The essentials of digital advertising
KPIs, targeting & co — deciphered for strong campaigns
Number games, abbreviations, technical jargon — digital advertising sometimes looks like a mysterious code. But if you want to manage your campaigns smartly, you need to be able to decipher it. How does a good ad tick? What makes them visible, clickable, converting? And how do you reach the right people at the right time? Welcome to the small 1x1 of digital advertising — compact & crisp.
KPIs: Small numbers, big impact
They are the heart rate of every campaign: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Anyone who knows them reads campaigns like an open book.
CPM/TKP — the reach romanticist:
The thousand-contact price reveals how much it costs to generate 1,000 visual contacts. Ideal for awareness campaigns involving stray love.
Formula: costs/ impressions* 1,000
CPC — the action lover:
It's getting serious here: The cost per click says how much a real click costs — for everyone who loves action more than words.
Formula: Costs/Clicks
CTR — the relationship tester:
The click-through rate shows how often people see and click — the ultimate flirting factor.
Formula: Clicks/Impressions
VTR — the movie lover:
How many really remain until the end credits? The view-through rate measures how attentively the video is watched.
Formula: Views/Impressions
CPV — the movie ticket calculator:
Who pays how much for a real video view?
Formula: Costs/Calls
Viewability — the reality check:
Only visible is also effective. According to the IAB standard, an impression counts as “viewable” when 50% of the ad is visible for 1 second (or 30% for large-format ads).
Formula: Visible impressions/impressions
Conversions — proof of love:
Whether after a click (click through conversion) or just by looking (view through conversion) — what counts here is who seduces you to act.
Targeting: Who fits who?
Good targeting is like perfect matchmaking. The trick is not to tell everyone everything — but to exactly those who are open to what's on offer.
Demographic targeting — age group & gender first:
Classic way of addressing target groups, charming and proven.
InMarket Targeting — courting people who are ready to buy:
Based on search behavior — if you Google for “travel suitcase”, you will be served the appropriate suggestion.
Affinity targeting — the one with passion:
For brands that rely on long-term emotional ties — for example, with people interested in lifestyle or culture.
Custom Audience — the secret code of competitor fans:
Keywords and URLs lead directly to the desired target group — even where the competition is poaching.
Contextual targeting — the thematic romance:
Ads on pages with suitable content — keyword meets context, ad meets user.
What does that mean for brands?
Figures and target groups are not cold facts — they are guidelines for effective communication. If you know which KPIs really count and how to find your target group, you build campaigns that generate more than just reach: relevance.
Conclusion: Whoever measures wins
adlicious combines these metrics and targeting with data-driven creation and intelligent media planning — tailor-made for every brand. Whether awareness, action or attribution — we ensure that every campaign is more than the sum of its KPIs.
In the mood for data-driven dating for your brand? Then get in touch! We create ads that really fit.