Become A Master Of Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) in No Time

Anytime we think about running any online ads, Google ads instantly pop into our heads. It happens on autopilot, but here is one underlying gem that easily gets ignored: Microsoft Advertising.

Microsoft’s vast user base, advanced targeting options, and cost-effective pricing can attract more visitors to your website and let you explore more options to advertise your brand instead of just limiting it to Google.

In this guide, you will learn about Microsoft advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads) in detail. Throughout this guide, you will move in understanding the platform better, and get a handful of insights to run a successful ad campaign on Microsoft.

So, if you are in for this ride, let’s get into this! 🚀

Table of Contents

• Why use Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads)?
• Difference Between Bing Ads vs Google Ads
• How to Set up a Microsoft Advertising Campaign?
• Tips to Launch A Success Microsoft Advertising Campaign
• Answer To Frequently Asked Questions

Why use Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads)?

Microsoft’s search engine stands second, with a market share of 8.23% for its global desktop market search. The numbers might feel not very convincing, but the platform has 1.3 billion unique visitors looking for answers to their search queries.

Even if half of the visitors discover your brand, it is a win for you. Microsoft advertising can be great for starters and especially if you are a small-to-mid-size business owner.

Here are some benefits of using Microsoft Advertising:

• You can run targeted ads based on the location of your business
• Less competitive than Google Ads, making it easier to rank
• The CPC (cost-per-click) is comparatively lower
• Microsoft power Yahoo’s algorithm, so if you rank on Bing, the chances of ranking on Yahoo increases

Using Microsoft Advertising can help to expand your reach within your budget. But does it make Microsoft Ads better than Google Ads? Well, here is a detailed comparison to help you analyze better.

Difference Between Bing Ads vs Google Ads

Pointers	Microsoft Ads (Bing Ads)	Google Ads
Competition	The competition on Bing is low, making it easier to rank at the top.	Google Ads are highly competitive. Making it difficult to rank for a specific keyword.
Pricing	The CPC is cheaper, and you can easily grab the prime spot while running Bing Ads.	The CPC can be very high depending on the keyword you are targeting and its competition.
Granular control	Bing offers better granular control at the group level. You can adjust and make changes as you like.	Google Ads offers granular control, but they limit it to the campaign level.
Targeting options	This is one of the game-changer for Bing Ads. You can target highly relevant audiences using their LinkedIn profile. You can run ads based on their industry, company, and job role.	Google Ads doesn’t have any such advanced targeting option.
Ad distribution	While running your ads on Bing, you can easily display your ads on Yahoo, MSN, and AOL.	Google Ads also makes your ads available on their partner platforms like YouTube and more.

Here are some important points from the comparison chart:

• Ranking on Bing is comparatively easier than ranking on Google because of low competition.
• Bing offers advanced targeting options like LinkedIn profiles, helping you run very targeted ads, making it ideal for B2B marketers.
• The CPC is cheaper. If you are a newbie who doesn’t want to spend a lot of bucks, Bing Ads can be your go-to platform.

How to Set up a Microsoft Advertising Campaign?

Step 1: Create your Microsoft Ads account

Create your Microsoft Ads account, and fill in the required details like your email address, phone number, and other business details.

Step 2: Set an advertising goal

Select your advertising goal based on your campaign. Ensure your advertising goal aligns with your business goal. You can select your advertising goal from the following options:

• Increase AD engagement
• More phone calls
• Drive footfall
• Sell products online
• Increase online conversions

Step 3: Add keywords & select your Ad type 

Conduct proper keyword research and fill in the most relevant keywords based on their search volume and relevancy. Here you can also use Bing’s Webmaster tool for your keyword analysis. After picking your ideal keyword, enter it in the dashboard.

After entering your keyword, Microsoft will require you to select an Ad type. You get several options here:

• App Install Ads
• Expanded Text Ads
• Dynamic search ads
• Microsoft Advertising in Bing Smart Search
• Microsoft Audience Ads
• Multimedia Ads
• Product ads
• Responsive search ads
• Vertical ads

Pick the one ideal for you, and move ahead with creating your Bing Ads.

