CPM is cost per thousand impressions, a pricing or reporting metric for ad exposure.
CPM is cost per thousand impressions, a pricing or reporting metric for ad exposure. A common calculation is: (Cost ÷ impressions) × 1,000. In Reddit advertising, this term gives marketers, designers, developers, and business owners a precise way to talk about work that affects visibility, user experience, measurement, and revenue. A strong understanding of CPM prevents teams from optimizing isolated tasks without knowing what business result they are supposed to support. The concept should always be applied with context: who the audience is, what problem they have, what action matters, how success will be measured, and how the work connects to the broader customer journey.
Example of CPM
Example: If a campaign spends $500 to generate 100,000 impressions, the CPM is $5. CPM is especially useful when comparing awareness campaigns, display campaigns, and video reach.
Why CPM matters
It matters because Reddit rewards relevance, authenticity, and community context. Brands that understand the platform’s terminology can build campaigns that feel useful to users instead of interruptive.
Related terms
CPC, budget, CPV, bid, reach, catalog sales objective
Frequently Asked Question
What does CPM mean?
CPM means cost per thousand impressions, a pricing or reporting metric for ad exposure. It matters in Reddit advertising because it helps teams make clearer decisions, measure the right outcomes, and connect marketing work to business goals.