Ratings and ReviewsWhen it comes to ratings and reviews, the bottom line is that they are and have always been the leading way to attract listeners. The more consistently you can get favorable ratings and reviews, the more chance your podcast gets featured on the podcast platforms. It’s a form of social proof. Other listeners vouching for you means new listeners will subscribe.

If you’ve listened to any podcasts at all, you’ve no doubt heard the host ask for a rating and review at some point during the show. That’s perfectly natural, but I have come to believe that it’s the wrong thing to do. So instead, there’s a better and more effective way to ask for ratings and reviews.

By way of full disclosure, I can’t take credit for this idea. However, this method comes from a Guru named John Lee Dumas, and while he’s one of the gurus, I have to give him credit for an idea that works.

What JLD doesn’t do is ask for ratings and reviews during his podcast, and his logic is sound: When people are listening to your show, they’re jogging, driving, doing their Sunday chores, and anything else that doesn’t relate to being in front of a computer where they can give you a meaningful review.

Instead, ask for a rating and review when you reply to them on social media or email. It’s straightforward. After you address the question or comment, thank them for commenting, asking for the review at the end, and giving them links to do so. According to him, this method accounts for 90% of the reviews he has received, and he’s got almost 3600 reviews on Apple Podcasts. I can’t argue with that kind of success.

So take a page out of JLD’s notebook. Don’t ask for ratings and reviews during the show. Instead, ask for them when you’re interacting with a listener directly.