What is PPI?

PPI is a digital advertising model which stands for pay per impression. This style of online advertising can be used across search engines as well as social media channels such as Facebook. PPI works on a model where a business will pay a flat fee for every 1,000 impressions.  

The term impression refers to each single time an advert is presented to users on the internet. Essentially, a PPI advertising campaign is like traditional billboard advertising – where you want to display your business or product to a large audience and catch their attention.  

PPI contrasts with PPC which refers to pay per click advertising. They key difference between PPI and PPC is that the customer does not need to take any action but simply need to see the advert online. PPI has some negative connotations as there is no guarantee of an ROI (return on investment) and no way of knowing whether users notice or engage with your ads as that isn’t the KPI (key performance indicator) of PPI campaigns. By employing PPI advertising, you are offering potential leads an easy way to visit your site through one click.  

Benefits of PPI

However, there are many benefits to choosing PPI advertising online. Generally, PPI is cheaper than PPC which makes it a more attractive online advertising option for smaller businesses who may not be able to afford to compete with bigger businesses for their keywords.  

PPI is also best suited for marketing strategies with smaller budgets which are focussed on brand awareness rather than conversion. As you pay for every 1,000 views, you can run your ad for a certain period of time without paying which means you can assess how successful it is before you commit to paying for another 1,000 impressions.  

When executed correctly, PPI ads have the potential to reach a huge number of leads and generate a strong brand presence online. This method of online advertising is generally not targeted and so the key to successful PPI campaigns is to have strong, eye-catching visuals as well as catchy copy. If you can secure the right price for your adverts and generate a high click-through rate then the ROI will be significantly higher than other types of online advertising.