Meta Ad Trends: What’s Up, Down & How to Stay Ahead – Insights from Ad Experts
Digital marketing is ever-changing, and understanding the mechanics behind Meta’s advertising metrics — like CPM, CPC, and CTR — can be the difference between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful one.
If you’re reading this, you probably use these matrices every day. But in case you need a refresher, here’s a summary of what they mean:
CPM
It stands for Cost Per Mille, or as we refer to it, Cost Per Thousand. It represents the cost marketers will pay for every thousand digital ad impressions. These impressions occur every time an ad is displayed on a user’s screen, regardless of whether they interact with it.
CPC
Cost Per Click determines how much we pay as advertisers for the ads placed on websites and social media based on the number of clicks the ads receive. This is also known as PPC (pay-per-click).
CTR
Click-through rate, summarized by Investopedia, is “the percentage of individuals viewing a web page who view and then click on a specific advertisement that appears on that page. Click-through rates measure how successful an ad has been in capturing users’ attention. The higher the click-through rate, the more successful the ad has been in generating interest.”
Now that we have a slight refresher on key metrics, here are the CPM, CPC, and CTR rate trends that the GeistM analysts uncovered during Q3 of 2024:
Mid August 2024 (1st -15th)
Meta CPMs
Key Takeaways:
- GeistM analysts saw a 5% decrease in CPMs at the beginning of August
- The Food & Beverage vertical saw the most significant drop in CPMs at -25%
- The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the most considerable increase of 38%.
Meta CPCs
Key Takeaways:
- GeistM analysts noted an 11% decrease in CPCs
- The Fashion & Beauty vertical saw the most significant reduction at -22%
- The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the most considerable increase of 14%.
Meta CTRs
Key Takeaways:
- During the 1st half of August, GeistM analysts identified a 6% decrease in CTRs overall
- The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the largest increase at 21%
- The Food & Beverage vertical encountered the largest CTR decrease at -26%.
Here’s what GeistM Senior Growth Analyst, Matthew, had to say regarding these changes, and his predictions for the remainder of August:
“I have noticed an ebb and flow pattern for CPMs, CPCs, and CTRs during Q2 and Q3. In one period (half a month), the metrics will all improve at once, and in the next period, they will all decline again, and vice versa. It’s less common (though it still happens) for metrics to move in the same direction for two periods in a row.
Prime Day has a major effect on CPMs and CPCs, seeing a jump in the metrics as we approach and go through the sale day and a large drop after the sale is over.
In terms of my predictions, Back-To-School efforts are moving into full swing now, which will likely cause an increase in CPMs during the second half of August.”
End August 2024 (16th – 31st)
Meta CPMs
Key Takeaways:
- GeistM Data Analysts saw a 9% increase in CPMs towards the end of August
- The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the biggest decrease in CPMs at -33%
- The Food & Beverage vertical saw the biggest CPM increase at 24%
Meta CPCs
Key Takeaways:
- GeistM Analysts found a 2% increase in CPC at the end of August
- The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the largest CPC decrease of -14%
- A 1% CPC increase was seen in the Food & Beverage vertical
Meta CTRs
Key Takeaways:
- By the End of August the GeistM Data Analysts noticed an 8% increase in CTRs
- The Food & Beverage vertical saw the largest CTR increase of 23%
- The largest decrease came from the Sports & Supplements vertical with -21%
Our Senior Growth Analyst, Matthew, shared his insights on these changes and his expectations for September.
“CPMs and CPCs both increased. With the majority of Verticals seeing a sizable scale in spend, we noted an increase in all rates.
We need to keep an eye out on performance during Q4. Costs may rise around this fall season going into the Election Day period and we’ll see consumer spending rise as well with Black Friday Cyber-Monday Promo Period conversations.”
Mid September 2024 (1st -15th)
Meta CPMs
Key Takeaways:
- GeistM analysts noticed that CPMs remained stable in the first half of September
- The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the largest drop in CPMs at -14%
- The International vertical noted the biggest increase of 3%
Meta CPCs
Key Takeaways:
- An increase of 4% was seen in CPCs during the first half of September by the GeistM analysts
- The Home & Family vertical saw the largest decrease of -11%
- While the largest increase of +21% was seen by the Food & Beverage vertical
Meta CTRs
Key Takeaways:
- GeistM analysts saw CTRs decrease by -4% during the first half of September
- The Home & Family vertical saw the largest increase of 15%
- The Food & Beverage vertical encountered the largest decrease in CTRs of -19%
Here’s what our Growth Analyst, Cher Chen had to say about these shifts in trends and what might happen towards the end of September
“CPMs and CPCs both increased slightly.
The Moments to look out for heading into spooky season are Columbus Day, Halloween, Election Day period, Thanksgiving, Black Friday Cyber-Monday Promo Period.
With many accounts starting to run promos & varying spend levels in October, it is essential to put spend where it’s most cost-efficient!”
End September 2024 (16th – 30th)
Meta CPMs
Key Takeaways:
- GeistM analysts noticed stable levels of CPMs in the second half of September
- The Health & Wellness vertical saw the largest drop in CPMs at -7%
- The Fashion & Beauty vertical noted the biggest increase, with +16% in CPMs
Meta CPCs
Key Takeaways:
- Our analysts noted an 11% increase in CPCs
- The Health & Wellness vertical noticed the largest decrease of -10%
- The Fashion & Beauty vertical had the most significant increase of +34%
Meta CTRs
Key Takeaways:
- We noticed an 11% decrease in CTRs at the end of September
- The Sports & Supplements vertical noticed the largest increase of 7%
- The latest decrease of -19% was noticed by the Food & Beverage vertical
Here’s what Mathew, our Senior Growth Analyst, had to say about these trend shifts and what we need to keep an eye out for in October.
“Overall CPMs increased 0.91%, with the Fashion & Beauty vertical seeing the largest increase in PoP at 16%.
Moments to look out for heading into spooky season: Amazon Prime Day, Columbus Day, Halloween, Election Day period, Thanksgiving, Black Friday Cyber-Monday Promo Period.
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to over-communicate in Q4 to navigate all projects & decisions.”
GeistM Can Help You Tackle Fluctuating Rate Trends
At GeistM, our paid social marketing analysts closely monitor all metric trends and optimize your campaigns accordingly.
As we move further into the year, partnering with us could be your pivotal step towards mastering Meta’s advertising. Contact us today to learn how we can help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of Meta and beyond.
