PPCChat | Microsoft Advertising | 19th November 2019

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This week’s PPCChat session was hosted by @NeptuneMoon and  @purnavirji who sought experts’ views on Microsoft Advertising platform, Ways where Microsoft Advertising performs really well for the clients, Product Audiences or LinkedIn Profile Targeting and more.

Q1: Are you currently using the Microsoft Advertising platform for your clients? If yes, roughly what percentage of clients? And if no, why not?

 

I am using Microsoft Advertising for about half of my clients. That is up from earlier this year when I had only 1 utilizing it! @NeptuneMoon

Yes, I am. I would say I use it for almost all of our clients. They’ve made it pretty easy to port over Google campaigns and the CPC is generally lower. I find it to be good incremental sales. @CJSlattery

Yes, for most of them. I do a lot of work with public sector, financial, and light b2b, so MA is where it’s at! @JuliaVyse

I have no clients strictly on the other platform anymore. It’s become a given for us I think that if you’re doing Search, we’ll be setting up both. @SEMFlem

In 2020 we’re aiming for roughly 100% of our clients on BING. We’ve seen amazing results when it comes to post-click data, longer time on page, better chance for goal completion, etc. Might be our industry though. @KyloRenvinski

Yes – for the clients that use Google Ads we have 80% of them also on Microsoft Advertising. In some cases, performing better. @amaliaefowler

Yes, we have roughly 75% of our clients on it. If we don’t it’s almost entirely a budget question, “let’s start on Google and then build by adding Bing.”  @PPCKirk

I try to always incorporate Microsoft Advertising for any paid search strategy. Its usually lower volume, but cheaper acquisition cost. @ValenciaSEM

None of my (small to small-medium spend) clients are using MS Ads. 2 main reasons 1) I am prioritizing Google (lobbying for more budget, always!) 2) Conv tracking setup is a struggle (always but more with Bing than with Googs), clients have limited resources @FindingAmanda

Of course. It’s always a quick win when other agencies/team/freelancers don’t set it up for a client. It’s usually ~10% of spend but in one client, it’s almost 50% because of in-market audiences are amazing for what they sell. @duanebrown

100% of our clients are on Bing and it’s just the cats PJs for us. SaaS, Tech and Ecom just works. @duanebrown

Yes. All clients, but not all products/brands for each client because of some historically low ROI and my not yet having the time to go in and figure out how to fix the inherited campaigns. @akaEmmaLouise

Yes. Probably about half of my clients. The others is mostly just a budget allocation question. @AskYisrael

 

Q2: What are some ways you’ve found that Microsoft Advertising performs really well for your clients? What industries are the clients in?

 

Any clients that skew older demographic as well as tourism, e-comm and B2B (a lot of desktop work users have Internet Explorer). I love it! @amaliaefowler

Service companies have had great results and healthcare. @NeptuneMoon

I find competitive services businesses to be great on MS Ads. The difference in CPC on these queries tends pretty significant and lots of older target customers for high value professional services. @CJSlattery

Generally, the biggest factor is lower CPCs (less competition) and/or improved conversion rates. Works particularly well for clients reaching older demographics. @akaEmmaLouise

My best success stories with Bing involve apparel ecomm. Lower nonbrand CPCs with good CVR makes ROAS for Bing nonbrand better than engine-who-shall-not-be-named nonbrand. @FindingAmanda

Shopping can be hit or miss still and low volume. However, search, in-market and RLSA campaigns work for our ecom, tech and SaaS clients. Our ecom clients sell 1. Winter coats 2. PJs 3. jumpers/shirts/bottoms/dresses, 4. toys 5. auto 6…. so much more @duanebrown

Anytime I have a target audience of an older demo, Microsoft Advertising is where they’re at. @ValenciaSEM

Microsoft Ads works really well for lead gen in B2B markets, lower volume of leads, but reduced cost per lead and often out performs spend levels. For instance, at one point 5% of my ad spend was on Bing, but I was getting 10% of my leads there. @digitallydan14

Targeting clinicians, MD’s in US & CAN; less B2C intent and more B2B for keywords that have simultaneous intent but where one audience’s conversion rate differs wildly. Theory is Bing is standard on hospital/clinic office computers. @timmhalloran

 

Q3: What are some ways you’ve found that Microsoft Advertising does not perform well for your clients? What industries are the clients in?

