Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Cost-per-click for Wine and Spirits ads in the United States ran leaner and choppier than the global benchmark across this 13‑month window. The category opened 2025 near parity with the market, swung sharply through Q4, then fell to an unusually low January 2026. Volatility was the defining trait, with a dramatic November spike followed by an abrupt December–January comedown. 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 the United States compared to the global benchmark.
Across January 2025 to January 2026, United States Wine and Spirits CPC averaged $1.01, ranging from a high of $1.28 in November 2025 to a low of $0.41 in January 2026. The period started at $1.13 in January 2025 and ended down 64% year over year to $0.41.
The monthly rhythm oscillated rather than trended. Early stability gave way to a Q2 dip (May reached $0.98), a Q3 rebound to $1.19 in September, and then a Q4 whipsaw: October fell to $0.84, November spiked to the annual high of $1.28, and December collapsed to $0.74 before January 2026 hit the trough at $0.41. The category’s month‑to‑month volatility averaged $0.22—roughly three times the global benchmark’s $0.07—driven by outsized swings in October (−$0.36), November (+$0.45), December (−$0.54), and January 2026 (−$0.33).
For 2025 alone, United States Wine and Spirits CPC averaged $1.06, ending the calendar year 34% lower than it began ($0.74 vs. $1.13).
Seasonality was present but amplified. Q2 softened as is common when auction pressure normalizes after Q1; May marked a local low. Q3 steadied and lifted, peaking in September. Q4 produced the most pronounced turbulence: a drop into October, a sharp November peak aligned with holiday surge dynamics, and a steeper‑than‑typical December pullback that continued into January 2026. Performance typically tightens in Q4 as competition rises; here, the category experienced both the surge and the snap‑back in quick succession.
Relative to Facebook Ads benchmarks globally, Wine and Spirits CPC in the United States was lower on average: $1.01 vs. $1.11 (about 9% below). The market hovered near parity early in the year—January was +1% above, March effectively matched—but diverged through mid‑year: May (−15%), July (−18%), and October (−26%) all sat notably below. There were brief outperformance pockets—February (+7%) and September (+9%) exceeded global CPC levels—before the gap widened again in December (−29%) and January 2026 (−52%).
While the global trendline also peaked in November ($1.32) and eased in December ($1.05), its decline into January 2026 ($0.85) was milder. In range terms, the United States category moved from $0.41 to $1.28 (a $0.88 spread), nearly double the global range of $0.85 to $1.32 (a $0.47 spread), underscoring more volatile country‑specific ad costs for this industry segment.
Understanding Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks for Wine and Spirits in the United States highlights a year marked by lower‑than‑global costs, sharper month‑to‑month swings, and a Q4 spike‑and‑slide pattern. For teams comparing CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance within industry ad performance frameworks, these United States benchmarks offer a grounded reference against global norms.
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 United States, advertisers often face higher costs due to high competition and purchasing power. 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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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.
Late November (Thanksgiving & Black Friday weekend), December (Christmas), Back-to-school (July–September), Summer travel season (Memorial Day onwards)
CPM and CPC might rise around major holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, especially in travel and entertainment. Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend triggers massive spikes in retail ad competition. December ad demand typically peaks—retail campaigns require significantly higher budgets. Back-to-school promotions drive increased competition. Juneteenth may see regional engagement rise.
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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