If you’ve been thinking about expanding your online advertising game, here’s some food for thought: Bing Ads might be the secret sauce you’ve been missing in your marketing strategy.
Sure, Google Ads seems to steal the spotlight, but Bing Ads, now rebranded as Microsoft Advertising or Microsoft Ads, has a few unique tricks up its sleeve that could make it a powerhouse for your campaigns.
Before you dismiss it as "that other search engine," bear with us. There’s more to Bing and its advertising platform than you might think, especially if you want to reach a different audience and optimize your ad spend.
In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Bing Ads.
What Are Bing Ads?
Did you know that Bing powers nearly 12% of global desktop search engine market share? That might sound small compared to Google’s reign, but consider this: Bing’s audience is often older, financially secure, and less saturated with ads. Translation? A higher return on your ad spend.
Bing also partners with heavy hitters like Yahoo and AOL, driving ad visibility through its syndicated network. That means your ads don’t just pop up on Bing but also on its extended network, reaching a broader pool of potential customers.
Bing Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform, much like Google Ads but with a few noticeable differences (and perks). It exists under the Microsoft Advertising umbrella, giving you access to Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Outlook, MSN, and even LinkedIn.
Imagine pairing your ad campaign with LinkedIn’s powerful job title and industry targeting options. Sounds pretty incredible, right?
Some other standout Bing Ads features include:
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LinkedIn profile targeting so your ads reach professionals based on their role or industry.
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Device-level adjustments, letting you fine-tune performance across desktop, mobile, and tablet users.
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A super user-friendly way to migrate your Google Ads campaigns into Bing Ads with just a couple of clicks.
And yes, you still get familiar features like ad groups, ad extensions, negative keywords, and conversion tracking—just with less competition.
Benefits of Bing Ads for Businesses
If you’re raising an eyebrow and asking, "Why Bing?", here are a few clutch points to clear things up. As a whole, they’re all about standing out where there’s less noise and getting more for less.
1. Lower Competition = Lower CPCs
Everyone and their dog is on Google Ads. Bing Ads? Not so much. This lack of advertiser saturation means lower cost-per-click (CPC) rates, which can help stretch your ad spend.
Essentially, you’re getting better bang for your buck by targeting a crowd that other marketers might be ignoring.
2. Reach a Unique Audience
Bing’s audience isn’t just your average internet browser crowd. The demographic skews older, with many users enjoying higher disposable incomes. Plus, around 30% of Bing users are based in the United States—perfect if you’re targeting a US-based market.
Another fun fact? Around 66 million Americans don’t use Google and rely on Bing instead. You’ve got an audience here that you won’t find elsewhere.
3. Seamless Microsoft Integration
The synergy within the Microsoft ecosystem is next-level. Your Bing Ads campaign seamlessly ties into platforms like MSN, Outlook, LinkedIn, and Amazon. Beyond that, Bing’s keyword planner and integration with Excel make campaign performance tracking a breeze.
4. High Ad Visibility
Your ads aren’t just confined to Bing’s search engine. Thanks to Bing’s syndicated search partners like Yahoo, AOL, and others within the Microsoft Audience Network, your reach is amplified without any extra effort.
Types of Bing Ads Campaigns
Bing Ads provides impressive targeting options to help you reach your target audience, no matter what type of business you run. Here are the top campaign types you can experiment with:
1. Search Ads
These ads focus on paid search listings and look very similar to Google's text ads. They appear on search results pages across the Bing search engine, Yahoo, and AOL networks. With relatively less competition, these can yield higher click-through rates (CTR) and lower cost-per-click (CPC).
2. Audience Ads
Want to expand beyond search results? Audience ads are native placements shown across Microsoft's audience network, which includes MSN, Outlook, LinkedIn, and more. They’re perfect for reaching potential customers wherever they consume content.
Think of these as Bing’s version of display ads. Bonus points if you’ve got visually engaging creative assets!
3. Dynamic Search Ads
If your website has substantial content (e.g., for ecommerce platforms), dynamic search ads can save you loads of time.
Bing pulls data from your site to dynamically generate ad copy and matches it to relevant search queries. That means no more manually hunting for specific keywords—Bing does the heavy lifting for you.
Setting Up Your First Bing Ads Campaign
Launching your first Bing Ads campaign? It’s not as complicated as it might seem. Here are some step-by-step tips:
Step 1: Sign Up for a Microsoft Advertising Account
No rocket science here. Head over to the Microsoft Advertising website and create an ads account. It’s quick, easy, and surprisingly user-friendly.
Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research
Bing’s audience often searches differently than Google users. Use Microsoft’s Keyword Planner to identify specific keywords with decent search volume. As a pro tip, try to focus on long-tail keywords that might work better on Bing due to its less competitive environment.
