What is the lifespan of social media? Having been working in digital media for 18 years now, I've seen so many social media applications come and go that I wonder if there's a construct through which we can view social media to help us understand its sustainability.

Question from a digital seller: I was expecting a bit more action before fall hit, but it doesn't seem like my deals are coming through. Last year was easier than this, and I thought the economy was better now. Why am I having so much trouble closing?

Clicks will always matter -- and when premium publishers tell clients and buyers they don't, these publishers make the very problem they are trying to solve even worse.

We've continued to see private marketplaces as the preferred model for facilitating programmatic access to impressions from major publishing companies, with new announcements from the likes of Hearst, Federated Media and Cond Nast, along with many that have been in market for over the year (NBC Universal, Quadrant One, etc). However, while evaluating whether or not launching a private marketplace makes the most sense, there are three things every publisher should consider in the context of programmatic selling: relationships, data and transparency.

Entrepreneurially driven new-media companies are redefining our clients' needs for them, not waiting to be told what the client needs. Established media needs to step up to the plate to plug the hole in its leaky boat by taking the same approach. Let's define the needs of the marketers we work with, rather than let others do it.

Question from a digital seller: It seems like every year I expect to see some kind of summer slowdown where I can gear up for Q4; didn't happen again. Are we getting ready for a big end to the year for digital advertising?

Online publishers often generate new content daily (which is expensive and taxes already overburdened writers), then wonder why revenues are flat. Instead, publishers should harness the power of their content to drive subscriber engagement and generate incremental revenue. To do this, online publishers need to better understand their audience's needs and preferences, then plan content that can be delivered in various formats via a mix of channels over time.

One of the enduring truths about business is that successful managers must have the ability to retain two conflicting values in their mind simultaneously, and to balance them appropriately on an ongoing basis. Bankers must maintain depositor safety and loan out money to risky businesses in order to generate a return for the depositors. Manufacturers must balance the need to maintain or increase product quality while at the same time driving down costs. And successful salespeople must listen well to their clients, but also bring new solutions to clients that they don't even know they want.

Question from a digital media salesperson: "So now that Dentsu is buying Aegis, that leaves five companies controlling the majority of all media spend in the world. Should we be changing how we sell advertising, since the buying side is now so concentrated?

Now is the golden moment when digital media can really come into its own. To create a new standard in quality digital publishing, we need to recognize it as an entirely new medium and rethink the relationship between content, editorial design and user experience. Sometimes that means borrowing from and improving on trusted old standards. At other times it means pushing into new frontiers. Here are ways that we can approach digital publishing and improve the entire online media experience.