The truth about CPM Advertising
In the world of digital advertising, CPM (Cost Per Mille or Cost Per Thousand Impressions) is a popular pricing model used by publishers and advertisers alike. CPM advertising involves paying a fixed rate for every 1,000 impressions (an impression is when someone views or interacts with your ad) of an advertisement. While this model has its advantages, it also comes with its fair share of drawbacks. Let’s explore the pros and cons of CPM advertising.
Pros of CPM Advertising:
Guaranteed Exposure:
With CPM advertising, advertisers are assured that their ads will be displayed a specific number of times, regardless of whether the ads are clicked on or not. This guaranteed exposure can be beneficial for brand awareness campaigns and reaching a broad audience.
Cost Control:
CPM pricing allows advertisers to set a fixed budget for their campaigns. Since the cost is based on impressions, advertisers can predict their expenses more accurately, making it easier to manage their advertising budgets.
Audience Targeting:
Publishers often offer various targeting options, such as demographic, geographic, and contextual targeting, which can help advertisers reach their desired audience more effectively.
Cons of CPM Advertising:
Lack of Direct Response:
This type of advertising is not ideal for direct response campaigns where the primary goal is to generate immediate clicks, conversions, or sales. Since advertisers pay for impressions rather than actions, there is no guarantee that the ads will generate the desired level of engagement or conversions.
Ad Blindness:
As users become more accustomed to online advertising, they may develop “ad blindness”. This is where the viewer ignores or subconsciously filters out advertisements, reducing the effectiveness of CPM campaigns.
Viewability Issues:
Not all impressions are equal. Some impressions may occur when the ad is not visible to the user. Usually because it was loaded off-screen or because the user scrolled past it quickly. This can lead to wasted ad spend and ineffective campaigns.
Potential for Fraud:
CPM advertising is susceptible to impression fraud, where malicious actors generate fake impressions to inflate their revenue. This can result in advertisers paying for impressions that were never seen by real users.
CPM advertising can be an effective option for brand awareness campaigns and reaching a broad audience within a fixed budget. However, it may not be the best choice for campaigns focused on direct response or conversions. Advertisers should carefully evaluate their campaign goals, target audience, and budget when deciding whether to use CPM advertising or explore alternative pricing models such as CPC (Cost Per Click) or CPA (Cost Per Acquisition).