Step 3: Write Effective Ad Copy
When writing ad copy for Bing, consider that its user base tends to skew slightly older and more affluent. Highlight benefits instead of features and use strong CTAs (calls-to-action) to encourage clicks.
Step 4: Configure Audience Targeting
Bing Ads allows amazing options for demographic, geographic, and device targeting. Want to show your ads only to moms in Florida searching from a tablet? Done.
Want to limit visibility to specific Bing search users during weekdays? Easy. This granular control makes Bing Ads a great choice for niche campaigns.
Step 5: Launch, Track, and Refine
Once your campaign is live, closely monitor campaign performance using Bing’s analytics tools. Keep an eye on critical metrics like CTR, conversion rates, and ad placements.
Want to take it up a notch? Perform A/B testing with different ad formats and tweak your bidding strategies to maximize ROI.
Bing Ads vs. Google Ads
Yes, Google owns the lion's share of the search network market. But don’t dismiss Bing too quickly—its audience includes over 1 billion monthly unique users spanning Bing, Yahoo, and AOL. Bing’s audience network captures a slightly older demographic compared to Google, with strong purchasing power.
Oh, and did we mention less competition? That often means lower cost-per-click (CPC) and a better return on investment (ROI) for your ad campaigns.
Bing Ads also go beyond basic search ads. Their targeting options include specific demographics like age, income, and even device preference.
And while Google flexes AI-driven automation, Bing focuses on tailoring your ads using manual bidding strategies and negative keywords, optimizing your campaign performance in ways that feel a bit more hands-on.
If you’re on a smaller budget, Bing Ads may offer a higher ROI. Bing’s ads platform has a reputation for its user-friendly interface and lower ad spend. If you’ve got a limited budget, Bing might be your secret weapon—click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates tend to be solid, even with fewer impressions compared to Google Ads campaigns.
Plus, fewer advertisers means better ad placements, making Bing Search the perfect playground for PPC advertising.
One extra tip here: Start with keyword research using Bing’s Keyword Planner to uncover hidden opportunities (especially for eCommerce brands). Incorporate ad formats like text ads, audience ads, or even video ads that'll resonate with your searchers.
And don’t forget a tactics staple—A/B testing your ad copy to refine results.
Best Practices for Successful Bing Ads Campaigns
Now that you know the benefits of taking your ads to Bing, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your campaign.
1. Optimize Your Ad Copy for Bing Users
Bing users tend to differ slightly from Google users. They’re often on desktop rather than mobile, skew slightly older, and value detailed, straightforward content. Your ad copy should reflect this with clear, actionable text that speaks to the needs of this demographic.
2. Leverage Bing-Exclusive Extensions
Bing Ads goes above and beyond with unique ad extensions like Action Extensions (encouraging direct action with phrases like "Sign Up Now") and Structured Snippets (to highlight specific features or services).
These extras help improve your ads' overall click-through rates (CTR) and make them stand out on the search results page.
3. Use LinkedIn-Based Audience Targeting
Here’s a feature that might make your inner marketer cheer—Microsoft Advertising integrates LinkedIn targeting options. You can target audiences based on their company, job function, or industry. This capability is a game-changer for B2B marketing and adds a layer of precision that’s hard to beat.
4. Monitor Metrics and Adjust Bids Strategically
Pay attention to campaign performance metrics like CTR, conversion rates, and cost-per-click (CPC). Adjust your bidding strategies based on what works.
It’s worth noting that Bing’s interface has its own keyword planner and analytics to help you fine-tune your campaigns. Combine this with some good ‘ol A/B testing for different ad groups to optimize your results.
What Does the Future of Bing Ads Look Like?
Bing Ads (or Microsoft Advertising) continues to evolve as a competitive player in search engine marketing. Its integration with high-traffic Microsoft products like Outlook, LinkedIn, and Amazon opens even more doors for innovative targeting options.
Predictions for the next few years suggest a rise in Bing ads campaigns among marketers looking for a balance between optimized ad spend and high return on investment (ROI). Expect more features catered to eCommerce, improved conversion tracking, and expanded options for video ads or advanced display ads.
If you’re still on the fence, consider this your nudge—Bing Ads offers untapped potential for businesses wanting to diversify their online advertising. With lower pricing, unique demographic targeting, and creative ad formats, it's worth experimenting to see how it fits into your broader marketing strategy.
Looking for more insights or need help launching your first Bing ads campaign? Reach out to Kinetic319, your go-to digital marketing agency to help you refine your marketing strategy and ad campaigns.
Don’t put all your eggs in the Google basket—give Bing a try and unlock new opportunities for growth! Get started with Kinetic319 today.