CPM: Cost Per Mille
The cost to show your ad 1,000 times (one thousand impressions).
Formula
Why it matters
CPM measures the cost of reaching your audience — useful for brand awareness campaigns where the goal is reach rather than clicks or conversions. Rising CPM signals audience saturation or increasing competition for your target segment.
How to improve CPM
Broaden targeting to reduce audience saturation, test new placements, or shift budget to off-peak periods when auction competition is lower.
Meta Ads: $5–$20. Google Display: $0.50–$5. LinkedIn: $30–$80.
Prooflytics tracks CPM automatically from your connected sources and flags it in your daily briefing when it moves significantly.
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Calculate CPM from spend and impressions
CPM
CPM = (Spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000
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How many impressions can I get with my budget?
Estimated impressions
Impressions = (Budget ÷ CPM) × 1,000
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Frequently asked questions
When should I optimise for CPM vs CPC?
Optimise for CPM when your goal is brand awareness or reach — you want to maximise impressions within budget. Optimise for CPC or CPA when your goal is conversions or website traffic.
Why is LinkedIn CPM so much higher than Meta?
LinkedIn charges a premium because its targeting is professional and precise (job title, company size, industry). Reaching a CFO on LinkedIn costs significantly more per impression than reaching a similar demographic on Meta.