Ever wondered how websites earn money just by showing ads even if nobody clicks on them? That’s the power of Cost Per Impression (CPM) marketing. In simple words, cost per impression means you get paid every time someone views an ad on your website. No clicks or sales needed!
So whether you run a blog, a news site, or even a meme page, CPM can help you make money from your traffic just by getting people to visit your site.
In this blog, we’ll explain how CPM works, how it’s different from CPC (cost per click), the best ad networks for CPM, and some smart tips to help you earn more by simply getting more pageviews.
What Is Cost Per Impression?
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Cost Per Impression (CPI) – also called Cost Per Mille (CPM) (where mille means 1,000 in Latin) – is a common term used in digital ads. It tells you how much you’re paying to show your ad 1,000 times.
In Simple Words:
It’s the price you pay to show your ad 1,000 times — even if no one clicks on it. You’re paying for views, not clicks.
Cost Per Impression Formula
CPM = (Total Ad Spend ÷ Total Impressions) × 1000
Example:
Let’s say you spent ₹500, and your ad was shown 10,000 times.
CPM = (500 ÷ 10,000) × 1000 = ₹50
So, you’re paying ₹50 every time your ad is shown 1,000 times.
How CPM Affiliate Marketing Works?
1. Join a Cost Per 1000 Impressions Ad Network
Sign up on websites that pay for ad views like PropellerAds, Adsterra, or Media.net. These are called CPM affiliate networks.
2. Get Your Ad Code or Banner
Once you’re approved, they’ll give you a code or a banner ad that you can add to your website or blog.
3. Place the Ad on Your Website
Just copy and paste the ad code into your site — you can put it in the sidebar, header, footer, or inside your blog posts.
4. Start Getting Impressions (Views)
Every time someone opens your website and sees the ad, that counts as 1 impression.
5. Earn Based on CPM Rate
Let’s say the CPM rate is ₹100.
If your ad gets 10,000 views (impressions):
You earn ₹100 x 10 = ₹1,000
6. Get Paid
Once you reach the minimum payout (like ₹500 or ₹1,000), you can take out your earnings through PayPal, Payoneer, or bank transfer.
Example:
You have a tech news blog.
You sign up with Adsterra and get a banner ad.
Your blog gets 50,000 visitors a month.
CPM rate is ₹150.
You earn: (50,000 ÷ 1,000) × ₹150 = ₹7,500/month just from ad views
Pros and Cons of CPM Marketing
Pros
1. Earn Without Clicks or Sales
You make money just from people viewing the ad. No need for clicks or conversions.
2. Perfect for High-Traffic Sites
If your website or blog gets a lot of traffic, CPM ads can generate a good passive income.
3. Great for Brand Awareness Campaigns
Advertisers love CPM when their goal is visibility, not immediate sales.
4. Simple Setup
Just place the ad code on your site, and you’re good to go. No need to promote links or track conversions.
5. Consistent Earnings (Sometimes)
With stable traffic, your earnings can be predictable, unlike CPC/CPA models that depend on user action.
Cons
1. Low Payouts (Compared to CPC/CPA)
CPM rates are usually low, you need thousands of impressions to make decent money.
2. Requires High Traffic
If your site doesn’t get many visitors, your earnings will be minimal.
3. Not Ideal for Niche Sites
CPM is better for broad-audience content. Niche sites might do better with CPC or affiliate marketing (CPA).
4. Ad Blockers Can Affect Impressions
Users with ad blockers won’t see the ads, which means missed impressions and lost revenue.
5. Lower Engagement
Since viewers aren’t clicking, CPM ads may bring no real interaction with your content or product.
6 Best CPM Affiliate Networks
1. Google AdSense
Google AdSense is a free and easy way to earn money by showing ads on your website, blog, or YouTube channel. Once you’re approved, Google automatically shows ads that match your content. You get paid either when someone clicks on the ad (pay per click) or when the ad is simply seen by visitors (pay per impression). This means you can earn even if no one clicks — just views are enough to generate income.
To join, you need a website with good-quality content, some decent traffic, and you must follow Google’s rules. When your earnings reach $100 (around ₹8,200), Google sends the money directly to your bank account every month. It works even better if your audience is from high-paying countries like the US or UK, as ad rates are higher there.
2. Adcash
Adcash is a global ad network that lets website owners make money by showing ads on their site. It supports different ad types like pop-unders, banners, interstitials, and native ads. Unlike Google AdSense, Adcash is more flexible. It accepts websites with small traffic or traffic from non-English countries too.
It works on CPM, CPC, and CPA models, so you can earn money whether someone views, clicks, or takes action on the ad. That’s why many people call it a great CPM affiliate option. Adcash also gives fast approvals, real-time stats, and has advertisers from all over the world. It’s a solid alternative to AdSense, especially if you’re looking to monetize international or mixed-niche traffic.
