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Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Media in New Zealand

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Cost Per Lead for Media in New Zealand

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Key takeaways

  • This analysis looks at cost per lead trends for industry Media in New Zealand compared to the global trend, based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks.
  • Overall, New Zealand’s Media cost per lead (CPL) averaged 86.87 over the period, but this is skewed by a one-off spike in August 2025 (901.39). Excluding August, the average CPL was 12.82.
  • Against the global baseline (average 35.56 over the same months), New Zealand was largely below market: 10 of 12 overlapping months were below the global median; September 2024 and August 2025 were above, while January 2025 was essentially in line.
  • Seasonality diverged from global norms. The global baseline shows higher CPLs in Q4 (peaking in November), while New Zealand’s Media CPL fell in December and hit very low levels in February–March and June.
  • Volatility was high in New Zealand: median month-to-month change was about 89% versus roughly 7% on the global baseline.

What the data covers

  • Metric: cost per lead (CPL)
  • Industry: Media
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Period: September 2024 to September 2025 (selected data lacks April 2025)

New Zealand Media CPL: highlights

  • Average: 86.87; excluding the August spike: 12.82
  • Median across months: 9.60
  • High: 901.39 (August 2025)
  • Low: 1.51 (June 2025)
  • First-to-last change: down 65.4% (41.57 in September 2024 to 14.41 in September 2025)
  • Notable movements:
  • Q4 2024: 10.08 (October), 14.11 (November), 9.06 (December) — no Q4 inflation.
  • January 2025 rebounded to 34.97, then dropped sharply: 1.65 (February), 1.58 (March).
  • June remained very low at 1.51; July 2.97.
  • August spiked to 901.39 before normalizing to 14.41 in September.
  • Volatility: median month-to-month absolute change ~89%, indicating frequent large swings outside the August outlier as well.

Global baseline: context

  • Average (over overlapping months): 35.56
  • Median: 37.69
  • High/Low: 41.58 (November 2024) / 20.63 (September 2025)
  • First-to-last change: down 37.3%
  • Seasonality: clear Q4 elevation (October–December higher, peak in November), steadier month-to-month levels until a marked drop in September 2025.
  • Volatility: median month-to-month absolute change ~7.4%, much steadier than New Zealand’s series.

Comparison to the global trend

  • Level comparison:
  • With August included, New Zealand’s average CPL was about 2.4x above the global average.
  • Excluding August, New Zealand’s average was about 64% below the global average.
  • Month-by-month positioning:
  • Below market in 10 of 12 overlapping months.
  • In line in January 2025 (34.97 vs 35.54).
  • Above market in September 2024 (41.57 vs 32.88) and during the August 2025 spike (901.39 vs 37.03).
  • Seasonality:
  • Global trend shows typical Q4 cost pressure.
  • New Zealand’s Media CPL did not follow this pattern; December was among the lowest months, and the series saw very low CPLs through late Q1 to mid-year.

Understanding cost per lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Media and New Zealand helps advertisers make more efficient budget and creative choices.

Understanding the Data

Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs

Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Media industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting New Zealand, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.

Why we use median instead of average

We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.

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The data behind the benchmarks

All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.

This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.

New Zealand Advertising Landscape

National Holidays

Jan 1New Year's Day
Jan 2Day after New Year's Day
Feb 6Waitangi Day
Apr 18Good Friday
Apr 21Easter Monday
Apr 25ANZAC Day
Jun 2King's Birthday
Jun 20Matariki
Oct 27Labour Day
Dec 25Christmas Day
Dec 26Boxing Day

Key Shopping Season

Late November–early December (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), Christmas season (Boxing Day sales), Mid‑year promotions (Matariki in June), Back-to-school (late January/early February)

Potential Advertising Impact

CPM and CPC might rise around Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day as public events increase media consumption. Matariki is new public holiday with growing awareness—advertising may see elevated competition. Late November–December Black Friday/Cyber Monday could drive ad costs significantly. Regional anniversary holidays may cause local inventory shifts.

What is considered a good cost per lead on Facebook in 2025?

A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.

Why is my CPL higher than industry averages?

Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.

Does campaign objective impact CPL?

Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.

How can I generate leads at a lower cost without hurting lead quality?

Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.

Should I optimize for leads or conversions if my goal is pipeline growth?

If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.