Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for IT Services & Outsourcing

Introduction

Cost per lead for IT Services & Outsourcing across all countries ran materially above the market for most of the year, then flipped sharply lower into early Q4. The category averaged $56 per lead versus a $41 global all‑industry benchmark, with a pronounced Q4 2024 spike (peaking at $109 in December), a Q1 correction, a March rebound, and a steep slide to sub‑$25 lows by September–October. Volatility was the defining feature: month‑to‑month moves averaged about $23, roughly seven times the global benchmark’s $3 swing. 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

IT Services & Outsourcing CPL started at $87 in November 2024, surged to a cycle high of $109 in December, then reset to $36 in January and $31 in February. March delivered a sharp rebound to $80, followed by elevated mid‑spring levels: $64 in April and $74 in May. From there, costs eased to $50 in June and $59 in July, narrowed toward parity in August at $46, and dropped to the year’s low in September at $18 before a modest October uptick to $21. Across the 12 months, the median CPL averaged $56 (high: $109 in December; low: $18 in September), ending down 76% from November’s level.

The global all‑industry baseline was steadier: it ranged from $33 (March low) to $48 (September high), averaging $41. It finished October at $45 after a gradual rise from spring.

Volatility differed sharply. IT Services & Outsourcing saw average absolute monthly moves of about $23; the global benchmark shifted roughly $3 per month, underscoring far choppier category dynamics.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality showed clearly. Q4 2024 brought the most expensive leads of the period, with December standing out as the peak. A common Q1 softening followed: January and February marked the trough within the early year. March reversed that softness with a rebound, and costs stayed relatively elevated through late spring and early summer. August signaled a convergence with the market, and late Q3 into early Q4 saw a decisive slide to the lowest CPLs of the year, well below global levels.

Category vs. global benchmark

Relative to the global benchmark, IT Services & Outsourcing was predominantly above market early and mid‑year, then fell below it late. The category exceeded the global median by:

• +110% in November and +175% in December,
• Near parity in January (+1%) and August (+2%),
• Below market in February (−22%) and decisively below in September (−63%) and October (−53%).

Across the full window, IT Services & Outsourcing averaged about 38% higher than the global CPL, but the gap narrowed dramatically over time. The narrowest gap came in January (~1% above market); the widest in December (~175% above). While the global series climbed steadily from $33 in March to $48 in September (+45%), the category swung from $31 in February to $81 in March, then declined to $18 by September.

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per lead in IT Services & Outsourcing across all countries show a year marked by a Q4 price spike, a Q1 reset, a short March rebound, and a decisive late‑year cooling, with volatility far exceeding the global trend. Understanding CPL trends and country‑agnostic, industry ad performance benchmarks helps contextualize CPM analysis, CPC trends, and CTR performance for IT Services & Outsourcing relative to global, all‑industry patterns.