Step 4: Create your ADs

Now, you can start creating your Ads as per your liking. Carefully start filling in the needed information.

• A headline (30 characters)
• Ad description (90 characters)
• URL (67 characters)

Step 5: Set your budget 

Here you need to set your daily budget. Microsoft will help you understand the estimated traffic you can expect from a particular Ad campaign based on your bid.

Step 6: Set up payment mode and go live 

Set up your mode of payment available from the different options. You can either opt for Prepay option or the Postpay option. After you have successfully picked your option, make your ad live.

Microsoft Ads in Expert Mode

The expert mode unlocks various opportunities to run more successful campaigns than just using the normal mode. They help you discover more about your content and have more control over your ads. They are perfect for advanced marketers and advertisers who want to fine-tune their campaigns. You just need to follow these two steps to switch to the expert mode.

1. Head to the side menu, and select Upgrade to Expert mode.
2. Opt for the Switch to Expert mode prompt and it is done

 Measure The Success Of Your Campaign

After setting up your Microsoft advertisement (Bing Advertisement), you need to keep monitoring its performance to ensure it is helping you achieve your desired goal. Here are the 2 main pointers you need to keep in mind.

1. Track your conversion rate

Conversion rate is key in understanding if the traffic coming into your site is taking the action you want them to take. If the traffic coming in is high, but the conversion rate is low, it means something needs to change.

You can check the conversion rate of a particular campaign from the Report dashboard.

2. Use UET Tag 

Microsoft offers a UET tag that helps you understand what the visitors do after clicking on your ad. This can be very insightful for you to understand what exactly your customers are doing and the areas where you will need to optimize your process. Learn more about the UET tag here.

Tips to Launch A Success Microsoft Advertising Campaign

You need to monitor and optimize your campaign to perform well and achieve the desired goal. Here are some useful tips for launching a successful Microsoft Advertising campaign.

1. Conduct In-depth keyword research

If your keyword research is not up to the mark, then all your efforts can become futile. You need to check if you have targeted the right keyword with the right user intent. You can use Bing Webmaster to conduct your keyword research.

2. Create compelling Ad copies 

If your keyword research is solid, move to understand if you have created attractive ad copies. Your copies should sell a unique experience to your users instead of just stuffing it with keywords. Try to bring the best out of your writing efforts.

3. Take advantage of remarketing

Re-marketing can be a brilliant strategy to make the most out of your ads. You can target an audience who has already shown an interest in your product or service and create a spark again in their minds.

4. Leverage Ad extensions

Give additional information to the users by using Ad extensions. Extensions like site links, call extensions, and location extensions can improve the visibility and performance of Bing advertising.

5. Conduct an A/B test    

An A/B test is a great way to know what works for your brand and what doesn’t. It is good practice to try different options and know what is ideal for your brands. Try different ad types, copies, CTA copies, and more.

Conclusion

& With this, we have reached the end of our guide. Microsoft advertising (Bing ads) is a highly effective way to try and test new platforms to grow your business. As millions of users are actively engaging with Bing along with its different partner sites, you can explore an untapped market and leverage your digital marketing efforts.

It is over to you now. We have covered most of the theoretical points of a successful Bing Ads campaign. It’s time to put them into action. Start running your campaign, and skyrocket your presence.

If you enjoyed this guide, we encourage you to share it with your friends and family. Thanks for reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Microsoft Advertising?
Microsoft advertising is a pay-per-click platform that allows brands to advertise their product, service, or store on Bing and its partner networks (Yahoo and AOL).

2. How much does a Microsoft ad cost?
There is no direct answer to this. The cost of Microsoft ads depends on various factors like your campaign goal, target audience, competition, and the particular keyword you are targeting.

3. Is Microsoft Ads better than Google Ads?
Well, both of these platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages. While one might work perfectly based on the nature of business, the other can be more pocket-friendly.

4. Is Bing good for advertising?
Yes, definitely Bing is an excellent platform to advertise. The platform is growing day by day and coming up with quality features to drive great searches.