In 2009, we're all going to hear more talk than ever before about what constitutes "quality" online leads. And there will be plenty of accompanying disagreement about what the word quality means as lead buyers try to squeeze the most out of their pressured budgets.

Choosing the right method for you to achieve and track lead generation all comes down to how rigorous you want to be in assessing results. Are you totally focused on the measurability of the cost to acquire a lead? Is the success of your effort going to rely on a precise ROI goal based on the monetization of those leads?

The classic recession saying is "Cash is king." So if you're an advertiser willing to buy on a CPM basis, you should be getting used to being treated royally by now. And if you're a media firm, well -- life as a vassal is better than no life at all.