Case study · Techpresso
ElevenLabs: 500K+ impressions at $1 CPC with Spotlight-only placements
ElevenLabs took a different approach: rather than leading with Primary Ads, they ran 5 Spotlight Ads exclusively. The result — a $2.40 CPM and $1 CPC, the lowest CPM in our case study library — delivered 500K+ unique impressions at a fraction of the typical campaign budget.
$1.00
CPC
500K+
Impressions
$2.40
CPM
5
Spotlight Ads
The goal
ElevenLabs wanted to build awareness of its voice AI platform among developers, founders, and creators without committing to a six-figure budget. Their category (voice AI) generates curiosity on its own, so the campaign relied on concept interest rather than brand push.
The campaign
- 5 Spotlight Ads at $1,100 each — total media spend $5,500.
- Product demo landing pages featuring voice samples directly on the page.
- Copy written by Dupple emphasizing specific use cases (audiobooks, dubbing, character voices) rather than generic "AI voice" framing.
Why Spotlight-only worked
Three reasons Spotlight-only outperformed a Primary-led mix for this specific product:
- Category pull: Voice AI was an inherently curious topic for the Techpresso audience. The click-through happened on interest, not on brand.
- Demo-first landing page: ElevenLabs' landing page lets visitors hear the product in under 5 seconds. That reduced bounce and increased trial signups relative to what a text-heavy landing page would produce.
- Budget efficiency: 5 Spotlights cost less than 2 Primary Ads but delivered comparable impressions because Spotlights still appear in every 550K-subscriber edition.
When to use Spotlight-only
Spotlight-only campaigns make sense when (a) your product is inherently interesting or visual, (b) your brand doesn't need the trust-signal of a co-branded Primary header, or (c) you want to test audience fit at low cost before committing to a Frequency Pack.
A Spotlight-only campaign is the cheapest credible way to validate whether a newsletter audience matches your product. $5,500 buys 5 placements and 500K+ impressions across two months.
Similar campaigns
- HubSpot: $1.24 CPC, 500K+ impressions (5 ads)
- DigitalOcean: 1M+ impressions, $1.70 CPC (8 ads)
- Intercom: 1.1M+ impressions, $2 CPC (10 ads)
Test a Spotlight-only campaign
$5,500 buys you 5 Spotlight Ads and 500K+ impressions. The cheapest way to validate Techpresso fit for your product.
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