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Advice for Employers and Recruiters

Is programmatic different from CPC and CPA?

Steven Rothberg AvatarSteven Rothberg
March 22, 2023


Digital advertising has come a long way since the early days of banner ads and pop-ups. Today, marketers have a plethora of pricing models and advertising techniques at their disposal, each with its unique advantages and challenges. Among these, programmatic advertising, cost-per-click (CPC), and cost-per-acquisition or cost-per-application (CPA) models are widely used by marketers and advertisers alike. In this article, we’ll dive deep into these pricing models, explore how they differ, and provide some tips on when to use each one.

  1. Programmatic Advertising: Automating Ad Buying

Programmatic advertising is a method of automating the process of purchasing and selling digital ad inventory. It involves using machine learning algorithms and real-time bidding (RTB) technologies to streamline the ad buying process, enabling advertisers to target specific audience segments, optimize their campaigns, and analyze performance in real time. Programmatic advertising is not a pricing model itself but rather a method of ad buying that can accommodate various pricing models, including CPC and CPA.

Key Features of Programmatic Advertising:

  • Automation: Reduces manual effort and increases efficiency in the ad buying process.
  • Real-time optimization: Advertisers can adjust their campaigns based on real-time performance data.
  • Precision targeting: Advertisers can reach their desired audience by targeting specific demographic, behavioral, or contextual attributes.
  • Multiple pricing models: Programmatic platforms can accommodate CPC, CPA, CPM (cost per thousand impressions), and other pricing models.
  1. Cost-Per-Click (CPC): Paying for Engagement

The cost-per-click (CPC) model, also known as pay-per-click (PPC), is a performance-based pricing model where advertisers pay only when users click on their ads. This model is popular for search engine advertising, where advertisers bid on keywords to have their ads displayed alongside relevant search results.

Key Features of CPC Advertising:

  • Direct engagement: Advertisers pay for actual clicks, ensuring they’re only charged for user engagement.
  • Budget control: Advertisers can set daily or monthly budgets, allowing for precise control over ad spend.
  • Performance tracking: Advertisers can measure the success of their campaigns by tracking clicks, conversions, and other relevant metrics.
  1. Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA): Focusing on Conversions

The cost-per-acquisition (CPA) model, also known as cost-per-action or cost-per-conversion, is a performance-based pricing model where advertisers pay only when users complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, applying to a job, or filling out a form. This model is popular among performance marketers as it directly ties ad spend to tangible results.

Key Features of CPA Advertising:

  • Conversion-focused: Advertisers pay only for completed actions, ensuring a direct correlation between ad spend and ROI.
  • Performance tracking: Advertisers can measure the success of their campaigns by tracking the number and cost of acquisitions.
  • Risk mitigation: By paying only for conversions, advertisers minimize the risk of wasting ad spend on non-converting traffic.

Comparing Programmatic Advertising, CPC, and CPA

  1. Automation vs. Manual Bidding: Programmatic advertising automates the ad buying process, making it more efficient and scalable than manual CPC or CPA campaigns. However, programmatic campaigns may require a higher level of technical expertise to set up and manage.
  2. Pricing Models: Programmatic advertising can accommodate various pricing models, including CPC and CPA. This allows advertisers to choose the model that best aligns with their campaign goals and desired ROI. For example, an employer may have purchased five job slots on a particular job board, which would allow them to advertise up to five job openings at any given time for a flat, monthly or annual fee. In that case, the employer is using programmatic technology but not CPC, CPA, or other performance-based pricing. Another employer may manually decide to post a job to the same job board and do so manually but agree to pay the job board per click. In that case, the employer is not using programmatic technology but is buying on a CPC-basis.
  3. Targeting and Optimization: Both programmatic and performance-based models offer sophisticated targeting and optimization capabilities.
  4. Performance Measurement: CPC and CPA models focus on specific performance metrics (clicks and acquisitions, respectively), making it easier for advertisers to measure campaign success. Programmatic advertising allows for a broader range of performance metrics, depending on the chosen pricing model.
  5. Risk and ROI: CPA campaigns carry the lowest risk for advertisers, as they pay only for completed actions. CPC campaigns offer a moderate level of risk, with advertisers paying for clicks but not guaranteed conversions. Programmatic campaigns can vary in risk depending on the pricing model used.

When to Use Each Model

  • Programmatic Advertising: Choose this method when you want to automate and optimize the ad buying process, reach specific audience segments, and have the flexibility to use different pricing models. Programmatic advertising is especially useful for large-scale campaigns or when targeting niche audiences such as employers who advertise their job openings on College Recruiter to help them hire early career candidates at scale.
  • Cost-Per-Click (CPC): Opt for CPC when you want to drive user engagement, such as driving traffic to your website or increasing brand awareness. This model is particularly effective for search engine advertising and can provide a good balance between cost and performance. Thus, CPC is a good option for employers who want to reach candidates on a job board but have them apply on the employer’s applicant tracking system (ATS) or other such career pages.
  • Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA): CPA campaigns are ideal when your primary goal is driving conversions, such as sales, applications, or other sign-ups. This model is popular among performance marketers, as it directly ties ad spend to tangible results, minimizing the risk of wasted ad spend. Thus, CPA is a good option for employers who want candidates to apply on the job board or who are both able and willing to share with the job board in real-time the click-to-apply conversion data so that the job board knows which candidates it sends to the employer’s site actually apply, which then allows the job board to send more of that kind of traffic and less of the traffic that doesn’t convert into applications and also allows the job board to stop sending traffic when the employer has received as many applications as it wanted. A rapidly increasing minority of employers advertising their job openings on College Recruiter are opting for this pricing model, with almost all of them using programmatic job distribution technology to determine which ads to run, at what cost per application, with what budget, and for how long.

Conclusion

In the constantly evolving world of digital advertising, understanding the differences between programmatic advertising, cost-per-click, and cost-per-acquisition is crucial for marketers and advertisers. Each model offers unique advantages and challenges, depending on your campaign goals and target audience. By carefully considering your objectives, budget, and desired level of risk, you can select the most suitable model to maximize the return on your ad spend and achieve your marketing goals.

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