Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The clearest story in the data is a year that was steady, then suddenly expensive, then markedly cheaper. Global Facebook Ads cost-per-click (CPC) hovered tightly around 1.10 for most of 2025, spiked in November, and reset sharply lower by January 2026. For Wine and Spirits in Italy, there are no in-market observations in this window, so the global curve functions as the directional benchmark. The pattern suggests stable acquisition pricing through most months with Q4 pressure and a new-year pullback.
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 Wine and Spirits in Italy compared to the global benchmark.
Globally, median CPC started at 1.12 in January 2025 and ended at 0.85 in January 2026, a 24% year-over-year drop at the turn of the year. The overall average across the period was 1.11. The high was clearly November 2025 at 1.32, while the low was January 2026 at 0.85.
From January through October 2025, CPC moved within a narrow 6-cent band: the monthly median ranged from 1.09 (September) to 1.15 (May). Month-over-month changes in that stretch were small—about 0.02 on average—illustrating a remarkably calm market. August and October registered modest lifts (both +0.03 vs. prior month), while June and July marked a gentle mid-year softening near 1.10.
The step-change arrived in November: CPC jumped to 1.32, up 17% versus October and roughly 19% above the period average. That was followed by a rapid comedown—1.05 in December (−20% month-over-month) and 0.85 in January 2026 (another −20%). Across the full timeline, average absolute month-to-month volatility was 0.07, with the bulk of that variance concentrated in the November–January window.
The rhythm reads like classic platform seasonality. A stable first half with mild firming into May, a soft mid-year pocket spanning June to September, and a pronounced Q4 inflection as competition rises ahead of peak retail moments. After the November spike, costs normalized quickly: December retreated toward the long-run average, and January undershot it materially, reflecting a thinner auction and lower country-specific ad costs typical of early Q1.
This CPC view sits alongside CPM analysis and CTR performance in broader Facebook Ads benchmarks; taken together, they outline a year where engagement and auction intensity diverged notably in Q4 before resetting in January.
For Wine and Spirits in Italy, the dataset contains no monthly series during this period, so a direct country-versus-global gap cannot be computed. In this window, the global benchmark—averaging 1.11, peaking at 1.32 in November, and troughing at 0.85 in January—serves as the available reference for CPC trends. The market-level path was broadly flat for ten months, then more volatile around the holiday period.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for the Wine and Spirits industry in Italy—viewed against the global CPC trends—helps quantify typical seasonality, pricing stability, and the Q4 surge that defined 2025’s auction dynamics.
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 Wine and Spirits industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting Italy, 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), Christmas & post‑Christmas sales (late December), Ferragosto (mid‑August) summer tourism, Back‑to‑school (September)
CPM and CPC might increase during spring holidays when Italians engage in travel or leisure. Ferragosto may see travel and hospitality ads face high competition while retail CPMs dip. Late November and December see ad demand surges. 'Ponte' long weekends could affect ad pacing with stronger performance on adjacent weekdays.
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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