Influential Introvert: Communication Coaching for Professionals with Performance Anxiety - Ratings and Reviews: Do They Matter for your Podcast?

Starting point is 00:00:00 If you found value in this episode, please leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps people discover the show. Or does it? In this episode, we will dig into the truth behind ratings and reviews. But first, if you haven't launched your show yet and you are looking for a podcast media host, I highly recommend Livson. That is where I host this show. If you would like to get the rest of this month free and next month free, you can use my promo code, postcard when you sign up with Libson, and that's L-I-B-S-Y-N. Have you been wanting to start a podcast for a while now, but something's holding you back? Maybe it's fear of putting yourself out there or confusion about the technology.

Starting point is 00:00:44 I'm Sarah Mikital, and on podcasting step-by-step, I'll break down how to podcast with a little loving motivation to give you the skills and the confidence you need to finally launch that show of your dreams. Let's get started. Two years ago, I read a hilarious, fascinating, somewhat depressing article in Vice. The author at one point in his life had earned money by writing fake reviews on TripAdvisor for restaurants. They would pay him 10 pounds to write nice things about places where he had never even eaten. Then he decided to next level his fakery and see if he could get his shed in his yard to get listed as a top-rated restaurant in London.

Starting point is 00:01:26 He called his shed. It was a literal shed. the shed at Dulwich, and he made it appointment only. So he created a very simple website and named all of the dishes after moods like lust and comfort. He started out at the bottom of Trip Advisors, more than 18,000 restaurants in London and enlisted his friends in writing these detailed fake five-star reviews with just a hint of not everything is perfect for believability's sake. So one friend wrote, the portion sizes weren't huge, but the quality was fantastic. The earthy taste and freshness of the food was something else. The menu changes regularly, as most of the food

Starting point is 00:02:07 is homegrown. What a delightful idea. The review was actually a lot longer than that. So the shed at Dulwich climbs up the rankings, and then people start calling the author to try to get a reservation. He had included a phone number to get verified by TripAdvisor. And so he just bought this cheap burner phone that he planned on throwing away later. But people were calling it. And this restaurant, I'll use that in quotes, it just seemed so exclusive, so mysterious that people were dying to get in. And he made it like just quirky enough that people are like, oh my God, I have to get in there. People were applying to work there, like leaving voicemails about wanting jobs, PR agencies were calling. It eventually became London's top rated restaurant.

Starting point is 00:02:55 on TripAdvisor, and none of this was real. And he even took it further and actually opened his fake restaurant for one night serving frozen dinners. I will let you read the article to see how that went. It's called I Made My Shed, the top rated restaurant on TripAdvisor. You can find that on vice.com. So unfortunately, readings and reviews are increasingly becoming more unreliable. And that is true in Apple Podcasts as well. People can buy positive reviews for themselves. They can pay for their competitors to get one-starred. In podcast groups, sometimes people form threads to leave reviews on each other's shows, even if they've never listened to them. So this system is easily gamed. And what is the purpose of all of this? Why do people care about ratings and reviews? Well, to start, it looks good if you've got a show that's rated five stars. Another reason is that people think that ratings and reviews. will help move them up Apple podcast charts and help them get discovered. According to Rob Walsh, the vice president of customer relations at Libson, this is not true. And in the next episode, you'll hear from Rob on what does matter in rankings.

Starting point is 00:04:06 So hit subscribe so you don't miss that. But I have to say that I disagree with Rob that ratings and reviews are meaningless. I actually listen to my podcast and overcast, but once in a while I'll be an Apple podcast. And if I look up shows on a certain topic and have a few to choose from, I'm probably going to go for the five-star show and not the one-star show. And that really sucks for the person who has one-star because maybe she's got a great show, but she's brand new and she's only got one review. And maybe it's from like a jilted ex-boyfriend who just wanted to hate on her. I have conflicted feelings about ratings and reviews because I actually love it when listeners give me a nice rating and review. I appreciate the time that they took and I really like reading them on air and giving them a shout

Starting point is 00:04:51 out. So I don't think that they're meaningless. At the same time, if someone wants to leave constructive criticism of a show, I feel like they should email the host and give them a chance to work on things rather than a forever branding them with whatever rating they were feeling in the moment. People are often way too casual when it comes to ratings and reviews. They forget that they are actually reading and reviewing human beings. And if somebody wakes up in a cranky mood, is it right that they can hurt a person's livelihood and reputation with a throwaway rating and review that they don't even feel that passionate about? Maybe the restaurant or podcast in question just happened to be on the receiving end of a bad day by somebody who probably doesn't even

Starting point is 00:05:35 have the courage to create anything. I kind of wish ratings and reviews for everything would go away. Maybe algorithms are the answer. I usually say that we need more humanity and less tech in the world, but maybe I just need a robot to tell me what I would enjoy. What do you think? Spotify is actually experimenting with automated recommendations. From what I can see in my app, they've got a long way to go, but maybe it's the future. Right now, the way that most people learn about new podcasts is through recommendations. So I will end this episode by saying, if you like this podcast, please tell a friend about it. That is the best way to grow this show. And just to be cheeky, if you've been getting a lot of value from this podcast and have listened to more than three episodes, please leave me a rating and review in Apple Podcasts.

Starting point is 00:06:25 It might not help people find me or rocket me to fame, but it will make me smile and happy to know that you're listening and getting something out of what I'm sharing with you. I know that you're a busy person. You've got a lot going on and you have nearly a million other podcast to choose from. So it really means a lot to me that you choose to make this podcast a part of your week and I love being here for you. So until next time, friend, have a great week. Thank you for listening to podcasting step by step. You are now one step closer to launching that podcast you've been dreaming about. But I want to get you even closer. I created a free guidebook for you with actionable worksheets called Eight Mistakes New Podcasters Make

Starting point is 00:07:09 and How to Fix Them. To find that, head on over to sarahmicatel.com slash fix. Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free conversation sheet sheet with simple formulas that you can use so you can respond with clarity,

Starting point is 00:07:29 whether you're in a meeting or just talking with friends. Download it at sarahmicatel.com slash blank no more.

Influential Introvert: Communication Coaching for Professionals with Performance Anxiety - Ratings and Reviews: Do They Matter for your Podcast?

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