What Is Bing Ads And How Can It Benefit Your Business?
Bing Ads is a digital marketing platform that allows you to reach millions of potential customers across the Microsoft Search Network and other platforms.
Bing Ads offers various solutions for different advertising goals, such as search, display, native, video, connected TV, and retail media. We will explain what Bing Ads is, how it works, and why you should use it for your business.
What is Bing Ads?
Bing Ads is the advertising platform of Microsoft, which operates the Bing search engine, the Edge browser, and other products and services.
Bing Ads enables you to create and manage online advertising campaigns that target users who are searching for your products or services on Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and other search engines within Microsoft’s extensive network and key partnerships.
Bing Ads also allows you to expand your reach beyond search and connect with users on other platforms, such as:
Display and Native: You can show your ads on select MSN sites, Outlook.com, Skype, and other Microsoft properties, as well as on premium publishers in the Microsoft Audience Network.
Video: You can create and run video ads on Microsoft Stream, MSN, and other video platforms within the Microsoft Audience Network.
Connected TV: You can reach the Netflix audience with a seamless, high-resolution ads experience in a connected TV environment with Microsoft’s new technology, as Microsoft is the exclusive partner for Netflix’s first ad-supported plan.
Retail Media: You can promote your products on Microsoft Shopping, which aggregates millions of products from thousands of retailers, and on other e-commerce platforms within the Microsoft Retail Media Network.
How Does Bing Ads Work?
To use Bing Ads, you need to create an account and set up your campaigns. You can sign up for free, import your Google Ads campaigns, and get a free consultation from experts.
You can also use Microsoft Advertising Editor, a powerful desktop tool, to manage your accounts and campaigns in bulk.
Bing Ads works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. You can set your own budget and bids, and optimize your campaigns using various tools and features, such as:
Keywords: You can choose the words or phrases that trigger your ads to appear on the search results pages. You can also use keyword research tools, such as Keyword Planner, to find new keywords and get insights on search volume, competition, and cost per click (CPC).
Ad Formats: You can create different types of ads, such as text, image, video, or product ads, depending on your advertising goals and the platforms you want to target.
You can also use ad extensions, such as sitelinks, callouts, or location extensions, to enhance your ads with additional information and increase your click-through rate (CTR).
Targeting: You can target your ads to specific audiences based on their location, language, device, time of day, interests, demographics, and more. You can also use remarketing lists, which allow you to show your ads to people who have previously visited your website or app.
Reporting and Analytics: You can track and measure the performance of your campaigns using various metrics, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, cost, and return on ad spend (ROAS).
You can also use Microsoft Advertising Intelligence, a free Excel add-in, to access historical and forecast data, and generate reports and insights.
What are the Benefits of Using Bing Ads?
Bing Ads is a digital marketing platform that allows you to reach millions of potential customers across the Microsoft Search Network and other platforms. Bing Ads offers various solutions for different advertising goals, such as search, display, native, video, connected TV, and retail media.
But what are the benefits of using Bing Ads for your business? Here are some of the benefits of using Bing Ads:
Reach a large and engaged audience
Bing Ads can help you reach billions of people online with Bing and Edge. You can also tap into new audience reach with Microsoft’s exclusive partnerships, such as Netflix, Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo, and beyond on the open web.
Leverage a brand-safe and trusted environment
Bing Ads can help you connect with potential customers across Microsoft’s trusted and brand-safe environment, which offers high-quality traffic, low fraud rates, and strict privacy policies. You can also extend your reach further with premium publishers in the global marketplace.
Create captivating and effective campaigns
Bing Ads can help you capture your audience’s attention with richer and more personalized experiences. You can use Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab, a free, on-demand training platform, to learn about Microsoft Advertising, tools, and best practices.
Save time and money
Bing Ads can help you save time and money by offering lower costs and higher returns than other platforms. Bing Ads has lower competition and higher conversion rates than Google Ads, which means you can get more clicks and sales for less money.
Bing Ads also offers various features and tools, such as import from Google Ads, smart bidding, and automated rules, that can help you simplify and optimize your campaign management.
Target your ideal customers
Bing Ads offers various targeting options that can help you reach your ideal customers based on their location, language, device, time of day, interests, demographics, and more.
You can also use remarketing lists, which allow you to show your ads to people who have previously visited your website or app.
You can also leverage the power of LinkedIn, as Bing Ads is the only platform that allows you to target users based on their LinkedIn profile data, such as industry, company, and job function.
