Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for IT Services & Outsourcing

Introduction

Across all countries, Cost per Lead for IT Services & Outsourcing traced a year of sharp swings and clear regime shifts against the global benchmark. The series opened with an unusually high December spike, normalized through early Q1, surged again into spring, then reset dramatically in September and stayed subdued through November. On average, IT Services CPL ran higher than the global market but moved far more aggressively month to month, creating a story of elevated costs early in the year and discounted leads late in the year.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for IT Services & Outsourcing across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

• Starting at $109.08 in December 2024, CPL dropped to $36.18 in January and $31.42 in February before spiking to $80.57 in March.
• The spring period stayed elevated ($64.07 in April, $73.66 in May), then eased through summer ($52.52 in June, $59.47 in July, $45.69 in August).
• A hard reset arrived in September at the yearly low of $18.61, followed by $19.53 in October and a modest lift to $22.02 in November.

For the 12-month window, IT Services CPL averaged $51.1 (median $49.1), ranging from a $109.08 high to an $18.61 low — a $90.5 span. Volatility averaged $20.5 per month in absolute terms, with standout swings including a -67% drop from December to January, a +157% jump from February to March, and a -59% slide from August to September.

The global benchmark over the same months averaged $40.7 (median ~$40.0), rising steadily from $34.89 in January to $48.41 in October before softening to $45.77 in November. Its month-to-month volatility was far lower at about $3.1.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The IT Services curve was strongest from late Q1 into Q2, when CPL hovered in the mid‑$60s to low‑$80s. Mid‑summer showed a controlled glide lower. The break point came in September, when costs fell to the yearly floor and remained muted into November, indicating a late‑year period of easier lead acquisition relative to earlier months.

By contrast, the global market typically firms into Q3–Q4, and the benchmark reflected that pattern: a gradual climb across the year with a mild pullback in November. The IT Services series ran counter to that late‑year lift, underscoring a distinct seasonal rhythm for this industry across markets.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global benchmark, IT Services CPL averaged about 26% above market. The gap, however, shifted dramatically:

• December (+184%) and March (+143%) sat well above global levels.
• Parity moments appeared in January (+4%) and August (+7%).
• From September onward, the industry moved decisively below benchmark: -61% in September, -60% in October, and -52% in November.

Trendwise, the global line rose steadily (+39% from January to October), while IT Services was choppier — elevated in spring, then a sharp reset (-80% from December to November). Volatility was the defining difference: roughly 7× more month-to-month movement than the global benchmark.

Closing

For performance marketers evaluating Facebook Ads benchmarks, the Cost per Lead profile for IT Services & Outsourcing across all countries shows a high-cost, high-volatility first half of the year followed by a marked late‑year cooldown versus the market. Understanding Cost per Lead trends for this industry — alongside broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance — helps anchor country‑specific ad costs within a global context for industry ad performance.