What is cost per click (CPC)?

Cost Per Click (CPC) is a metric used in online advertising to measure the cost incurred each time a user clicks on an advertisement. It’s a pricing model commonly used in pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, where advertisers pay a certain amount for each click their ads receive.

In social media marketing, CPC is determined by factors such as:

• Ad relevance
• Targeting criteria
• Bidding strategies
• Competition within the platform

Advertisers set a maximum bid they’re willing to pay for each click, and the platform’s auction system determines the actual CPC based on the competitiveness of the ad space and the quality of the ad.

Monitoring CPC allows advertisers to assess the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their campaigns, so they can optimize their bidding strategies and maximize their return on investment (ROI) in social media advertising. By managing CPC effectively, advertisers can drive targeted traffic to their websites, generate leads, and achieve their marketing objectives within budget constraints.

Learn more about CPC and other paid social media metrics in our 2024 social media benchmarks.