Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Arts advertisers in New Zealand spent the year moving through sharp CPC swings that consistently sat below global Facebook Ads benchmarks. Median cost per click began high in February at roughly $1.01, collapsed in March, rebuilt through mid‑year, and then broke pattern with a dramatic November low. In contrast, the global benchmark held a tight, steady band near $1.13–$1.14 for most of the year, peaking into November as Q4 competition heated up. 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 in New Zealand compared to the global benchmark.
Across February–November, New Zealand’s Arts CPC averaged $0.46, far below the global average of about $1.14 over the same window. The local high hit $1.01 in February, followed by a low of $0.10 in November—a range of $0.91. Month-to-month movements were pronounced: CPC plunged 89% from February to March ($1.01 to $0.11), then rebounded more than threefold into April ($0.35) and climbed again through mid‑year to July’s $0.75. Late summer and early fall settled into a narrower $0.43–$0.61 band before an October lift ($0.61) gave way to the steepest drop of the period in November (−84% to $0.10).
Volatility tells the same story. New Zealand’s average absolute month-to-month change was $0.32, versus only $0.04 for the global baseline—around 7.5 times more volatile. In other words, local CPC trends were choppy and momentum-heavy, while the worldwide market moved in smaller, more regular steps.
The pattern mixes seasonality with local divergence. A soft March looks like a late‑Q1 trough, followed by a spring rebuild through June and a local peak in July. August–September held steady near the mid‑$0.40s, hinting at a mid‑year equilibrium. October’s lift aligns with typical pre‑Q4 tightening. Yet November broke the global script: while worldwide CPCs surged to their annual high, New Zealand’s Arts CPC hit its lowest point of the year, an uncommon inversion of Q4 cost pressure.
Relative to the market, New Zealand was consistently below average. The February gap was narrow (about 10% below global CPCs), widening to 31–62% below through June–October. The tightest spread appeared in July (around 31% below), while the widest arrived in November, when New Zealand trailed by roughly 93%. The global trend rose into Q4—up about 17% from February to November—whereas New Zealand declined 90% over the same span. Globally, CPCs ranged roughly $1.09–$1.32 through most of the year; New Zealand ranged $0.10–$1.01 with much sharper swings.
For Facebook Ads benchmarks, the CPC trends show Arts industry ad performance in New Zealand running materially cheaper and markedly more volatile than the global norm, with a distinctive late‑year dip that diverged from typical Q4 country-specific ad costs. Understanding cost per click dynamics for Arts in New Zealand helps advertisers evaluate how local CPC performance compares to global patterns.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Arts 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.
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.
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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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)
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.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
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