Full Definition
CPM stands for Cost Per Mille — 'mille' being Latin for thousand. It's a pricing model where you pay for every 1,000 times your ad is displayed (impressions), whether or not anyone clicks on it. CPM is most commonly used for: - **Google Display Network ads**: Banner images shown on millions of websites - **YouTube video ads**: Pre-roll or mid-roll video commercials - **Brand awareness campaigns**: When the goal is visibility, not immediate conversion Compare this to CPC (cost per click), where you only pay when someone actually clicks. The right model depends on your objective: - **Awareness / reach**: CPM makes sense. You're paying to be seen. - **Traffic / conversions**: CPC or CPA makes more sense. You only pay for action. CPM campaigns are powerful when launching a new brand, promoting an event, or retargeting people who've already visited your site (since they already know you, reminding them is often enough — a click isn't always necessary). For local businesses with modest budgets, CPM campaigns can be a cost-effective way to build recognition in a specific geographic area. A ₹5,000 CPM campaign targeting Chandigarh households could generate 200,000+ impressions — 200,000 times your brand appears in front of local people. Actionable tip: Don't judge CPM campaigns by click-through rate alone. Measure brand lift by tracking direct website traffic and branded search volume during the campaign period — these typically increase even when clicks are low.