Monetizing Content: How Top Publishers & Brands Maximize Reach and Revenue Impact

Cooper Schwartz: Monetizing Content: How Top Publishers and Brands Maximize Reach and Revenue Impact“The brands that win aren’t just the ones with the biggest budgets—they’re the ones that strategically align performance and brand marketing to maximize reach and revenue.” That’s a quote from Cooper Schwartz and a sneak peek at today’s episode.Hey there, I'm Kerry Curran, Revenue Growth Consultant, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.Every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real revenue results. If you're serious about growth, hit subscribe to stay ahead of your competition.In this episode, titled Monetizing Content: How Top Publishers and Brands Maximize Reach and Revenue Impact, Cooper Schwartz, Head of New Business and Growth at Money Group, shares his expertise.In a crowded digital landscape, content alone isn’t enough. Brands need a strategy that turns visibility into real revenue. Cooper and I discuss strategies for leveraging publisher partnerships to create high-impact, holistic, cross-channel digital programs that drive both reach and ROI.We dive into the winning formula for balancing performance marketing and brand strategy—and how to dominate non-branded paid search while outmaneuvering your competition.Stay tuned until the end, where Cooper shares actionable strategies to optimize content for revenue growth. Let’s go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.107)Welcome, Cooper! Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background and expertise.Cooper Schwartz (00:07.534)Hi, Kerry. Thanks for having me. My name is Cooper Schwartz, and I am the Head of New Business and Growth at Money Group, a portfolio company that has been around for about 11 years. We own notable brands like Money.com and ConsumersAdvocate.org, as well as proprietary technology like NavChain. I'm also one of the founding partners and have been with the company for 11 years.I was actually the first employee. I originally came from a therapy background—my mother is a therapist, and I thought I would follow in her footsteps. However, two of my close friends—one with 10 years at Google and the other at SEO Moz—convinced me to jump into affiliate marketing and help build this company. So here I am today, still finding opportunities in the market and excited to talk with you.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:02.843)Awesome, thanks, Cooper! I had no idea about your therapy background. We could totally pivot and have a different conversation! I always say marketing is a lot like psychology—it plays a strong role in what we do, so I’m sure that background strengthens your expertise.Anyway, I’m excited to have you here because I know you have a ton of valuable platforms.Cooper Schwartz (01:09.484)Yeah, yeah.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:29.617)You have a range of brands and technology under Money.com, so I’d love to hear more about how you're helping brands navigate their business challenges. When brands or agencies reach out to build a partnership with you, what are they typically looking for?Cooper Schwartz (01:51.672)You're right—Money.com is a strong domain. Before it became Money.com, it was Money Magazine, a 50-year-old brand that people have nostalgia for. It was all about planning for the future and sharing insights on managing finances.Today, brands still want to be aligned with the Money brand. But we don’t just offer content alignment—we provide a variety of campaigns and marketing opportunities. Many brands approach us saying, “We love the brand, we love the content—how can we work together?” That’s a great starting point for the many solutions we offer.From non-branded paid search to placements across our ad network of about 150 publishers, we help brands engage with their audience in unique ways. Some of these publishers might be seen as competitors, but in reality, they’re “frenemies.” We help brands leverage content, align with our brand, activate paid search strategies, and secure placements on other high-authority sites, all while simplifying the management process.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:37.691)That’s great. It sounds like brands really value the partnership and brand equity you offer. Can you walk us through how you start these relationships and build custom strategies to increase their awareness and authority?Cooper Schwartz (04:03.192)Sure! There’s always an initial “interview” process—almost like dating. Not to take it back to therapy, but it’s about getting to know the brand:What are their needs?Who is their target audience?What are their expectations?What are their key performance goals?We get a lot of inbound interest because money impacts nearly every industry. But we have to ensure alignment goes both ways—not just that they align with our audience, but also that we can effectively reach their audience.At our scale, we also consider resources. Can we accommodate the brand in a way that sets them up for success? We prioritize enterprise-level partnerships that move the needle for both companies. That often means ensuring the investment in a given category can be six or seven figures annually—we need to create impact on both sides.Once we’ve established alignment—brand fit, budget, resources—we dive into which marketing channels make sense:Are they already running paid search? If not, why?How can we help them expand their shelf space on Google?Is brand awareness the priority? If so, we can integrate them into our franchise content like Best Places to Live, Best Hospitals, Best Colleges, which reach wide audiences.Are they struggling to get placements in high-authority content? If so, we can help them secure placements on Forbes, NerdWallet, CBS News, CNN, and others.Kerry Curran, RBMA (06:53.058)That’s great! I love that you have such a wide portfolio of solutions that are fully customized to each brand’s goals.So, let’s say an enterprise brand comes to you for a rebrand, product expansion, or new launch. You work with them to align with the right publishers and strategies. Can you share a specific example of a successful partnership?Cooper Schwartz (07:39.918)Sure! One that I’m especially proud of is our partnership with ADT.We’ve worked with ADT for about eight or nine years, originally in non-branded paid search—helping them reach high-intent consumers who were still undecided. Over time, our relationship evolved into exploring additional channels.Last year, we launched a sponsorship activation for Money’s Best Places to Live, working closely with ADT’s PR, media acquisition, and marketing teams. The goal was to integrate ADT’s branding into content about protecting the best places to live.This was a multichannel activation that included:Social media campaignsVideo contentTargeted PR effortsWeekly performance check-insThe result? A high-impact security hub on Money.com featuring ADT across 100+ articles. It was a strategic, elegant execution.Not only did we secure ADT placements on our own sites, but we also helped them get featured on CBS News, The New York Post, and other major publishers. This is the kind of holistic strategy that allows brands to gain visibility across multiple trusted sources.Kerry Curran, RBMA (10:34.345)That’s an excellent example! It really demonstrates how brands can layer multiple channels—from paid search to PR to content—to create a unified, impactful strategy.Let’s shift gears to AI and Google’s generative search results. How do your strategies help brands compete with AI-driven summaries at the top of search results?Cooper Schwartz (20:43.342)Great question! One core belief we’ve held is that editorial integrity matters. We prioritize keeping a human voice in our content while leveraging AI in strategic ways.Here’s our approach:Investing in real writers & editors – AI can assist, but human oversight ensures depth and quality.Creating content clusters – Instead of one-off articles, we develop deep, interconnected content that builds expertise and authority.Partnering with already-successful publishers – Instead of relying solely on our content, we collaborate with trusted media brands that are already ranking well.The reality is, the pie is big enough. Rather than fighting for every ranking, we focus on working with the best—helping publishers monetize better while delivering results for our partners.Kerry Curran, RBMA (25:25.383)That’s a smart approach. So, for brands listening today—what’s the first step if they want to explore this strategy?Cooper Schwartz (25:40.910)Start by researching who dominates your industry’s review space. Look at organic rankings, paid search, and media partnerships. If you see competitors investing in multiple touchpoints, that’s a sign they’re onto something.Then, reach out! You can contact me at [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn.Kerry Curran, RBMA (26:07.537)Awesome! We’ll include those links in the show notes. Cooper, thank you so much for your time and insights today!Cooper Schwartz (26:20.098)Thank you, Kerry!Kerry Curran, RBMA Thank you for tuning in to today's episode. If you're struggling with flat or slowing revenue growth, you are not alone. 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