As an advertiser in the online search space, I often get asked by clients “How can we get more?”. More reach, more enquiries and as a result, more return on investment. A great alternate avenue that solves this question, is Bing Ads.
When people hear about Bing Ads, a common misconception is that there’s no point being on the platform because Google is number one. While Google still dominates in Australia’s online search market share, Bing isn’t a platform to be easily overlooked.
There are a number of huge benefits to being on Bing, and here are just a few reasons why.
1. Bing Is The Default Search On Products Your Clients Are Already Using
There are many products out there that your clients are using which have Bing as their default and inbuilt search engine. These products include:
- Windows 8 Phone
- Xbox Live (48 Million Subscribers, 60 Million Console Sales)
- Apple iPhone’s Siri is powered by Bing
- Kindle (E-Book)
- Windows 7 & 8
- Microsoft Office (1 Billion Users)
- Skype 300 million monthly connected users
These are only the main products that utilise Bing. There are also many users who search online using Bing due to personal preference. These numbers are already a great indication of how beneficial Bing ads could be for your business.
2. Increase Your Overall Online Reach
Even though Bing Ads hold a small market share of online search in comparison to Google, there is still a market there waiting to see what you have to offer.
Google holds around 90% of online search market. However, much like you would want to diversify your business’ income streams, you should also diversify your online marketing streams to reach new audiences. Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket.
Studies have actually shown that Bing users are generally more educated, and have higher incomes, therefore making it a pretty valuable platform for your business to be advertising on. People on Bing want to spend money, let them spend it on you.
3. It’s More Cost Effective Than AdWords
For a fair few industries, Google has become an expensive platform to advertise on, especially for small businesses and start-ups who can’t cater for some of the ridiculous CPC’s that Google sets.
Across the board, Bing’s CPC’s are less than half of that of Googles.
Let’s take the insurance industry as an example. CPC’s for this industry were on average 59.2% lower on Bing than on Google.
With many industries advertising on Google Adwords becoming more and more saturated and competitive, Bing provides a good solution to get some return on your advertising dollar.
4. Bing Users Spend More
When it comes to audience, it’s not just about how many people you can reach, but it’s also who they are. Below is a graph of online purchase activity between the average internet user, the Google network and the Yahoo Bing Network.
On average, users on the Yahoo Bing network spend 103% more online than the average internet searcher, and 24% more than Google searchers.
The quality of users on the Yahoo Bing network shows an exciting and promising future for advertisers.
5. Excellent Support
Bing is continuing to improve its services. With the constant changes & updates that affect the platform, it’s important to have a good support team to help you out.
I find it really frustrating when I have to wait for replies from support teams. Even though most support teams respond in a timely manner, sometimes you really need answers straight away.
Luckily, Bing offers 24/7 chat support which is exclusive to the platform. The support team will even extend to help you set up new accounts and implement changes for you for free. Now if that isn’t service, I don’t know what is.
In today’s market, customer service & support is key to customer loyalty. I notice this in my own buying habits as well. If I notice superior customer service & support, I tend to be more loyal to that particular company and usually don’t hesitate to repurchase. It’s just more comforting to make a purchase from a company that you know will help you out if you run into any problems.
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Whether your intentions are to capture a different market, or simply to try a different avenue of search marketing, Bing ads are definitely one of your best options.
With a constantly growing ecosystem & market share, you are bound to see results at a better price. It’s a great cost effective addition you should make to your marketing efforts.
