Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Arts

Introduction

The Arts category ran notably “above market” on Facebook Ads cost-per-purchase (CPP) through the past 12 months, with a choppy, momentum-driven pattern that contrasts sharply with the steadier global benchmark. Two standout inflection points defined the year: a March spike and an April reset, followed by a steady summer plateau and a late-October surge. Across all countries, Arts CPP averaged about $70.82 versus the global all-industry benchmark at $49.28 — roughly 44% higher.

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 Arts across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Arts CPP started at $56.24 in November and ended at $89.07 in October — a 58% lift across the period. The high came in March at $95.43; the low landed just one month later in April at $42.88, creating a wide $52.55 range. The annual average for Arts was $70.82.

Key monthly moves:

• December softened to $49.63 (near parity with global), then January jumped to $80.18.
• February eased to $69.58 before a sharp March surge to $95.43 (+$25.85 month over month).
• April corrected to $42.88 (−$52.55), the lowest point of the year.
• From May through August, CPP stabilized in a tight mid-70s/low-80s band ($72.50–$80.67).
• September cooled to $62.69, then October rebounded hard to $89.07.

Volatility was a defining feature: month-to-month Arts CPP changed by an average of $19.54, nearly eight times the $2.53 monthly swing in the global benchmark.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality shows through clearly. After a softer December, Arts CPP lifted through early Q1, peaked in March, and immediately reset in April — a pattern consistent with post-holiday demand rebalancing. Summer months (May–August) were comparatively steady, with CPP clustered in the mid-70s to low-80s. Early Q4 brought renewed competition, and October climbed sharply, a familiar rhythm in Facebook Ads benchmarks where costs often tighten as the year-end advertising calendar fills.

Country vs. Global

Compared with the global benchmark, Arts ran elevated most of the year: 10 of 12 months were above market. On average, Arts CPP was about 44% higher than the global all-industry level (Arts $70.82 vs. global $49.28). The gap was narrowest in December (about 1% below global) and widest in October, when Arts CPP more than doubled global levels (+106%). The global trend itself was stable — ranging from $42.70 to $53.80 and finishing nearly flat from November to October (+1%) — while the Arts trend was distinctly more volatile and ended much higher.

Closing

Facebook Ads cost-per-purchase benchmarks for the Arts industry across all countries show a high-cost, high-volatility year: a March peak, an April reset, a steady summer, and an October surge, averaging about 44% above the global benchmark. This CPP-focused view complements broader Facebook Ads benchmarks often discussed in CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance, grounding country-agnostic, industry-specific ad costs for Arts against global patterns.