Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
The clearest story in this dataset is the rhythm of the global market: Facebook Ads cost-per-click eased through most of the year, spiked into November, then reset sharply in December. For the Legal industry in South Africa, no monthly median CPCs were recorded in this window, so the global benchmark provides the directional context. Volatility was concentrated late in the year, while mid-year conditions were notably steady.
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 Legal in South Africa compared to the global benchmark.
Across the global benchmark, median CPC started at 1.28 in December 2024 and finished at 1.05 in December 2025 — an 18% decline across the period. The year’s high arrived in November 2025 at 1.30, while the low followed immediately in December at 1.05. On average, global CPCs landed at 1.13, with most months clustered in a tight 1.07–1.14 band, indicating a relatively contained cost environment outside of Q4.
Month-to-month moves averaged 0.07, but two standouts defined the year-end arc: a November surge of +0.20 (+18% month over month) and a December pullback of −0.25 (−19% MoM). Earlier in the year, changes were modest: February (+0.01) and March (+0.01) nudged up from January, April slipped (−0.01), and June marked a clearer step down (−0.07). July was virtually flat (−0.00), August ticked up (+0.03), and September drifted lower (−0.04) before October re-accelerated (+0.04) into the Q4 peak.
Seasonality shows a familiar pulse for Facebook Ads benchmarks. After the elevated holiday period in late 2024, CPCs settled into a tight range through Q1, maintained a soft and steady profile across Q2, and stayed choppy-but-contained through Q3. Q4 intensified: October lifted, November peaked, and December reset to the year’s low. The range from the annual high to low was roughly 0.25, or about 22% of the annual average — a reminder that most variance in CPC trends clustered in the final two months.
For the Legal industry in South Africa, no in-market median CPCs were captured during this timeframe, so a precise country-to-global gap cannot be quantified. What can be stated is the global cadence: a median of 1.13 for the period, a late-year crest near 1.30, and a trough close to 1.05. The global trend fell 18% from December to December and was markedly more volatile in Q4 than mid-year. Any country-specific ad costs for Legal in South Africa, once observed, would be read against this pattern of mild mid-year stability and year-end turbulence.
While in-market CPC medians for the Legal industry in South Africa were not recorded for this window, the global Facebook Ads benchmarks outline the backdrop: CPC trends averaging 1.13, a Q4 peak at 1.30, and a December low near 1.05. Understanding these CPC benchmarks for Legal in South Africa helps contextualize industry ad performance and compare country-specific ad costs 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 Legal industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting South Africa, 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 (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas & Day of Goodwill), Mid-year retail (June Youth Day promotions)
CPM and CPC might rise during long weekends like Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, and Heritage Day as leisure and travel-related media consumption increases. Retail CPMs may spike in late November–December for holiday shopping. Youth Day and National Women's Day might drive regional campaigns. Weekend extensions across public holidays may benefit weekend campaigns.
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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