Cost Per Subscription (CPSUB), sometimes called Cost Per Signup, in CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) is a specialized version of CPA focused on subscription- or opt-in-based funnels. Instead of measuring cost per general acquisition, CPSUB isolates campaigns where the goal is user registration, opt-in, or newsletter signup.
Formula
CPSUB = Total Cost ÷ Subscriptions
Why CPSUB Matters
In many affiliate verticals (sweepstakes, email marketing, SaaS trials, membership funnels), the primary KPI is not an immediate sale but a user signup. CPSUB tells you how much you’re paying to add one new subscriber to your list or service.
- Lead Generation: For email lists, CPSUB determines list-building costs.
- SaaS & Trials: In subscription businesses, CPSUB measures how much it costs to acquire a free trial user.
- Long-Term Value (LTV): While CPA looks at immediate ROI, CPSUB connects with lifetime value analysis, since subscriptions may monetize later.
How CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) Tracks CPSUB
- Subscriptions are usually recorded as conversions but flagged separately when the campaign goal is an opt-in.
- Many landing pages integrate event tracking or specific conversion pixels for signups.
- CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) then calculates CPSUB automatically when subscriptions are logged.
Example
Suppose you spend $300 on an opt-in campaign and generate 600 signups.
CPSUB = 300 ÷ 600 = $0.50
If each subscriber generates $1.20 in revenue over their lifetime, the campaign is profitable with a margin of $0.70 per subscriber.
Insights from CPSUB
- Low CPSUB: Great for scaling, especially in lead-gen and email funnels.
- High CPSUB: Unsustainable unless LTV justifies the cost.
- CPSUB by Source: One traffic source may deliver $0.30 CPSUB while another delivers $1.10. Filtering high-cost sources improves margins.
Reporting in CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One)
CPSUB is shown in:
- Campaign List View: Next to CPA for quick comparison.
- Lead Generation Campaigns: Specialized reports highlight subscription efficiency.
- Trend Reports: CPSUB trends over time can indicate audience fatigue or list saturation.
Best Practices
- Track not just CPSUB but also subscriber quality—cheap signups are worthless if they don’t engage.
- Compare CPSUB with Earnings Per Subscriber (EPSUB) to ensure long-term profitability.
- Use A/B testing on opt-in pages—small CTR lifts can dramatically reduce CPSUB.
- Segment by geo/device—subscription behavior varies heavily across demographics.
In summary, CPSUB in CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) is the subscription-focused version of CPA. It’s essential for lead generation, SaaS, and email marketing campaigns where subscriber acquisition is the primary goal.
See also: CPA, Conversion, Event Tracking, Funnel
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