Cost Per Mille (CPM)
CPM (Cost Per Mille) is the cost per one thousand ad impressions. 'Mille' is Latin for thousand. It's the standard pricing unit for awareness and reach campaigns where impressions, not clicks, are the goal.
Also called: Cost per thousand impressionsFormula
CPM = (Total ad spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000Example
Spend $300 for 100,000 impressions → CPM = (300 ÷ 100,000) × 1,000 = $3.00 per thousand.
Why it matters
CPM is how you compare the cost of reach across platforms and placements. For brand campaigns it's the primary lever; for performance campaigns it feeds into CPC and CPA.
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FAQ
What is a good CPM?
Typical CPMs range from ~$2–$10 on social platforms to $20+ for premium video/CTV or narrow B2B audiences on LinkedIn. Benchmark by network and audience.
Is CPM or CPC better?
Neither is universally better — CPM suits awareness goals (you pay for eyeballs), CPC suits traffic/conversion goals (you pay for clicks). Many platforms optimize delivery and just report both.