Platform costs vary by 10-20x across social media channels. A $10,000 ad budget on LinkedIn reaches 150,000-300,000 B2B professionals. The same budget on TikTok reaches 1-3 million users. Which is right depends entirely on your business model.
CPM Benchmarks by Platform (2025)
| Platform | Avg CPM | Range | Primary audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| $48 | $30-80 | B2B, professionals | |
| $30 | $20-50 | Shopping intent, women 25-45 | |
| Twitter/X | $12 | $6-25 | News, tech, culture |
| $14 | $8-25 | Broad demographic, 25-55 | |
| $12 | $6-20 | Visual products, 18-35 | |
| YouTube | $8 | $4-15 | Video content, broad |
| TikTok | $6 | $3-12 | Youth, impulse purchases, viral |
| Snapchat | $7 | $3-12 | 13-25 age demographic |
CPM = cost per 1,000 impressions. LinkedIn's $48 CPM is not wasteful — it's buying access to VP+ decision-makers. Context matters.
CPC Benchmarks by Platform
| Platform | Avg CPC | Good CPC (top campaigns) |
|---|---|---|
| $5.50 | $3-4 | |
| $1.50 | $0.80-1.20 | |
| Twitter/X | $0.50 | $0.25-0.40 |
| $0.97 | $0.50-0.75 | |
| $1.15 | $0.60-0.90 | |
| YouTube | $0.30 | $0.15-0.25 |
| TikTok | $1.00 | $0.50-0.80 |
Note: CPC varies enormously by industry, creative quality, and audience targeting. These are platform-wide averages.
Cost Per Lead (CPL) by Platform and Industry
For lead generation campaigns:
| Platform | B2B SaaS CPL | E-commerce CPL | Local services CPL |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60-200 | N/A | $50-150 | |
| $20-80 | $8-25 | $15-50 | |
| $25-90 | $10-30 | $15-55 | |
| Google Ads | $40-120 | $15-50 | $20-80 |
| TikTok | $15-50 | $8-20 | $12-40 |
LinkedIn generates higher-quality leads for B2B despite higher CPL — a $150 LinkedIn lead that converts to a $10,000 ARR customer outperforms a $20 Facebook lead that converts to nothing.
Platform Fit by Business Type
| Business type | Best platform | Second choice | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B SaaS | Google Search | TikTok | |
| E-commerce (fashion/beauty) | TikTok | ||
| E-commerce (impulse) | TikTok | ||
| Local services | |||
| B2C app | TikTok | ||
| Education / courses | YouTube | Snapchat | |
| Recruiting | Indeed | TikTok |
The Post-iOS14 Reality (Facebook/Instagram)
Apple's App Tracking Transparency (2021) broke Facebook's attribution model. Key impacts that persist in 2025:
- 7-day click attribution is now default (vs. 28-day pre-iOS14)
- Modeled conversions: Facebook estimates ~35-50% of conversions that can't be tracked
- CPMs rose 30-50% industry-wide post-iOS14 as targeting efficiency declined
- CAC increased ~20-40% for DTC brands relying on Facebook retargeting
Best practices for Facebook/Instagram advertising in 2025:
- Broad targeting beats narrow audiences — let Meta's algorithm find buyers
- Creative is the targeting — high-quality video/UGC content reaches the right people
- Measure via blended metrics (overall revenue ÷ ad spend) rather than pixel attribution
- Run 7-day post-purchase surveys to understand true acquisition channel
TikTok Ads in 2025
TikTok advertising remains the lowest-CPM major platform with highest organic reach potential:
| TikTok ad format | CPM range | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| In-Feed Ads | $3-8 | Brand awareness, product demo |
| TopView | $50-100 | Launch, mass awareness |
| Branded Hashtag | $150K+ flat fee | Campaign/viral push |
| Spark Ads (boosting organic) | $3-10 | Amplifying proven content |
Spark Ads (boosting your organic posts that are already performing) consistently outperform dedicated ad creatives on TikTok — 70% lower CPA on average.
Budget Allocation Guide
For a $10,000/month social media ad budget:
E-commerce DTC:
- 60% Meta (Facebook + Instagram)
- 25% TikTok
- 15% Google Shopping
B2B SaaS:
- 60% LinkedIn
- 25% Google Search
- 15% Meta (retargeting only)
Local services:
- 50% Google Search (high intent)
- 30% Facebook
- 20% NextDoor / local platforms
Use the CPM Calculator to compare reach across platforms at any budget level.