Original Studio Digital data. Updated 10 November 2026.
Portrait studios paid a median of $10.01 per Facebook and Instagram lead in our data: 10 US portrait studio businesses, November 2025 to October 2026, $2.76 million of ad spend and 221,015 leads. The middle half paid $8.70 to $13.11 per lead. Costs per 1,000 impressions ran from $13.22 in January 2026 to $20.44 in October 2026.
Studio owners ask us the same question every week: what should a lead cost? Most of the answers online are guesses or come from other industries. These numbers come straight from the ad accounts of portrait studios we work with. No studio is named, and every figure is an aggregate.
The headline numbers.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Studio businesses in the sample | 10 (US, 11 ad accounts) |
| Period | November 2025 to October 2026 |
| Total ad spend | $2.76 million |
| Total leads | 221,015 |
| Total impressions | 166.9 million |
| Median cost per lead (per studio) | $10.01 |
| Middle half of studios | $8.70 to $13.11 |
| Lowest and highest studio | $6.61 and $15.64 |
| Cost per lead, all spend pooled | $12.47 |
| Median cost per 1,000 impressions | $16.52 |
| Median link click-through rate | 0.92% |
Month by month.
| Month | Median cost per lead | Pooled cost per lead | Cost per 1,000 impressions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | $11.27 | $13.27 | $17.91 |
| Dec 2025 | $9.63 | $11.53 | $16.70 |
| Jan 2026 | $9.20 | $12.96 | $13.22 |
| Feb 2026 | $9.19 | $12.20 | $15.45 |
| Mar 2026 | $9.94 | $12.26 | $17.43 |
| Apr 2026 | $10.55 | $11.33 | $15.32 |
| May 2026 | $11.74 | $13.32 | $16.54 |
| Jun 2026 | $11.55 | $14.63 | $17.82 |
| Jul 2026 | $9.49 | $10.85 | $15.89 |
| Aug 2026 | $9.98 | $11.25 | $16.05 |
| Sep 2026 | $12.52 | $12.77 | $19.14 |
| Oct 2026 | $12.83 | $14.21 | $20.44 |
Impressions were cheapest in January 2026 at $13.22 per 1,000 and dearest in October 2026 at $20.44, a swing of 55%. The median cost per lead moved less, from $9.19 in February 2026 to $12.83 in October 2026.
Bigger budgets did not mean cheaper leads.
| Average monthly spend | Studios | Median cost per lead |
|---|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | 5 | $9.54 |
| $10,000 or more | 5 | $13.42 |
One common explanation, not tested in this data, is that larger budgets reach further past the people most ready to book, so each extra lead costs more. That is not a reason to spend less. It is a reason to judge ads on booked sessions and sales rather than on lead cost alone. Our ad calculator works out a budget from the sessions you want.
How we got these numbers.
- Source: Meta's own reporting for the Facebook and Instagram ad accounts of US portrait studio businesses we work with, pulled on 10 November 2026.
- Period: 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026, in monthly totals.
- Sample: 10 studio businesses and 11 ad accounts. One business ran two accounts and is counted once. Some businesses run more than one studio location, so this counts businesses, not locations.
- Lead: Meta's lead count with each account's own attribution setting. A lead is an enquiry, such as a submitted form, not a booking.
- Left out: accounts with no spend in the period, accounts that mix studio ads with other businesses, and one further US studio account we could not read through the same reporting source.
- Not covered: studios outside the US, and lead cost by niche.
What to take from it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal cost per lead for a portrait studio on Facebook and Instagram?
Across the 10 US portrait studio businesses in our data, November 2025 to October 2026, the median was $10.01 per lead. The middle half paid $8.70 to $13.11, and the full range was $6.61 to $15.64.
Which month were leads cheapest?
Looking at the median studio each month, February 2026 was the cheapest month at $9.19 per lead, and October 2026 the dearest at $12.83.
Do bigger ad budgets get cheaper leads?
Not in this data. Studios spending under $10,000 a month paid a median of $9.54 per lead and studios spending more paid $13.42. One common explanation, not tested here, is that bigger budgets reach further past the people most ready to book. That is a pattern in 10 studios, not a rule.
Is a lead the same as a booking?
No. A lead here is Meta's lead count: an enquiry, such as a submitted form. How many become consults and sessions depends on follow-up speed, the offer and the sales process.
Can I use these numbers?
Yes, please cite Studio Digital and link to this page. They describe 10 portrait studio businesses in the US over 12 months, so treat them as a guide, not a forecast for your market.
Keep reading.
- Facebook and Instagram ads agency for portrait studios
- Marketing agency for luxury portrait studios
- Ads for photographers: how portrait studios make Meta ads pay
- It's rarely the leads
- Photography ad budget and cost per lead calculator
Want to know how your studio's numbers compare? Tell us about your studio.