3. Propeller Ads
PropellerAds is a well-known ad network that helps website owners and bloggers earn money by showing different types of ads like pop-unders, push notifications, native banners, and interstitials. It’s super beginner-friendly and accepts almost any kind of website even if you don’t have a lot of traffic. PropellerAds runs on CPM, CPC, and CPA models, which means you can earn money when people view, click, or take action on the ads.
It also supports global traffic, so you can earn from visitors no matter where they’re from. Payments are regular and easy through PayPal, Payoneer, or bank transfer. If you’re looking for trusted CPM affiliate programs, PropellerAds is a great place to start.
4. Epsilon
Epsilon is a global marketing company that helps big brands reach their customers in a smarter way. Instead of working like regular ad networks such as Google AdSense or PropellerAds, Epsilon focuses more on personalized marketing like sending targeted emails, running loyalty programs, and using customer data to create better ad campaigns. They use advanced tools and real-time data to show the right message to the right person at the right time, across channels like websites, mobile apps, emails, and social media.
While they don’t focus directly on small publishers or websites, they do help businesses get better results and return on investment using models like cost per thousand impression and more. Epsilon is known for its strong tech, good data privacy, and smart marketing strategies.
5. HillTopAds
HilltopAds is an ad network that helps website owners and publishers make money by showing ads like pop-unders, video ads, native ads, and banners. It supports different earning models like CPM, CPC, and CPA, so you can get paid when people view, click, or take action on the ads. HilltopAds is great for all types of websites even if you have low traffic or content in adult or streaming niches.
It’s a good pay per impression affiliate option because you can earn just from ad views. They offer fast payments, real-time stats, and accept traffic from all over the world. If you’re looking for a flexible and high-paying alternative to AdSense, HilltopAds is definitely worth a try.
6. Media.net
Media.net is a top global ad network with offices in big cities like Dubai, New York, Mumbai, and more. It’s a great choice if your website gets around 50,000 visitors a month and you want to make money through CPM-based ads (getting paid for views).
Media.net runs the world’s second-largest contextual ad program, which means it shows ads that match your website content perfectly, so they feel more natural to your readers. It’s also considered a reliable PPI affiliate programs because you can earn from just ad views (pay per impression).
Cost Per Impression Vs Cost Per Click
| Feature | CPM (Cost Per 1000 Impressions) | CPC (Cost Per Click) |
| How You Earn | Every 1,000 ad views (impressions) | Every time someone clicks the ad |
| Best For | High-traffic websites | Click-focused or niche websites |
| Traffic Needed | Large volume of visitors | Engaged, targeted audience |
| Common Ad Types | Display ads, banner ads, video ads | Text ads, native ads, contextual ads |
| Payout Example | ₹200 for 1,000 views (₹200 CPM) | ₹10 per click × 50 clicks = ₹500 |
| Earning Potential | Consistent, but usually lower | Higher if users actively click ads |
| Risk Level | Lower risk for publishers | Depends on user engagement |
Tips to Succeed in Cost Per Impression Affiliate Marketing
1. Focus on high traffic – The more pageviews you get, the more you earn.
2. Target Tier 1 countries – Traffic from the US, UK, Canada, etc., brings higher CPM rates.
3. Pick high-paying niches – Topics like finance, tech, health, and entertainment often have better ad rates.
4. Use SEO strategies – Optimize your content to get consistent organic traffic from search engines.
5. Place ads smartly – Show ads in visible areas like above the fold or within content for better impressions.
6. Avoid ad clutter – Too many ads can annoy users and reduce overall performance.
7. Try different ad formats – Test pop-unders, native ads, push notifications, and interstitials to find what works best.
8. Monitor performance – Keep an eye on your CPM rates and impressions, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
9. Use multiple CPM networks – Combine platforms like PropellerAds, Adcash, and HilltopAds to boost revenue.
10. Improve website speed – A faster site increases ad visibility and keeps users engaged.
11. Leverage referral bonuses – Some networks give extra earnings for referring other publishers.
Conclusion
Cost Per Impression (CPM) marketing is an easy way to earn passive income, especially if your website or page gets regular visitors. You don’t need anyone to click or buy anything. You earn money just by showing ads to people.
If your content gets views, cost per impression can turn that traffic into steady earnings without much extra effort.
FAQs
How to calculate cost per impression?
Divide total ad spend by total impressions and multiply by 1,000: CPM = (Ad Spend / Impressions) × 1000.
What is cost per thousand impressions?
It’s the amount an advertiser pays for every 1,000 times their ad is viewed (also called CPM).
What is pay per impression?
It’s a payment model where you earn money every time someone views an ad, whether or not they click.
