CPM or RPM are two famous metrics that assist publishers in tracking their earnings. Both metrics differ from one another. However, new publishers often misunderstand them.
Cost per Mile (CPM) refers to the amount an advertiser pays for every 1,000 ad impressions. Revenue per mile (RPM) measures revenue generated by every 1000 impressions ads produce.
Both CPM and RPM give publishers valuable information about advertising revenues and help them formulate their publishing strategies.
Let’s examine the difference between RPM and CPM, how they’re calculated, and know why each is crucial for publishers.
CPM vs RPM: The Full Overview
Advertisers employ CPM to determine the advertising price. Advertisers use CPM to set the price for advertising. Although it primarily focuses on advertising costs, publishers can also use CPM to evaluate their earnings.
Advertisers commonly use RPM to measure the earnings and performance of an advertising campaign.
What Is CPM?
CPM is a shorthand for cost per mile. In simple terms, CPM represents the cost for every thousand times an advertisement is shown. The number of impressions counts each time an ad appears to a user on a mobile device or website. CPM allows publishers to easily compare prices for advertising across various ad networks and formats.
Advertisers typically use CPM to pay for display ads, where they pay for their ad to appear on a web or mobile app rather than for specific actions like clicks or conversions. Marketers also use the CPM to establish an amount for their advertisements because it permits them to determine the price of achieving a particular number of ads.
CPM information allows advertisers to improve their campaigns and modify the advertising targeting or creative elements to enhance efficiency and lower the price per click. Publishers can utilize CPM to establish the cost for their advertising inventory by the anticipated amount of ads the website’s content produces.
CPM may also be various types like:
Effective CPM (eCPM) is a metric that focuses on publishers and measures the ad revenue the advertiser generates per 1000 impressions.
Amount of Viewable CPM (vCPM) that measures the price per 1000 viewable ads
Revenue CPM (rCPM ) determines the revenue an advertiser earns per 1000 ads.
A few advertisers employ another measurement known as the Target CPM (tCPM). However, it is an expression that better refers to a unique bidding technique for video advertisements within Google Ad Manager (GAM) and not an actual type of CPM.
How to Calculate CPM?
You can use CPM to assess the value of advertising across different media and types. Keep in mind that CPM alone doesn’t determine the effectiveness or quality of the ads, so it’s best to combine it with other metrics like conversion rate or click-through rate. This helps to evaluate the general effectiveness of an advertisement.
Formula to Calculate CPM
To calculate CPM to calculate CPM, it is necessary to have two parameters in mind: The total price for the campaign and the number of total ad impressions that the campaign generates.
To calculate CPM, use the following formula:
CPM = (Total Campaign Cost / Total Impressions) x 1,000
For example, suppose the advertiser spent $500 to launch an ad campaign that produced 50k impressions. To determine the CPM of this particular campaign, it is necessary to input the relevant factors into the following formula:
CPM = ($500 / 50,000) x 1,000
= $0.01 x 1,000
CPM = $10
The CPM of this campaign would be $10. That means advertisers paid $10 per every 1000 impressions of their advertisement.
Why Is CPM Important for Publishers?
By being aware of the CPM rates for their platforms, publishers can determine the best price for their advertising space and increase their advertising revenue. The tracking of CPM offers a variety of advantages for publishers, such as
Maximize Revenue: by monitoring CPM, Publishers can establish the right price for their advertising inventory, ensuring they receive the most revenue from each impression their platform generates.
Recognizing high-value Advertisers: publishers may utilize CPM data to determine whether advertisers are willing to pay an expensive cost for their advertising space.
Optimizing formats for Ads: CPM can also help advertisers identify formats for ads that generate good results and more revenue.
The ability to make data-driven choices: Tracking CPM gives publishers valuable information that they can utilize to make informed decisions on their advertising strategy, pricing, and the overall goal of maximizing revenue from advertising. CPM and related ad campaign metrics are used to track and analyze ad performance.
What Is RPM?
RPM measures the expected income earned per 1,000 impressions. It calculates the total revenue generated from ads on a site, including video ads, display ads, and other types of advertisements. It is a crucial performance indicator for those wanting to increase their ad revenue.
Another closely related metric is page RPM, which calculates the revenue generated per 1000 pages viewed. While RPM measures the total revenue generated across all websites, the page RPM determines the income earned from particular pages. This is an excellent measure when the editors must focus on the pages producing the highest or lowest revenues.
Revenue per Mile (RPM) offers publishers valuable insights into the estimated earnings from their ads. The value of advertising space can be gauged, and data-driven advertising strategies can be crafted using this metric. Publishers also can determine the ad formats and locations that generate the highest revenues.
In addition, publishers can utilize RPM to assess the performance of their advertisements across various ad exchanges. This allows them to decide on the best way to use their advertising budgets.
