What is cost per mille (CPM)?
CPM (cost per mille) measures how much you pay for 1,000 ad impressions. It’s the standard pricing metric for display, video, and many social campaigns focused on reach and awareness.
An impression is recorded each time an ad or piece of content is displayed on a user’s screen, regardless of whether it’s clicked or interacted with. It measures visibility and reach, not engagement or intent.
How to calculate CPM?
The CPM formula is:
CPM = (Total ad spend ÷ Total impressions) × 1,000
If you spend $500 and generate 100,000 impressions, your CPM is $5. The CPM calculator simplifies this so you can quickly compare reach efficiency across platforms.
What is the average CPM?
CPMs vary heavily by channel, format, and audience. Recent 2024–2025 benchmarks suggest:
- Google Ads (Display) / Programmatic: Global averages often cluster around $5.00–$15.00 CPM, depending on inventory quality and targeting.
- Meta Ads (Facebook + Instagram): Average CPM for many industries lands around $5.00–$12.00, with specific verticals (health & beauty, sport, tech) commonly in the $6–$11 range.
- TikTok Ads: Multiple analyses show CPMs often in the $4.00–$10.00 range, with some sources citing averages near $8.00–$10.00.
- Snapchat Ads: Current benchmarks put CPM around $8.00–$12.00 in many markets.
- X (Twitter) Ads: Median CPM has been reported in the $2.00–$7.00+ range depending on region and seasonality.
- Threads Ads: Early expectations place Threads CPM around $5.00–$10.00, similar to other Meta placements.
What is a good CPM?
A “good” CPM depends on objective and audience quality:
- For broad awareness, CPMs under $8–$10 on most social and display platforms are generally efficient.
- For highly targeted B2B, finance, or niche audiences, CPMs of $15–$30+ can still be “good” if downstream CPA and ROAS are strong.
Tip: Don’t optimize CPM in isolation. A slightly higher CPM with significantly better CTR and conversion rate is often the more profitable choice.