CPM

CPM means cost per mille, or cost per thousand. It is the price of reaching 1,000 people, and it is the unit most brands actually budget with.

Why creators should price in it

Because the buyer already does. A brand with a campaign budget is thinking in cost per thousand across every channel they are considering, so a rate expressed that way is easy for them to compare and hard to argue with.

It is also more honest than pricing by follower count. Followers say nothing about how many people see a post: two accounts with the same following can reach very different numbers, and on recommendation feeds most viewers of a good post do not follow you at all.

How to work out your own

Take your median views for a post on that platform, divide by 1,000, and multiply by the rate you want per thousand. There is a calculator that does the arithmetic.

Use the median, not the average. One viral post drags an average upward and makes every quote afterwards look unreasonable.

What moves it

Niche moves CPM more than size does. Audiences that are expensive to reach elsewhere — finance, B2B, health — carry higher rates than general entertainment at the same view count. Usage rights and exclusivity move it further, and are priced on top rather than baked in.