What do you think of when you hear search engine advertising? In all likelihood, the answer will be "AdWords," because Google not only dominates the international market for search engine advertising (SEA), but also holds a market share of 90 percent in Germany.Nevertheless, companies can reach almost every tenth user in Germany with Bing Ads, and especially in the B2B sector - because many large and medium-sized companies use Microsoft products.
However, there are differences to Google AdWords that search marketers need to be aware of if they want to exploit Bing's potential. We therefore explain why and how companies can use Bing Ads to effectively reach their B2B target group as part of a multichannel strategy.
Reason 1: Reach the B2B target group with Bing Ads
For companies operating in the B2B sector, it is worth including Bing Ads in their advertising strategy, because 96 percent of companies use Microsoft as their operating system (according to Bing PowerPoint). As a Microsoft product, Bing is set as the default search engine in the browser on many devices and is even accessed directly from the search function in Windows 10. A large proportion of employees therefore frequently use Bing when searching the web - without realizing it. Advertisers who place ads via Bing Ads benefit from this default setting, as B2B users in particular are targeted at the workplace. In addition, Microsoft acquired the largest professional network for business contacts, LinkedIn, in 2016 and can therefore draw on behavioral and preference-based data from users in addition to an expanded advertising network. This provides Bing Ads with a decisive advantage over Google AdWords, which is increasingly specialized in the user behavior of B2C target groups.
Reason 2: Good value for money for Bing Ads
Due to the lower competition, ads played out via the "small" search engine Bing are cheaper and can achieve more reach as well as more conversions than with the giant Google. The different structure of Bing Ads enables favorable CPCs especially for short-tail keywords. In order to reach the entire target group in the B2B sector, Bing Ads is therefore a cost-effective extension of the advertising strategy. In addition, Bing Ads has ad formats that are not available in Google AdWords: For example, ads can be expanded with up to six images as well as the respective link and text, which enables a differentiated approach to the target audience. In the Bing search results, by the way, the ads are not only displayed in the first results - as with Google - but also in the sidebar: This provides more advertising space. Overall, Bing Ads offer better value for money and often enable more favorable campaigns than AdWords. Advertisers should not ignore the ten percent of German users who use Bing and increasingly belong to the B2B target group and address them with cost-effective advertising campaigns as part of a multichannel strategy.
Reason 3: Easy integration of existing SEA measures for multichannel strategy
At first glance, there are no major differences between the functionalities of Google AdWords and Bing Ads: app install ads, targeting tools, remarketing and shopping campaigns can be used on both platforms. In addition, services can be advertised with Bing Shopping Ads, which is not possible under Google's strict guidelines. As described in paragraph two, Bing Ads scores with ad extensions and display space in the sidebar - Bing Ads is an important addition to any advertiser's repertoire. Since campaigns and local listings can be imported directly from Google AdWords into Bing Ads, it also doesn't take much effort to use both tools. Many complementary tools for optimizing SEA campaigns, such as Adspert, also work with Google AdWords and Bing. If you want to implement a comprehensive strategy and target all potential customers - especially from the B2B sector - there is no way around Bing Ads. Fortunately, thanks to import functions, this can be done particularly effortlessly and quickly.
Info: What is behind the Bing Ads certifications?
With Bing Ads, too, search engine marketers can take exams and thus obtain certificates. Our SEA specialist Patrick Hocke has completed the Bing Ads Accredited Professional certification and is very familiar with the tools of the advertising platform. Certified advertisers gain in-depth knowledge of the Bing Ads products and tools:- Using the Bing Ads Intelligence Tool and the Bing Ads Editor.
- Organize, optimize, and budget manage ad campaigns
- Bidding strategies and keyword usage
By the way, agencies can get certified - in Germany there are just about 80 agencies so far - and Blackbit is one of them!
To successfully reach new customers with a multichannel campaign in the B2B sector, advertisers should include Bing Ads and Bing Shopping in their advertising strategy. The smaller number of competitors and special focus on enterprise customers allows for particularly effective SEA campaigns. A number of useful tools, such as the ad extension and import function, make Bing Ads an indispensable part of effective online marketing - without much headache. The best business results for B2B companies can be achieved from a combination of Bing Ads and Google AdWords.
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