10 Podcasters Explain Why They Ask for Reviews – In honor of #PodRevDay

This is a guest article by Steph Fuccio of Geopats Podcast, Andrew Wang of Inspired Money Podcast, and Arielle Nissenblatt of Counter Programming — representing the #PodRevDay movement.

Happy #PodRevDay (Podcast Review Day) podcast community! As you know, Podcast Review Day takes place on the 8th of every month so it is once again our time to celebrate our favorite podcasts and Podcasters and show them that we appreciate what they do. After all, podcasts are often free, so the least we can do is share some feedback with the Creators who put entertainment in our ears day after day. 

Something we hear often during a podcast episode is “If you have a minute, make sure you subscribe, rate, and review.” As Podcasters we have said this so many times that listeners might not even realize WHY we’re asking. In an age where every content creator is clamoring for attention and feedback, we wanted to get back to the basics. For this June round of PodRevDay we decided to go straight to podcasters to ask, “why do you ask for reviews?”

Why do podcasters ask for reviews?

Provide Impartial Insight

“A well-written review can give insight into the reviewer’s personality, tastes, and whether you might be into the same things they are. Of course I’m going to say my own podcast is good, but a potential listener is going to pay a lot more attention to what someone more impartial has to say about it.A star rating on its own really doesn’t give you any of that.”

– Ally Pitts, The Russophiles Unite Movie Podcast, which focuses on Russian and Soviet films as well as films with a Russian connection.

Inform the writing process

“Reviews are great!  They help people decide if our show is likely to be right for them, and I want people to listen who are going to love what we do. But also, in my case, I’m writing this show as we go, and reviews are one of the ways I learn what’s landing with the audience. When I read reviews, they help inform the writing, which is super helpful!”

– Evan Tess Murray, This Planet Needs a Name, a science fiction audio drama about a handful of Scientists and Engineers setting out to literally create a better world. And co-creator of Light Hearts.

Social media introduction

“I get a huge emotional boost when I get honest listener feedback in a review because it means that someone out there has been impacted by what I’m saying and is engaged enough to say something back. And, when they share that review on social media, they’ve introduced my show to their friends in a way I never could have.”

– Garrett Godfrey, Good Patron Podcast, explores ways we all can support faith-based independent music, including the latest crowdfunding campaigns, and interviews.

Combat isolation

“I started the podcast to help others combat the isolation I felt when I got my son’s diagnosis. A review lets me know that I’ve reached somebody. It lets me know that all the work and time is worth it. Hopefully, it encourages someone else feeling that isolation to take a listen.”

– Effie Parks, Once Upon A Gene, helps families to connect and share valuable insights and stories about the unexpected journey of rare disease and disability.

Find out what resonates

“Reviews spark a larger concentric ring of engagement beyond my personal reach. It is a great way for me to get a pulse from my audience on what is resonating with them. This in turn informs my content creation.”

– Misty Phillip, Founder of Spark Christian Podcast Conference, Host of By His Grace Podcast, which discusses the struggles we face in life and focuses on how God sees us through.

Evergreen insights

“We love seeing other viewpoints regarding shows that we review, as well as listeners sharing if they gained new insights from our discussions on a show. We ask for reviews because they can provide important feedback on what our audience thinks about our show. It’s a great form of interaction (especially on Podchaser!) that doesn’t get buried like Twitter threads or Facebook posts.”

– K and Warren, Tone Deaf: A theatre Nerd’s guide for their spouse, the comedic journey of a musical theatre nerd introducing their husband to the good, the bad, and the ugly of musical theatre.

Push aside self-doubt

“Creating a podcast involves a lot of talking to myself and hoping that what I’m doing is working, is reaching someone, somewhere. Receiving reviews – seeing people really engage with and talk about what I’m creating – makes what can be a thankless and Sisyphean task worthwhile. Reviews not only help in growing my audience but  they are also how I can push my self-doubt aside and recognize that my efforts, and those of my co-creators, are actually recognized and appreciated.”

– Elizabeth Wilcox, Dimension Door Podcast, a group of TTRPG storytellers pushing the limits of their imaginations while following the will of the dice as they play through Paizo’s Reign of Winter Campaign for Pathfinder 1st edition.

Worth the time

“When it comes to podcasts and most other things in the world – movies, books, the yoga mat I spent 4 hours researching online – reviews help you decide whether it’s worth your time and brain space to listen.They tell future listeners that the podcast my team and I poured our time, energy, and money into, is not only worth a listen, but was worth the time and effort it took for someone to recommend it.”

– Eva Bilick at A Place Called Fairneck, think Sliding Doors in a modern orthodox North Jersey community.

Life Affirming    

“I started a podcast for a number of reasons, the biggest being that I felt like I still had things to say, even though I was on permanent disability and spent much of my time feeling useless and alone. Hearing that someone had fun listening, or learned a new thing, or found comfort in shared experience, has reminded me that I’m not done yet. I’m still competent and worthwhile, even when I don’t feel it. When I hear that my words have helped someone feel better or understand another human being, that makes it all worth it.”

– Kate Walinga from Ignorance Was Bliss Podcast, sometimes the only difference between us and them… is who gets a key. Almost anything can seem normal. Are you sure you really want to know?

Find guests

“As a podcast I ask for reviews for constructive criticism. This is especially true since I am a new Podcaster. I appreciate the reviews I get from people. Also, it helps me find  potential guests who I can interview in the future.”

– Anne Chisa from The Root of Science Podcast, interviews with Africans around the world in the STEM field.

What did we learn? 

We asked podcasters from all over the podcast production spectrum to share their podcast review thoughts with us and they really came through. There are countless reasons why podcasters ask for reviews, from the ability to gain insight into listeners’ experience consuming their podcast to growth via the charts, and so much more. The common thread in our desire for listeners to “subscribe, rate, and review” is that reviews and feedback in general offer a unique opportunity for connection and discovery. As more and more people listen to and discuss a podcast, these connections between the listener community and the production team become stronger and stronger. 

That’s what #PodRevDay is all about

We continue to ask listeners to dedicate a day each month, the 8th, to specifically let podcasters know they’re listening and that they care about the content that is being produced. And although #PodRevDay may just be one day a month, listeners should continue to rate and review episodes and podcasts on the other days of the month as well. One of our favorite places to ask Podcasters to receive and respond to reviews is on Podchaser. They make it so easy to respond, either as a creator or as the host of a podcast and they make it very easy to share to a variety of social platforms.  

Ready? Set? Write & Post!

So as June 8th rolls around, get ready to review a podcast for #PodRevDay. The best way to plan for #PodRevDay is to choose 5 podcasts that you’ve been listening to, write them down or put a note in your phone ahead of time. Why not set an alarm on your phone?

On June 8th, listen to the latest episode of that podcast, as you normally would, and then leave them a review! Head to Podchaser.com and search for that podcast in the search bar, scroll down, and then type! To participate in #PodRevDay, technically you only need to write one review, but we challenge you to write 5! You can do it! 

Happy #PodRevDay!

Thanks to Steph Fuccio of Geopats Podcast, Andrew Wang of Inspired Money Podcast, and Arielle Nissenblatt of Counter Programming for writing this guest article.

Follow #PodRevDay on Twitter.