LinkedIn CPM runs 30% higher in Q2 than in Q1.
The same LinkedIn advertisers pay 30% more per thousand impressions in Q2 than in Q1, and 47% more per landing page click. March CPM runs 16% under the annual median.
By Phil Ilic · Published 19 Oct 2026 · From 100 LinkedIn Ads Statistics for 2026
Kiin Labs (2026). LinkedIn Ads seasonality: the same advertisers pay 30% more CPM in Q2 than in Q1 and 47% more per landing page click (153 accounts); CPM peaks in December (index 116) and troughs in January (97), 8 Sep 2025 to 7 Sep 2026. https://kiin.co/research/linkedin-ads-seasonality
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The calendar moves CPM more than anything you do to the ad.
What moves and what does not
CPM peaks in December at index 116 and troughs in January at 97 within account. Lead gen cost per lead sits between 98 and 103 all year, so turning lead gen off in December saves nothing per lead.
Days of the week
Sunday is the cheapest day for lead gen forms (cost per lead index 94) and lead rate is the same every day. Thought leader ads click through 9 to 10% better at weekends. There is no reason to pause weekends.
What to do
Front-load awareness and traffic budgets into Q1, especially March, and compare Q2 performance against Q2, not against the quarter before. Keep lead gen running through December.
Where the number comes from
100 LinkedIn Ads Statistics for 2026. LinkedIn Ads accounts connected to Kiin Intelligence via the LinkedIn Marketing API, 8 September 2025 to 7 September 2026, converted to USD, LinkedIn Audience Network excluded. Every figure is a median across advertiser accounts, and no cell with fewer than seven accounts is published.
Questions about this number.
When is LinkedIn advertising cheapest?
Q1, and March in particular, which runs 16% under the annual median CPM. Q2 CPM is 30% higher than Q1 for the same advertisers.
Is LinkedIn more expensive in December?
CPM peaks in December at index 116 within account, but lead gen cost per lead stays between 98 and 103 all year.
Should I pause LinkedIn ads at the weekend?
No. Sunday is the cheapest day for lead gen forms and lead rate is the same every day.
Should I turn off LinkedIn lead gen in December?
It saves nothing per lead: cost per lead sits between 98 and 103 all year.
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