CPM (Cost Per Mille).

CPM (Cost Per Mille, where mille is Latin for 1,000) is a media buying metric and pricing model in which an advertiser pays a fixed rate for each 1,000 times their ad is displayed, regardless of how many users click it. It is the standard pricing model for display advertising, programmatic inventory, and social media awareness campaigns.

CPM vs CPC vs CPA

CPM is impression-based (exposure); CPC (Cost Per Click) is action-based (engagement); CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) is outcome-based (conversion). CPM optimises for reach and brand awareness. CPC optimises for traffic. CPA optimises for revenue or leads. Each suits different campaign objectives.

Effective CPM (eCPM)

Publishers and ad networks often report eCPM—effective CPM—which normalises revenue across different pricing models to a common 1,000-impression benchmark. eCPM = (Total Revenue / Total Impressions) × 1,000. This allows direct comparison of revenue efficiency across CPM, CPC, and CPA campaigns.