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Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks for Consulting

Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type

CPM (Cost Per Mille) for Consulting

February 2025 - February 2026

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Introduction

Consulting CPMs ran well above the market through 2025, with a classic mid-year soft patch followed by an aggressive Q4 climb—then an abrupt reset in January 2026. Across all countries, Consulting’s cost per thousand impressions averaged roughly double the global benchmark for most of the year, peaking sharply in November before easing in December and plunging in the new year. 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 Consulting across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

From January to December 2025, Consulting CPMs rose from 36.12 to 56.10—an increase of 55%. The annual high landed in November at 68.15, with the in-year low in August at 30.48. The 2025 average was 43.40, versus a global all-industry average of 20.15, putting Consulting about 115% higher for the year. Month-to-month movement was pronounced: average absolute change was 7.16 CPM points, with the largest surge in November (+17.03 from October) and the sharpest in-year pullback in December (−12.05). January 2026 marked a dramatic reset to 9.00, the lowest point in the 13-month window.

The global baseline moved more gently. It climbed from 17.73 in January 2025 to 22.04 in December (+24%), averaging 20.15 for the year with modest volatility (about 1.21 points per month). In January 2026, the global CPM eased to 15.74, a notable decline but far less severe than the Consulting drop.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality was clear. Consulting softened through midsummer—July (32.56) and August (30.48) formed the trough—then rebounded in September (41.46) and accelerated into Q4: October 51.12, November 68.15, December 56.10. This aligns with typical competitive pressure late in the year as inventory tightens and budgets scale, with a corresponding easing after the holidays. In contrast, early 2025 was comparatively stable, with Q1 and Q2 averages near 40–41 and smaller oscillations before the mid-year dip.

Country vs. Global

Consulting CPMs sat consistently above market through 2025—about 2.2x the global level in Q1, 2.1x in Q2, narrowing to 1.7x in Q3, then widening to 2.5x in Q4. The narrowest gap appeared in August (30.48 vs. 20.38, about 50% above global), while the widest gap came in November (68.15 vs. 25.22, roughly 2.7x). Where the global curve rose steadily across the year (+24%), Consulting’s trajectory was choppier and steeper (+55%) with much higher month-to-month swings. January 2026 flipped the relationship: Consulting fell below the global average (9.00 vs. 15.74), marking a temporary underperformance after a year of sustained premium costs.

Closing

This CPM analysis of Facebook Ads benchmarks for the Consulting industry across all countries shows a high-cost, highly seasonal profile: mid-year softness, a pronounced Q4 surge, and a January reset. Understanding CPM benchmarks for Consulting across all countries helps situate country-specific ad costs within broader industry ad performance and global trends.

Understanding the Data

Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs

Cost Per Mille (CPM) is the cost advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their Facebook ad. In the Consulting industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. 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.

Why we use median instead of average

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.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

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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The data behind the benchmarks

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.

What affects CPM rates on Facebook Ads?

CPMs are heavily influenced by competition, seasonality (e.g., Q4 costs more), audience size, and ad quality. Smaller audiences and lower relevance scores often lead to higher CPMs.

Why does my CPM vary so much between campaigns?

Different campaign objectives, bidding strategies, and even time of day can change your CPM. For example, conversion campaigns usually have higher CPMs than traffic ones. Also, broad targeting tends to drive lower CPMs.

What's a competitive CPM for 2025?

In most industries, CPMs range from $5 to $18 depending on the region and objective. Retail and e-comm campaigns often sit at the higher end. Our live data above shows a breakdown by country and industry.

Does audience size or targeting affect CPM more?

Both matter, but audience quality (intent + match with your offer) usually has more impact than pure size. However, extremely tight audiences often lead to expensive CPMs due to limited delivery opportunities.

Should I worry more about CPM or CPC?

Depends on your goal. For awareness, CPM is more relevant. For performance campaigns, CPC and CPA matter more. But all are connected—inefficient CPMs can inflate your entire funnel.