After 12 years in ad tech, I've learned that publishers rarely have a revenue problem—they usually have a partner problem. Somewhere along the way, running a media business turned into managing a technology operation. Every new platform came with a promise that it was the next best thing — It wasn't. The publishers who win from here won't be the ones who added the most tools — they'll be the ones who picked the right partners.

This month, three things every publisher needs to get right:

→ The Agentic AI claim almost no vendor can back up
→ The data buyers are actually paying for
→ The metric quietly killing your demand

If your inbox feels like it's suddenly filled with companies promising "Agentic AI," you're not imagining it. The latest buzzword has rapidly become the centerpiece of sales decks, conference presentations, and product announcements across ad tech. While true Agentic AI has the potential to transform publishing through autonomous decision-making, workflow execution, and continuous optimization, much of what is being marketed under the label today may be little more than rebranded automation.

Before adopting the latest AI-powered solution, publishers should ask a simple question: What does the technology actually do? In our latest article, we break down what true Agentic AI is, why the term is spreading so quickly, and the five questions every publisher should ask before buying into the hype.

👉 Read the full article

Third-party signals are disappearing, buyers are becoming more selective, and publishers who still rely on someone else's data are already feeling the impact. Higher-value budgets are increasingly flowing toward inventory backed by trusted, consented first-party data, while publishers without a clear data strategy risk falling behind in CPMs, deal opportunities, and audience monetization.

The good news? You don't need a massive tech stack to get started. We break down what first-party data actually means, why curated audiences are becoming so valuable, and the practical steps publishers can take today to build audience segments that buyers will pay a premium for.

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One of the biggest mistakes I see publishers make is relying almost entirely on display advertising while overlooking other ways to monetize and engage their audiences.

If you're not actively growing subscriptions, registrations, email acquisition, first-party data, donations, and other visitor-driven revenue streams, you're missing out on revenue opportunities that would grow your business. That's why I'm excited to recommend Admiral. They help publishers unlock and manage these opportunities from a single platform, making it easier to generate more value from the traffic you already have.

👉 Get Admiral

Most publishers think of IVT as a minor nuisance that their SSP or ad stack automatically filters out. The reality is far more serious. Sophisticated invalid traffic is quietly eroding CPMs, triggering clawbacks, damaging buyer trust, and poisoning the first-party data publishers depend on to compete for premium budgets.

The worst part? Many publishers don't realize there's a problem until revenue starts declining. In our latest article, we break down the five ways IVT is hurting publishers in 2026—and what you can do to protect your domain, your audience, and your bottom line before the damage is done.

👉 Read the full article

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