I just had to vent about this!
Every time someone claims that CPM is purely competition-based and immutable, I can’t help but feel exasperated. It’s a misunderstanding! Just because one person may not have discovered ways to decrease the CPM doesn’t mean others aren’t making informed efforts to reduce theirs.
Next time you come across such statements, challenge them with this: have they tried even one of the 65 techniques I’m about to share? Often, these strategies not only help decrease CPM but can also enhance CTR. This newsletter aims to present you with 65 methods to optimize your CPM.
Remember, affordable and warm traffic is the foundation for revitalizing a stagnant ROAS. Trust me on this!
Also, bookmark this email. Trust me, major e-commerce giants like Amazon, Nykaa, Wish, and others will intensify their Facebook advertising campaigns leading up to Black Friday and Diwali, thereby increasing competition on Meta ads. The CPM rates you’ve seen so far are likely to rise even further.
Let’s delve in:
1. Amateur Photos: Use candid, unprofessional photos occasionally. They can make your ad feel more genuine and less like a typical advertisement.
2. Pattern Disruption: Utilize elements that disrupt the usual scrolling pattern, grabbing attention instantly.
3. Behind-the-scenes: Showcase behind-the-scenes shots of your business or product creation. It adds authenticity and humanizes your brand.
4. Animated Elements: Even in an image ad, subtle animations like GIFs can make your ad stand out.
5. Cultural Moments: Tap into current events or popular culture moments that resonate with your audience.
6. User-Generated Content: Incorporate photos or images shared by your customers. It adds a layer of social proof.
7. Play with Perspectives: Use unique angles or perspectives in your images to make them more intriguing.
8. Bold Typography: Sometimes, bold and dynamic typography can convey your message more powerfully than the image itself.
9. Incorporate Art: Use illustrations, doodles, or artistic interpretations of your product.
10. Memes & Humor: If it aligns with your brand, a touch of humor or popular meme formats can make your ad memorable.
11. Interactive Illusions: Use images that give an illusion of interactivity, like “swipe” or “scratch” visuals.
12. Storytelling: Sequence your image ads to tell a short story over multiple ad impressions.
13. Minimalistic Design: Sometimes, less is more. A clean, minimalistic design can be just as eye-catching.
14. Showcase Diversity: Use images that represent a diverse range of people, resonating with a broader audience.
15. Use Analogies: Visual analogies can make complex ideas simpler and more engaging.
16. Unexpected Objects: Use images of objects in unexpected settings or combinations to pique curiosity.
17. Vibrant Gradients: Use bright and contrasting color gradients to make your ad visually pop.
18. Optical Illusions: Incorporate visuals that play tricks on the eyes, compelling users to take a second look.
19. Dynamic Shadows: Use pronounced and dramatic shadows to give depth and intrigue to your images.
20. Extreme Close-Ups: Zoom in on a particular detail of a product or subject, making users wonder about the bigger picture.
21. Retro & Vintage Vibes: Use nostalgic themes or retro visuals that evoke memories or a sense of timelessness.
22. Bold Patterns: Use striking patterns that stand out in the endless scroll of uniform content.
23. Interactive Questions: Pose a compelling question within the image that makes users pause and ponder.
24. Unexpected Scale: Play with the scale of objects, like a giant coffee cup in a city street.
25. High-Contrast Images: Use images with stark contrasts between light and dark areas.
26. Whimsical Elements: Incorporate playful and whimsical designs or characters.
27. Texture Overlays: Add textures like paper grain, fabric, or brush strokes to make your image more tactile and engaging.
28. Hand-Drawn Elements: Integrate hand-drawn sketches or annotations, giving a personal touch.
29. Intriguing Silhouettes: Use mysterious silhouettes that make users wonder about the story behind them.
30. Motion Blur: Give a sense of movement within a still image using motion blur effects.
31. Collage Technique: Merge different images or elements into a single intriguing collage.
32. Unexpected Pairings: Combine unrelated items or themes in one image, sparking curiosity.
33. Pop Culture References: Tap into current pop culture trends or icons that users instantly recognize.
34. Intriguing Overlays: Use semi-transparent overlays with intriguing messages or visuals.
35. Juxtaposition: Place two contrasting ideas or images side by side to create a striking visual tension.
36. Split Images: Divide your image into sections, each telling a part of the story, compelling users to piece it together.
37. Monochromatic Themes: Use a single color in varying shades to create a visually cohesive and striking image.
38. Unexpected Twists: Add a twist to a familiar scene, like a fish out of water.
39. 3D Elements: Incorporate 3D graphics or designs that seem to “pop out” of the screen.
40. Interactive Illusions: Create illusions of depth or layers, making users feel they can “reach into” the image.
41. Bold Statements: Use a bold statement or quote that resonates with the viewer’s emotions or beliefs.
42. Mirror Effects: Use reflections or mirror effects to double the intrigue.
43. Neon & Glowing Effects: Incorporate neon colors or glowing elements that stand out in the feed.
44. Puzzling Images: Use images that look like puzzles or mazes, making users pause to figure them out.
45. Famous Art Parodies: Parody or reimagine famous artworks with a modern twist.
46. Cinematic Feel: Give your image a cinematic aspect ratio and grading, making it look like a movie still.
47. Comic Strips: Design your ad to resemble a comic strip panel with a cliffhanger.
48. Before & After: Show a compelling before-and-after transformation.
49. Paper Cut-Out Look: Design your image to look like it’s made of paper cut-outs layered on top of each other.
50. Surreal Landscapes: Create dreamy, surreal, or fantastical landscapes.
51. Exaggerated Proportions: Play with proportions, like tiny people in a giant world.
52. Interactive Challenges: Pose a quick challenge, like “Spot the difference.”
53. Historical Mashups: Combine elements from different historical periods in one image.
54. Futuristic Visions: Offer a glimpse into a futuristic or sci-fi setting.
55. Celebrity Lookalikes: Use models or subjects that resemble popular celebrities.
56. Doodles & Annotations: Add doodles or handwritten notes to your image.
57. Steampunk or Cyberpunk Themes: Use popular subculture themes known for their distinct visuals.
58. Intriguing Data Visualizations: Use charts or graphs in a visually appealing way to present intriguing data.
59. Nature’s Beauty: Showcase breathtaking natural phenomena or landscapes.
60. Urban Legends: Tap into popular myths or urban legends.
61. Interactive Stories: Start a story in the image and prompt users to guess the ending.
62. Morphed Images: Combine two unrelated objects into a single, intriguing image.
63. Riddles & Brainteasers: Pose a riddle or brainteaser within the image.
64. Photo within a Photo: Use an image that showcases someone holding another photo, creating depth.
65. Animated Characters: Incorporate popular or nostalgic animated characters in a new setting.
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t be. You don’t have to implement them all at once. Start with a few, test, and see how your audience responds. Remember, the goal isn’t just to decrease your CPM, but to make every cent you spend count!
Here’s to lower CPMs and greater ROAS