treat their podcast like a relaunch every couple of years and collect more reviews. This is how you grow! 

No matter what boat you are in, whether you haven’t launched your podcast yet or already have an established podcast, you can still utilize these three tactical tips to get more five-star reviews and boost your podcast in the rankings.

Inside Podcast Pro University, you will get my plug-and-play launch plan, which is extremely simple and easy to follow for launching a podcast and getting reviews. My students get 20-100 reviews within the first 48 hours. 

The Second Step to Five-Star Reviews: Contests And Annual Giveaways

The second thing I did to get over 1,000 five-star reviews was annual giveaways and contests. This is by far the most significant contributor to my reviews. Once or twice a year, we hold contests or giveaways. This might be for a hundredth-episode giveaway, and we will choose something my audience would be excited to win.

Some examples are coaching sessions or a podcasting microphone. They win something in exchange for podcast reviews. You would announce the giveaway in an email or post it in our Facebook groups and communities.

It’s an underwhelming process that doesn’t take much time or effort but yields a high return. The more challenging and complicated you make the contest or giveaway, the fewer responses you’ll get. 

Giveaway Call To Action

When you come into Podcast to Profit, I have all of the “giveaways,” how-tos, and tutorials available for you to follow so you can get more reviews. Here’s a sample guide for you to follow for your giveaway:

“In order to win ‘blank,’ you have to do ‘blank.’”

For example, “To win a 30-minute coaching call with Stef, leave a written review on the podcast, take a screenshot, and share it in our Facebook community.”

It’s just three steps, and they are done. It’s simple and easy to do, so you’re more likely to get more people to enter the contest and write reviews. If the giveaway has too many steps, is time-consuming, and is too complicated, you won’t people won’t take the time to enter the contest.

The easier you make the contest and the juicier you make the prize, the more successful you’ll be. We have received over 100 written reviews with giveaways in a very short period. The more reviews you can get in a brief window, the more you get bumped up in the rankings. 

The Third Step to Five-Star Reviews: Ask For Reviews

The third thing I did to get over 1,000 five-star reviews on my podcast was ask for reviews. This has been a slow and steady strategy, but it still works. I consistently ask for reviews in as many places as I can. I ask in podcast episodes, emails, and Facebook communities. Ask for a quick review on Apple Podcast by asking your audience to click the “write a review” button under the five stars.

Mention that this helps you and your show, and it blesses you. Most importantly, it allows the show to be found. Apple Podcast and the algorithm will see an increase in reviews. This hints to Apple Podcasts that more people like the show, so it wants to share your show with more people.

The more people like the show and leave reviews, the more they will promote the show in their algorithm. Apple podcasts have started showing podcasts to other people searching for similar topics and phrases. The growth snowballs from there.

All you need to do is authentically ask your audience to leave a review. It’s pretty simple and not salesy. It’s just a friend asking another friend for a favor. And if they genuinely appreciate you and your show’s content, they will gladly write you a review in return for your teachings. 

Reviews Got Me To Rank in The Top 20 for My Category

It has been five and a half years since I started my podcast, and I am now hitting the 1,000 review milestone. Some people get 5,000 reviews in six months, but I don’t compare myself. You need to stay in your own lane. Just compare yourself to yourself.

I am constantly looking at my next goal and not at what others are achieving. Set goals for how many reviews you want to accomplish in a certain period, and once you achieve that, set the next goal.

Initially, I aimed to get 500 reviews, and then I worked it up to 800 reviews, which took some time, but I kept pressing in. I don’t want you to compare yourself to me, but I want to encourage you to set goals for yourself. What are the three steps you will take to get to that goal?

Remember, you can ask for reviews as your CTA in your exit jingle or ask organically in the middle of your episode on occasion. I hope this helps you get the visibility and growth you’ve been seeking in your online business.

If you don’t have a show, watch my workshop, Podcast For Growth. If you’re ready to join me and get all the plug-and-play templates to help you grow your business and podcast, head to stefaniegassschool.com. There is a program that is right for you in your podcasting journey.

I pray this blesses you!

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