These are some of the benefits of using Bing Ads for your business. By using Bing Ads, you can reach and engage your target customers across the Microsoft Search Network and other platforms, and grow your business and achieve your marketing objectives.
Best Practices for using Bing Ads
Bing Ads is a great way to reach a large and engaged audience across the Microsoft Search Network and other platforms.
However, to get the most out of your Bing Ads campaigns, you need to follow some best practices that can help you optimize your performance and achieve your goals.
Here are some of the best practices for using Bing Ads:
Import your Google Ads campaigns
If you already have Google Ads campaigns running, you can easily import them to Bing Ads using the Import from Google Ads feature. This can save you time and effort, as well as ensure consistency and accuracy across both platforms.
You can also use the Google Import tool to sync your campaigns automatically and keep them updated.
Create custom campaigns
While importing your Google Ads campaigns can be a good starting point, you should also create custom campaigns that are tailored to the Bing Ads platform and audience.
You can use the Bing Ads Editor, a free desktop tool, to create and manage your campaigns in bulk. You can also use the Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab, a free, on-demand training platform, to learn about the features and benefits of Bing Ads.
Group your products
If you are using Bing Ads to promote your products, you should group them into relevant categories and subcategories using the Bing Merchant Center. This can help you organize your product feed, improve your ad relevance, and increase your visibility.
You can also use product groups to set your bids and target your ads more effectively.
Use specific terms for your products
When you create your product titles and descriptions, you should use specific and descriptive terms that match the user’s search intent.
You should also include relevant attributes, such as brand, color, size, and model, to help your products stand out and attract clicks. You can use the Keyword Planner tool to find the best keywords for your products.
Target your ideal customers
Bing Ads offers various targeting options that can help you reach your ideal customers based on their location, language, device, time of day, interests, demographics, and more.
You can also use remarketing lists, which allow you to show your ads to people who have previously visited your website or app. You can also leverage the power of LinkedIn, as Bing Ads is the only platform that allows you to target users based on their LinkedIn profile data, such as industry, company, and job function.
Track your performance
Bing Ads provides various metrics and reports that can help you track and measure the performance of your campaigns, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, cost, and return on ad spend (ROAS).
You can also use Microsoft Advertising Intelligence, a free Excel add-in, to access historical and forecast data, and generate reports and insights.
You should also set up and test your conversion tracking, which allows you to track the actions that users take after clicking on your ads, such as purchases, sign-ups, downloads, and more.
Use automated smart bidding strategies
Bing Ads offers various smart bidding strategies that can help you optimize your bids and maximize your results. Smart bidding uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to adjust your bids in real time based on various signals and factors, such as device, location, time of day, and more.
Some of the smart bidding strategies that you can use are Enhanced CPC, Maximize Clicks, Maximize Conversions, and Target return on ad spend (ROAS).
By following these best practices, you can create captivating and effective campaigns that can help you grow your business and achieve your marketing objectives with Bing Ads.
What are Some Common Mistakes To Avoid in Bing Ads?
Bing Ads can be a powerful and cost-effective way to reach a large and engaged audience across the Microsoft Search Network and other platforms.
However, to get the most out of your Bing Ads campaigns, you need to avoid some common mistakes that can hurt your performance and waste your budget.
Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid in Bing Ads:
Not doing SEO in conjunction with SEM
Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are complementary strategies that can boost your online visibility and traffic. SEO can help you rank higher organically on Bing and other search engines, while SEM can help you bid on relevant keywords and display your ads to targeted users.
By doing both search engine optimization and search engine marketing, you can increase your chances of reaching your potential customers and driving conversions.
Failing to control your spend
Bing Ads works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. However, this also means that you need to set a realistic and manageable budget for your campaigns, and monitor your spend regularly.
You can use various tools and features, such as daily or monthly budget limits, bid modifiers, and automated rules, to control your spend and optimize your return on ad spend (ROAS).
Not using negative keywords
Negative keywords are words or phrases that you do not want your ads to show up for. For example, if you are selling shoes, you might want to add “free” or “repair” as negative keywords, so that your ads do not appear for searches like “free shoes” or “shoe repair”.
By using negative keywords, you can filter out irrelevant or low-quality traffic, and improve your click-through rate (CTR), quality score, and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Poking the bear in competitor bidding
Competitor bidding is a strategy where you bid on your competitors’ brand names or trademarks, hoping to divert some of their traffic to your own website. While this can be a legitimate and effective tactic in some cases, it can also backfire if you are not careful.