 

The only one I can remember not working very well was a wine club, which is interesting because it skews older demographic, which most have been saying works better. @SEMFlem

Any company that skews younger or is particularly niche. There just isn’t the same volume, so niche terms don’t do as well @amaliaefowler

From a team consensus here, it seems like the buying cycle tends to skew longer on Microsoft Ads. Which is fine and all, just have to keep it in mind. B2B2C Retail. @KyloRenvinski

Biggest issue I run into is low volume. I wouldn’t say I’ve found a particular industry where it “didn’t work” but there are situations where it isn’t working on the direct import and due to low volume isn’t worth the optimization time necessary to improve it.  @CJSlattery

Restaurant clients did not do as well. @NeptuneMoon

I’ve seen Bing/MS Ads become a lot looser with keyword variants (compared to Google). Even with modified broad I’ve had to pause keywords or spend way too long reviewing and excluding queries that are not at all relevant to the targeted terms. @akaEmmaLouise

Couple of tips to increase volume and/or conversions: 1. Product Audiences for Shopping Campaigns (essentially dynamic product remarketing) does wonders for boosting CVRs. 2. Expand In-Market Audience lists– great way to increase volume and discover new segments. @purnavirji

Once has a B2B SaaS client who could only make brand work on Bing. So we just let that run and continue building up other channels. It was an odd client. @duanebrown

I do find that MS Ads can be more volatile in performance than Google (likely due to lower volume in general). Can swing rapidly from one month with great performance and tank the next month. @timothyjjensen

I’ve found some educational and unique fintech clients not perform well in Microsoft Advertising. @ValenciaSEM

 

Q4: Are any of you currently using or plan to start using the Product Audiences or LinkedIn Profile Targeting? For what types of clients are you/will you utilize these?

 

We are using LinkedIn Profile Targeting on almost all of our B2B MS Ads campaigns. Great feature and hope more targeting options roll out soon! Our clients love this. @Mel66

Yes! Layering on LI audiences for multiple clients. Seeing work particularly well for a cybersecurity client (bidding up wherever there’s a good CPA!) @timothyjjensen

LI yes (finally!) 18 months after it rolled out to Canada someone finally made it available in my accounts. Product Audiences sound cool, but who knows? @JuliaVyse

LI targeting has been a cool addition for most B2B, as well as specialized recruitment + even some high-end consumer products (i.e. targeting high-earning job titles with high-end products). @SamRuchlewicz

I’m Canadian. We don’t have all the functionality. @amaliaefowler

LinkedIn Profile Targeting is awesome. I wrote about it on our blog. Also shared a stage with Microsoft at SMX East last week to talk about our experience using it. @duanebrown

I’ve been using LinkedIn Profile Targeting for B2B, but have seen some issue with reporting. @ValenciaSEM

Yes, already have a strategy doc prepared once Profile Targeting is made available to one of my client accounts. Can’t wait to play with it. Product Audiences? Absolutely. Don’t know as much about them though.@timmhalloran

 

Q5: Is there anything Microsoft Advertising could do to help you be able to utilize it for more clients?

 

I’d love a rep! @amaliaefowler

More LinkedIn parameters – but I know they’re coming! @timothyjjensen

Easier integration with reporting tools like DS, and have more on-hand support. I believe in MA, but it’s a whole additional channel to manage. Make my life simpler. @JuliaVyse

A display or content network and audience profiling @AskYisrael

More LI features (know they’re in the works), better integrations with reporting tools would be nice, more audience options could be cool. @SamRuchlewicz

Two-way data sharing & targeting between LinkedIn & Bing. Profile Targeting is going to be awesome, once it’s avail. but even more data from LI. If possible, search term intent to power interest or purchase behavior audiences in LI. @timmhalloran

Even a universal pixel that works on Bing, LinkedIn, & MSFT properties simultaneously. Dynamic Standard Events that share with all properties. Combine that beautiful SEM & paid social data. Is this legal? No idea. Just spitballing. @timmhalloran

 

Q6: Is there any plan to integrate LI ads into Microsoft ads editor? @AskYisrael

 

Hi Yiz, I don’t have a time frame for that as yet. I will certainly tweet it out as soon as it’s available, and I’m sure @MSFTAdvertising will share news too. @purnavirji

So that’s a yes but unknown timeline? Sweet @AskYisrael

 

Q7: What is the best way to stay up to date with everything that is happening/rolling out with Microsoft Advertising? We don’t all have reps… @NeptuneMoon

 

Great Q Julie! I personally love our blog: about.ads.microsoft.com/en-us/blog – and we offer monthly webinars as well that go more in-depth (see here: about.ads.microsoft.com/en-us/resource…)  @purnavirji

 

Q8: When do we get more LI audience features? Also, any plans to augment brand safety and provide us with more control and/or tools? @SamRuchlewicz

 

Hi Sam, more LI audience features are in the works, but we don’t have a set date for their release yet. @purnavirji

 

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