Boardroom Definition
Consideration is the pivotal phase in the customer journey situated between Awareness and Conversion. During this stage, the prospect is aware of the brand but is actively seeking more information, comparing features, reading reviews, and assessing value. In media strategy, the objective shifts from maximizing reach to maximizing engagement and traffic, often utilizing tactics like "Traffic" or "Video Views" to deepen the user's understanding of the product.
The primary currency for measuring Consideration is CPC (Cost Per Click) or CPV (Cost Per View). Efficiency is determined by how cheaply you can drive a qualified user to your site to learn more.
CPC (Cost Per Click) = Cost / Clicks
However, advanced planners calculate the Maximum Bid ceiling to ensure they don't overpay for traffic. Reverse Calculation Logic: If you have a budget of $5,000 and need 2,000 clicks to hit your site traffic goal:
Max Bid=$5,000/2,000=$2.50. This establishes that your bid in the DSP cannot exceed $2.50.
The Real Scoop
In 2026, Consideration is the most intellectually demanding stage of the funnel. While Awareness is about "Recall" and Conversion is about "Action," Consideration is about "Education."
The "Insider" reality is that this is where the "Messy Middle" occurs. Users rarely move in a straight line; they bounce between your site, a competitor's site, and third-party review sites. Successful consideration campaigns do not just "drive traffic"; they provide "Social Proof" (reviews, testimonials) and "Utility" (calculators, specs).
Furthermore, ad copy length matters here. While awareness copy should be short, consideration copy often needs to be "Long" to explain the value proposition fully and answer the user's skepticism. See our Free Character Count tool built to help creatives and planners effectively manage ad copy length.
Watch Outs
- The "Bounce" Trap: A low CPC is useless if the Bounce Rate is 90%. If users click but leave immediately, you paid for a "Misleading Click," not Consideration. Always audit the "Billable Clicks" versus actual site sessions.
- Platform Report Discrepancies: Platform reports often filter out "invalid clicks" after the fact, causing numbers to differ from your raw internal logs. Rely on "Billable" metrics for auditing.
- Premature Closing: Using "Buy Now" (Conversion) language during the Consideration phase often scares away users who are just looking for "Learn More" content.
