Back in 2017, when Facebook was a fresh and promising ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), we introduced our initial Facebook Ad Benchmarks based on data from our clients at that time. It was an exciting period, and we’ve witnessed significant advancements since then. Over the past two years, over 1 million new advertisers have become a part of Facebook, we launched our complimentary Facebook Ads Grader tool, and we’ve observed notable shifts and progress in ad performance on the platform.

Recognizing these changes, we decided it was time to refresh these statistics with the latest data for 2019! This post delves into fresh insights, gathering performance information from thousands of Facebook advertising accounts to present you with the 2019 Facebook Ad Benchmarks, which encompass:

• Average click-through rate (CTR) on Facebook categorized by industry
• Average cost per click (CPC) on Facebook categorized by industry
• Average conversion rate (CVR) on Facebook categorized by industry
• Average cost per action (CPA) on Facebook categorized by industry

You’ll discover average figures for these Facebook metrics spanning 13 industries: Beauty & Fitness, Business & Industrial, Finance, Food & Drink, Hobbies & Leisure, Home & Garden, Internet & Telcom, Jobs & Education, News, People & Society, Pets & Animals, Real Estate, and Science. Find the latest Facebook advertising benchmarks for 2024 here!

How often do people click on Facebook ads? (Average click-through rate on Facebook by industry)

The average Click-Through Rate (CTR) on Facebook Ads is 0.89% across all industries.

Adorable cat pictures are a mainstay on the internet, so it’s not surprising that Pets & Animals achieve the highest CTR for their ads, boasting an average of 1.68%, which is almost double the overall average! Facebook and Instagram are no strangers to influencers in the Food & Drink and Beauty & Fitness sectors, so it’s expected that their ads also secure impressive click-through rates (1.2% and 1.02%, respectively). Ads with newsworthy content similarly capture significant engagement from Facebook audiences, averaging a 1.05% CTR.

Conversely, Jobs & Education ads face challenges in garnering engagement on Facebook, attaining roughly half the engagement of other sectors (0.55% CTR). Science advertisers experience the lowest engagement on social media feeds, with a 0.45% CTR. These professional demographics might find greater success on platforms like LinkedIn Ads.

The average click-through rate on Facebook across all industries is 0.89%.

The average cost per click (CPC) on Facebook Ads is $1.68 across all industries.

Similar to Google Ads, Financial advertisers encounter the highest CPC on Facebook ads, with an average cost of $3.89 per click. Even with these relatively high costs on Facebook, it’s a significant relief compared to Google Ads, where many financial keywords are among the priciest, often exceeding $50 per click. Other sectors with expensive Facebook advertising, such as Internet & Telecom and Business & Industrial, also experience high costs on Google.

The most affordable clicks on Facebook are found in the industries with the highest CTRs—Food & Drink enjoys an average CPC of $0.42, and Pets & Animals sits at $0.61 per click. This underscores the value of prioritizing high-CTR ads and their impact on cost reduction. The average cost per click (CPC) on Facebook Ads is $1.68 across all industries.

How well do Facebook ads convert to customers? (Average conversion rates on Facebook by industry)

The average conversion rate (CVR) on Facebook Ads is 9.11% across all industries.

While diverting potential job seekers from their social media browsing can be challenging, our findings reveal that effective execution can yield impressive results. When done right, this strategy can lead to remarkably high conversion rates, converting approximately one out of every eight individuals who land on your website. Furthermore, numerous other industries successfully convert over 10% of users who click on their ads!

A notable exception to this trend is observed with sponsored ads promoting News articles. These ads exhibit higher CTRs but notably lower conversion rates (2.15%). It’s highly plausible that many of these advertisers are not aiming for immediate user conversions. Instead, their objective might be to influence the user’s conversion path or encourage offline actions after engaging with a relevant article. The average conversion rate (CVR) on Facebook Ads is 9.11% across all industries.

How much do Facebook ads cost per customer? (Average cost per action on Facebook by industry)

The average cost per acquisition (CPA) on Facebook Ads is $19.68 across all industries.

There’s a reason why Facebook ads are attracting an increasing number of SMBs—they deliver! Food & Drink advertisers, for instance, are finding their next customers on Facebook at a remarkably low cost of $12.91 per acquisition. This CPA is especially impressive considering the potentially high lifetime value of a new regular customer.

However, some advertisers operating in industries with longer purchasing cycles—such as Home & Garden or Finance—might experience higher CPAs compared to their counterparts in faster-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors. These industries show average CPAs of $44.23 and $41.28, respectively. Given the extended period individuals may spend researching and comparing options before committing to significant purchases like these, it becomes crucial to maintain brand visibility by advertising across multiple networks. The average CPA on Facebook across all industries is $19.68.

What can we learn from all of this?

With over 7 million advertisers vying for attention on Facebook, understanding the keys to success on the platform is paramount. If you’re eager to gain deeper insights into how your Facebook ad performance stacks up against the competition, leverage our Facebook Ads Performance Grader. This tool will provide a comprehensive assessment of your ads in comparison to similar businesses and offer guidance on how to enhance their effectiveness.

Where did we get all of this data?

First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to our product analyst, Mallory Harper, for diligently compiling and analyzing this fresh data! This report draws its insights from a sample of 8,287 US-based accounts spanning all industries. This sample represents a combined Facebook ad expenditure of $9.3 million during the period between November 1, 2016, and July 31, 2019. Facebook campaigns can have various objectives, so only those geared towards driving conversions were considered when calculating average CVR and CPA figures. Average figures are presented as median values to mitigate the impact of outliers. All monetary values are expressed in USD.