Do Ratings Matter for Your Podcast Growth? | Ep 79

You’ve heard it a hundred times: “Leave a rating or review, it really helps grow the show.” But does it actually? In this episode, we dig into this podcast marketing myth and explore how much ratings and reviews really impact podcast growth.   In this episode, we hear from: - James Cridland, Editor of Podnews - Lauren Passell, Founder of Tink Media - Kylee Chandler, CEO and Founder of Podcast Marketing Hub - Chris Stone, Podcast Strategist and Founder of Podcast Crew   You’ll hear: Why Apple and Spotify reviews don’t directly influence discovery algorithms The underrated ways ratings and reviews still help your show grow How social proof shapes listener behavior (and why it matters more than ever) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show? We’d love a review! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.   ✅ Want to grow your visibility through podcast guesting? Check out how PodWritten can help: https://podwritten.com/services/ https://podwritten.com/   🎁 Get Booked on Podcasts with PodWritten’s Podcast Guesting Framework (Free): https://podwritten.com/podcastguesting/   💡 Bonus tips & resources: Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten/   Connect with those mentioned: Steve (Simple English News Daily): https://www.send7.org/ James Cridland: https://podnews.net/ Lauren Passell: https://www.tinkmedia.co/ Kylee Chandler: https://www.podcastmarketinghub.com/podcast Chris Stone: https://podcastcrew.com/   Previous episodes mentioned: 2025 podcasting trends: AI, video podcasting, discoverability, & more with James Cridland | Ep 49 - https://shorturl.at/rxcBS   Consistency problem? Follow these steps to optimize podcast workflow with James Cridland | Ep 65 - https://shorturl.at/2SVkc   The game-changing podcast marketing hacks NOBODY is talking about with Lauren Passell | Ep 50 - https://shorturl.at/7Lecx   Grow Your Show Using The Podcast Marketing Map with Chris Stone | Ep 74 - https://shorturl.at/BrGfD    Podcast Growth Expert Behind Amy Porterfield and Cathy Heller Shares Top Insights with Kylee Chandler | Ep 71 - https://shorturl.at/GrPnS   💌 Questions or want to say hey? Reach us at [email protected]