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Channel

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Paid social benchmarks

Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit, X, LinkedIn. Highest-volume direct-response channel for consumer brands. Creative-led, audience-targeted, algorithm-mediated.

Share of digital ad spend: ~28% of US digital ad spend (2026)

Channel snapshot

Avg CPM $4–80 depending on platform and stage. Meta = highest volume, TikTok = lowest CPM, LinkedIn = highest CPM with highest intent.

How to operate this channel

Operator playbook

  1. Maintain server-side Conversion API (CAPI/equivalent) on every platform.
  2. Run weekly creative refresh cycles — paid social rewards fatigue cycling.
  3. Measure with MER + incrementality, not pixel ROAS alone.
  4. Spark Ads / branded content beats brand-only creative by 30–55% on CTR.
  5. Test cross-platform holdouts quarterly to validate channel incrementality.

Platforms in this channel

Want to model your spend in this channel? Use the CPM calculator, ROAS calculator, and budget allocator to plan allocation.