How to Calculate RPM?
It is important to remember that RPM depends on many factors, such as the nature and quality of the advertising inventory, audience demographics, and the advertiser’s demand. As a professional publisher, you should monitor the RPM of your ads and modify your ad strategies as needed to increase revenue.
To determine RPM, you must consider two parameters: the total advertising income and the number of page views.
Formula to Calculate RPM
The formula to calculate RPM can be described as follows:
RPM is calculated as follows: (Total Revenue / Total Number of Impressions) x 1,000.
Suppose your site earns 500 from advertising and an average of 50,000 views. It is possible to calculate the cost per click for your website using the following parameters in the formula below:
RPM = ($500 / 50,000) x 1,000
= $0.01 x 1,000
RPM = $10If this is the case, then the rate of return per page will be the amount of $10. This means $10 will be earned for every 1,000 impressions on your site.
To calculate the page RPM, you can add page views and impressions using the formula previously mentioned.
Please find your cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) quickly and easily using our innovative CPM Calculator. Check out our CPM Calculator today and transform the way you advertise!
Why Is RPM Important for Publishers?
RPM assists publishers in calculating the estimated revenue and makes an informed decision based on precise facts. Below are a few advantages of keeping track of RPM in the publishing industry:
Revenue optimization: RPM helps publishers track their ad revenues in a way that helps to determine which types and locations are performing better. So, publishers can adjust their advertising strategy to suit and increase revenue.
A comparison between platforms: RPM is utilized by publishers to assess ad performance across different platforms and networks. This helps them determine the networks that give their customers the highest returns.
Effective pricing: Using RPM information, publishers can assess the potential value of their advertising inventory and adjust their pricing to advertisers in line with that. This will result in more lucrative partnership agreements and higher-quality advertisements.
Insights into ad performance: RPM data offers valuable information on the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, extending beyond just revenue measurement. When analyzing the RPM data along with other indicators, including click-through rates and conversions, marketers can determine the performance of their advertising campaigns and devise the best ad strategy for use in the future.
What’s the Difference Between CPM and RPM?
CPM represents the price of running an advertising campaign for every 1,000 impressions. RPM reflects the revenue earned from website ad campaigns for every 1,000 views.
Difference differences between CPM and RPM
| Aspect | CPM | RPM |
| Goal | CPM is ad-based. | RPM is a publisher-specific measure. |
| Tracking | CPM helps track the costs of an advertising campaign. | RPM is used to track revenue generated through ads. |
| Ad Placement | CPM is determined by ad placement on a website. | |
| Bidding | CPM is utilized in ad auctions, such as those run by Google AdSense, to determine the cost per click of an ad. | RPM does not factor into bidding in ad auctions. |
| Advertising Units | CPM may be used to calculate the cost per view of various ads. | RPM determines the amount of revenue earned from each ad. |
| Page Views | CPM is calculated based on the number of impressions of a mobile site or website, which are also considered page views. | RPM for web pages considers the total revenue generated per 1,000 page views. |
| YouTube Calculation | CPM reflects the cost for every 1,000 impressions of a video before considering YouTube’s share. | RPM is the actual income per 1,000 impressions after considering YouTube’s revenue share. |
| Analytics | Publishers can track CPM and RPM through YouTube analytics, accessible by logging in to YouTube Studio and selecting Analytics from the menu. | Publishers can track RPM and other metrics through YouTube Studio. |
RPM vs CPM: Which Is Better for Publishers?
Although both CPM and RPM are vital indicators for publishers, they are used for different reasons.
RPM refers to the money earned per 1,000 impressions of advertisements displayed on a platform used by publishers and is, therefore, more crucial for publishers. RPM provides a better picture of how much money publishers earn through their advertisements, which allows advertisers to improve their advertising layouts and format.
Additionally, as RPM includes the number of page views, web admins could boost page RPM by optimizing metrics related to pages, like the speed of their websites and the quality of content.
However, paying attention to CPM is crucial for the publishers. CPM can be a sign of the quality of ads and could directly affect the user’s experience when using a website or an app. A low CPM might indicate that advertisements aren’t relevant or interesting, which could lead to fewer clicks.
The other thing to be aware of is that RPM needs to tell the complete story. It’s only based on all of the ad units on the page, regardless of whether they have received any impressions.
It’s, therefore, crucial to think about both CPM and RPM to ensure you have good advertising revenues and a pleasant user experience.
Final Thoughts
As a publisher, it is essential to focus on maximizing RPM, while you must pay attention to CPM to guarantee the quality of ads and user experience.
Performoo has been ranked among the most effective high CPM platforms that have assisted publishers in maximizing their profits. Our partners have experienced as much as 55% growth in their revenue from publishing when they work with us. Contact us today to find out what we can do to help you maximize your site’s assets.