Paid Social Is Getting More Expensive. Here’s What to Do About It.
Let’s start with the obvious, slightly uncomfortable truth sitting in everyone’s ads dashboard: paid social is more expensive than it used to be.
In 2026, rising CPMs and CPCs across platforms like Meta and TikTok are no longer an anomaly, and while inflation plays a role, it’s not the whole story. Increased competition, evolving algorithms, more brands chasing the same attention, and higher expectations from platforms themselves have all compounded the issue.
You’re paying more to show up.
But that doesn’t mean paid social has stopped working. It means the old ways of spending are far less forgiving than they once were.
The brands seeing strong returns right now haven’t pulled their budgets. They’ve become more intentional about how those budgets are used, and more honest about what paid is actually meant to do.
Paid Should Amplify, Not Replace, Organic
If your paid strategy begins and ends with boosting posts, you’re likely spending money without learning very much.
In 2026, paid works best when it acts as an amplifier, not a substitute. The most effective brands are paying attention to what’s already resonating organically and using paid media to scale that signal, rather than trying to manufacture interest from scratch.
When a Reel starts outperforming others, when a carousel gets unusually high saves, or when a piece of UGC sparks genuine conversation, that’s your audience telling you something. Paid doesn’t need to reinvent the message, it needs to extend its reach.
Retarget More Intentionally
Another area where we continue to see brands waste spend is over-indexing on cold reach while underutilising warm audiences.Retargeting isn’t new, but it’s more important than ever.
Website visitors, users who watched most of a video, people who’ve engaged but haven’t converted yet – these audiences already have context. They recognize your brand, they understand what you offer, and they require less convincing. That familiarity matters, especially as attention spans shorten and acquisition costs rise.
When retargeting is done well, conversion rates improve and cost per result drops. Not because the ads are more aggressive, but because the audience is already partway down the funnel.
Test, Refresh, Repeat
Creative fatigue is setting in faster than most brands are prepared for.What worked a month ago may already feel invisible. Algorithms prioritise novelty, but audiences do too. This means creative testing isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a requirement.
Running multiple creatives at once, testing different hooks, visuals, and formats, and refreshing ads with small but meaningful changes can significantly extend performance. A new opening frame, a different caption structure, or a refreshed CTA is often enough to give an ad a second life.
And while polished brand visuals still have their place, UGC-style creative continues to outperform across both engagement and return on ad spend. Not because it’s cheaper or trendier, but because it feels believable.
Let Organic Data Lead Paid Decisions
One of the most underutilised resources in paid strategy is organic insight. Instagram Insights, TikTok Analytics, and platform-native data reveal far more than surface-level engagement. Saves, shares, replies, and watch time are indicators of resonance, not vanity.
Before allocating budget, the better question to ask is not “what should we promote,” but “what is our audience already responding to.”
Which formats are holding attention. Which topics spark conversation. Which pieces of content people want to come back to. This is where paid performs best, because it’s built on proven interest rather than assumptions.