Are you curious about the strategy involved in creating a podcast? In today’s episode, I’m beginning a new podcast review series to showcase my clients and share the strategy behind their episodes. First up is Bree Pair and the Thrive Blogger Podcast and we’re deep diving into her monetization strategy and each of the ways she monetized this episode!
Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin is produced by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Mic Check Society, our community for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great. Come join us for educational trainings, a private member’s only community, and monthly calls! Get $10 off per month with code PODCAST at micchecksociety.com.
Let’s Break It Down: 9 Smart Podcast Strategies Bree Used
Bree’s episode teaches how to drive blog traffic using SEO, Pinterest, and social media—classic content for bloggers. But behind the scenes? She was using the episode to drive her business forward in at least nine different ways. Every piece of value she offered was tied to something intentional—an opt-in, a paid product, an affiliate link, a YouTube push. All while still serving her audience authentically.
1. Promoting a Freebie Right Away
The first thing Bree does is offer a free startup guide for new bloggers. This isn’t just generous—it’s list-building gold. She captures new listeners immediately by giving them something actionable to download and keep.
Takeaway: Open your episodes with something free, aligned, and valuable. The earlier you mention it, the more likely listeners are to take action.
2. Seamless Paid Product Placement
Later in the episode, Bree mentions her SEO 101 class—a paid offer that complements the episode perfectly. She doesn’t oversell it. She just offers it as the next step for listeners who want to go deeper.
Takeaway: Give your audience just enough to take action, then invite them to take the next step with a paid resource.
3. Driving Traffic to Old Episodes
When Bree references older podcast episodes on SEO, she’s not just being helpful—she’s boosting internal traffic, increasing total downloads, and keeping listeners inside her content ecosystem.
Takeaway: Mention old episodes regularly, especially if they add depth or context. This keeps your back catalog working for you.
4. Smart Use of Affiliate Links
Bree promotes two SEO tools: RankIQ and KeySearch. And she doesn’t just name-drop—she includes affiliate links, discount codes, and even tutorials on how to use each tool.
Takeaway: Only promote tools you trust and use. Create tutorials or extra content around them to boost trust and increase conversions.
5. Strategic Sponsorship Placement
Halfway through the episode, Bree includes a mid-roll ad for Memberful, a brand that aligns perfectly with her audience. It doesn’t disrupt the flow—it enhances the topic of monetization.
Takeaway: Sponsorships work best when they align with the episode topic and are placed naturally within the conversation.
6. Cross-Promoting YouTube Content
Bree is building her YouTube presence and takes multiple opportunities to promote tutorials and video versions of her episodes. She even points out that the YouTube versions are raw and unedited—adding an extra layer of connection.
Takeaway: Repurpose your content for video platforms like YouTube, and tell your audience where to find it. Give them a reason to watch.
7. Reusing Past Collaborations for Passive Income
Bree shares a free Pinterest masterclass she co-hosted with another expert. That class has an upsell at the end—so every time someone watches, she earns affiliate income.
Takeaway: Don’t let past webinars and collaborations collect dust. Repurpose and re-share them as evergreen lead magnets and affiliate funnels.
8. Providing Tangible Tactics, Not Just Theory
What sets Bree’s episode apart is how specific she gets. She gives posting schedules, recommends tools, and outlines Pinterest strategy step-by-step. No fluff. Just usable advice.
Takeaway: Even when you’re focused on strategy, don’t skip the tactical how-tos. Your listeners want to walk away knowing exactly what to do.
9. Ending With Recap and CTA Stack
As the episode wraps, Bree recaps her tips, re-promotes her YouTube channel, and invites listeners to find her on Instagram and join her Facebook group. Every call to action is intentional and layered.
Takeaway: End every episode with a soft recap and a focused CTA stack. Tell your listener what to do next and where to connect.
The Lesson for Podcasters
This wasn’t just a blogging episode. It was a business-building blueprint. Bree didn’t wait for the listener to ask—she anticipated their needs and layered her episode with offers, links, and pathways.
The result? More downloads, stronger SEO, affiliate income, YouTube growth, course sales, and an expanding email list—all from one piece of content.
If you’re podcasting just to share ideas, that’s totally valid. But if you want to grow your brand, build authority, and monetize your show, episodes like this are what you should be studying and replicating.
Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Time-stamps:
Thrive Blogger Podcast episode review (2:44)
Recap (29:23)
