02/19/2026
Meta just reported $200B in annual revenue. Up 22% year over year.
Their CFO said on an earnings call that she expects rising ad prices to continue into 2026.
They're not even pretending it's temporary.
Here's what that means for you if you're running an ecom brand:
CPMs have nearly doubled in two years. Apple gutted the targeting data that used to make Facebook ads feel like a cheat code.
And more brands are piling onto the platform every single quarter - more competition, same inventory.
The platform is structurally more expensive.
Your targeting is weaker.
And there are more brands bidding against you than ever.
The margin for "fine" messaging is gone.
"Fine" used to work when CPMs were five bucks.
At twenty bucks?
It bleeds you dry.
The only lever you actually control anymore is your message.