You might end up paying a lot for clicks that do not convert, or worse, get into legal trouble for trademark infringement. You also risk provoking your competitors to retaliate and bid on your own brand name, which can escalate the bidding war and drive up the costs for both parties.
Geo-targeting all the wrong places
Geo-targeting is a feature that allows you to show your ads to users based on their location, such as country, state, city, or zip code. This can help you reach your local or regional customers, and tailor your ads to their needs and preferences.
However, geo-targeting can also hurt your performance if you target the wrong places, or neglect to exclude the irrelevant ones. You might end up wasting your budget on users who are not interested in your products or services, or who are outside your delivery or service area.
Improper placement targeting and optimization in YouTube/GDN
Bing Ads also allows you to display your ads on YouTube and the Google Display Network (GDN), which are platforms that reach millions of users across various websites, apps, and videos.
However, to succeed in these platforms, you need to use proper placement targeting and optimization techniques, such as choosing the right ad formats, selecting the relevant topics, keywords, and audiences, and excluding the low-performing or inappropriate placements.
You also need to track and measure your performance using various metrics, such as view rate, watch time, and conversions.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create captivating and effective campaigns that can help you grow your business and achieve your marketing objectives with Bing Ads.
Some Alternatives to Bing Ads
Bing Ads is a popular and effective digital marketing platform that can help you reach millions of potential customers across the Microsoft Search Network and other platforms. However, Bing Ads is not the only option available for online advertising.
Depending on your goals, budget, and audience, you might want to consider some alternatives to Bing Ads that can offer different features, benefits, and challenges.
Here are some of the alternatives to Bing Ads that you can explore:
Google Ads
Google Ads is the most widely used and dominant online advertising platform in the world. Google Ads allows you to create and run ads on Google’s search engine, as well as on YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, and other Google properties and partner sites.
Google Ads offers various solutions for different advertising goals, such as search, display, video, shopping, and app. Google Ads works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
Google Ads has a larger and more diverse audience than Bing Ads, as well as more advanced tools and features, such as smart bidding, responsive ads, and Google Analytics integration.
However, Google Ads is also more competitive and expensive than Bing Ads, and requires more time and effort to optimize and manage your campaigns.
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads is the advertising platform of Facebook, the largest and most popular social media network in the world. Facebook Ads allows you to create and run ads on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and other Facebook-owned platforms and partner sites.
Facebook Ads offers various solutions for different advertising goals, such as awareness, consideration, and conversion. Facebook Ads works on a cost per impression (CPM) or cost per action (CPA) model, which means you pay based on how many people see or interact with your ad.
Facebook Ads has a massive and engaged audience than Bing Ads, as well as more granular and precise targeting options, such as interests, behaviors, and custom audiences.
However, Facebook Ads is also more complex and dynamic than Bing Ads, and requires more creativity and testing to create effective and relevant ads.
LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn Ads is the advertising platform of LinkedIn, the largest and most professional social media network in the world. LinkedIn Ads allows you to create and run ads on LinkedIn, as well as on other professional platforms and partner sites.
LinkedIn Ads offers various solutions for different advertising goals, such as brand awareness, lead generation, and website conversions. LinkedIn Ads works on a cost per click (CPC) or cost per impression (CPM) model, which means you pay based on how many people click or see your ad.
LinkedIn Ads has a more niche and qualified audience than Bing Ads, as well as more exclusive and powerful targeting options, such as industry, company, and job function. However, LinkedIn Ads is also more expensive and restrictive than Bing Ads, and requires more strategy and alignment to create compelling and credible ads.
These are some of the alternatives to Bing Ads that you can consider for your online advertising needs. Each of these platforms has its own strengths, weaknesses, and best practices that you need to understand and follow to achieve your marketing objectives.
You can also use a combination of these platforms to diversify and optimize your online advertising strategy.
Conclusion
Bing Ads is a powerful and versatile digital marketing platform that can help you reach and engage your target customers across the Microsoft Search Network and other platforms. Bing Ads offers various solutions for different advertising goals, such as search, display, native, video, connected TV, and retail media.
Bing Ads works on a pay per click (PPC) model, which allows you to set your own budget and bids, and optimize your campaigns using various tools and features.
Bing Ads can help you grow your business and achieve your marketing objectives, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, driving sales, or retaining customers.
