beginner
2 min read
CPM (Cost Per Mille/Thousand Impressions)
Paying for eyeballs: when and why to use impression-based pricing
You pay a fixed rate for every 1,000 times your ad is shown, regardless of whether anyone clicks or converts.
Best for
Brand awareness campaigns where the goal is reaching as many eyeballs as possible.
Web3 Example
A new L2 chain launching and wanting maximum visibility during a major conference. They care about impressions and recall, not immediate conversions.
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Advantages
- Predictable costs
- Good for top-of-funnel awareness
Disadvantages
- No guarantee of engagement
- You pay even if ads are shown to bots or disinterested users
- Incentivizes publishers to maximize impressions, not quality
Typical web3 rates
$2-50 CPM depending on publisher quality and targeting specificity