How to Create Display Ads for Bing (Microsoft Ads): Full Guide

Bing display ads are visual ads displayed on sites and apps across the Microsoft Display Network. Here’s how to get the most out of this ad type.

When you think of online ads, Google and Meta are likely the first advertising platforms to come to mind.

However, there are also many benefits to leveraging Bing display ads (now officially called Microsoft Advertising) to reach your target audience.

Despite some sources reporting their market share as low as 10.53% in January of 2024, once you add up the network’s combined reach, it becomes clear that Microsoft Advertising is woefully underrated.

Let’s dive into what Bing display ads are, the benefits of using them, and how you can set up your own display ad campaigns with special insights from Max Willner, SEM manager at HawkSEM.

Display ads familiarize people with your brand. (Image: Unsplash)

What are Bing display ads?

Bing display ads are a type of ad that show up on various websites and apps on the Microsoft Audience Network (MSAN). These ads have a multimedia element—like a banner graphic or video—and appear near the top, bottom, or side of the page.

In 2019, Microsoft changed the name from Bing Ads to Microsoft Advertising. This highlights the brand’s shift from just search ads to more diverse ad types and placements on sites like Microsoft properties like Bing search, MSN, Yahoo, and AOL.

Here’s an example of a Microsoft display ad on the AOL homepage:

Microsoft display ads vs search ads

Microsoft display ads are shown to users when they are browsing other sites. These tend to be more passive consumers who aren’t actively searching for a topic.

However, you can still use targeting criteria like demographics, interests, and browsing behaviors to get in front of the right audience.

On the other hand, Microsoft search ads are shown to users when they type relevant keywords into the search engine. These tend to convert well because users are actively shopping or seeking information when they type in a search query.

Here’s a quick breakdown of when to use Microsoft search ads vs display ads:

When to use search ads

• Your goal is immediate conversion
• Your business is location-specific (storefront)
• You provide emergency services (plumber, dentist, handyman)

When to use display ads

• Your goal is brand awareness or lead generation
• The product or service isn’t geographically constrained (digital products, e-commerce, services that are accessible worldwide)
• Your offer has an extended sales cycle (automotive, software)

Willner explains how he determines which type of ad to use:

“Like a lot of display campaigns, Bing display ads will work better for you if your goal is brand awareness and/or remarketing, where you’ve got more visual appeal.”

“I’d recommend a search campaign if your goal is more high-intent/low-funnel,” he adds, “where you want a direct response like a form submission or purchase.”

Benefits of Bing display ads

Since display ads have a lower conversion rate, people often assume they don’t carry much weight. But immediate conversion isn’t the only metric of success.

Here are some of the greatest benefits of using Bing display ads as part of your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising strategy:

Reach a unique audience

While Microsoft Advertising may have a smaller reach than PPC giants like Google and Meta, it still offers significant reach. It also allows you to reach a unique audience that may not be actively using Google or social media.

Boost brand awareness

Display ads in general may have a lower conversion rate than search ads, but not everything is about clickthrough rate. Display ads help people become more familiar with your brand. This exposure can actually help increase search ad conversion and lead to more organic traffic later.

Enjoy lower competition

Willner says it best: “One of the nice things about Bing ads is that you can get in front of audiences you just can’t access via Google’s networks—and with that comes lower competition and costs compared to Google Ads.”

Get more from your ad budget

Bing display ads tend to cost less than Google ads, making them a good option for those with smaller budgets. Lower competition leads to lower cost-per-click (CPC) rates. This, in turn, means lower acquisition costs and higher returns.

How to set up display campaigns

Once you sign up for a Microsoft Advertising account, creating ads is pretty straightforward.

There are two ways to get started:

• Import ads from Google
• Create display ads from scratch

How to import from Google Ads to Microsoft Advertising

Here are the steps to import one Google Ads account:

1. To import a single Google Ads account, click on “Import” in the top menu, then “Import from Google Ads.”
2. Sign in to Google Ads and follow prompts to give Microsoft Advertising permission to import your campaigns.
3. Select the account you want to import under “Choose accounts,” then click “Next.”
4. To import without changes, click “Start import.” Your imported Google Ads will be set to the closest Microsoft equivalent settings.
5. If you want to specify certain items to be imported or customize bids, budgets, etc., select the “Advanced import” option, choose your import specifications, and/or make the required changes.

Here are the steps to import multiple (up to 10) Google Ads accounts:

1. To import more than one Google Ads account, go to your manager account from the global menu and click on “Import” in the top menu, then “Import from Google Ads.”
2. Choose your preferred Microsoft Advertising account to receive the imports and sign in to Google Ads. Follow prompts to give Microsoft Advertising permission to import your campaigns.
3. Use the “Google Ads account name” and “Microsoft Advertising account name” options to select the accounts your imports will move between, and click “Continue” to see the options.
4. “Advanced import” is also where you set up future imports to run on a schedule. Alternatively, set up automatic imports by selecting “Auto” to have Microsoft Advertising optimize your upload schedule. That way you don’t have to repeat the manual import process every time you create new ads and campaigns or make changes. You can go to the page labeled “Import schedule & history” found on the “Import” page to manually run an import or change the schedule at any time.

Pro tip: Always ensure there are no problems with your campaigns and everything is imported correctly, as some settings don’t have a direct match. Microsoft Advertising recommends checking your bids, budgets, targeting options, negative keywords, and Quality Score.

Microsoft Advertising has announced a ton of new features, improvements, expansions, and updates for the Audience Network in just the last year alone. (Image: Rawpixel)

How to set up Microsoft Advertising display campaigns from scratch

Use these steps to set up Microsoft Bing display ad campaigns from scratch:

Step 1: Go to the left-hand collapsible menu and click “All campaigns,” then “Campaigns” and “Create campaign,” where you’ll set the campaign goal.

Step 2: Select Audience Ads (Microsoft’s Audience Network is their Google Display Network equivalent).

This includes display ads for Bing, AOL, Yahoo!, Xbox, MSN, and more. The campaign creation wizard will walk you through the steps.

Step 3: The wizard will take you through the campaign settings like detailing your maximum daily budget, creating an ad group, audience settings, and other details.

Ads will be responsive, so the preview won’t be what the audience always sees exactly, but it should be more or less the same.)

Step 4: When you’re done adding all the necessary details, create another ad or click “Save & go to the next step” to finish.

Once you save, (barring any errors) your ad will appear on the Microsoft Audience Network.

How much do Microsoft display ads cost?

Microsoft ad pricing depends on a number of factors, including your industry, audience, and goals. According to WIllner, a small- to medium-sized business should expect a monthly budget around $1,000-$3,000.

“This would put you in a pretty good spot to run Bing Display ads in a way that helps you get some actionable insights and decent traffic,” says Willner.

“And from my experience, Bing display ads typically cost less than Google Ads so that’s a major benefit for those who want to maximize their ad budgets.”

6 Microsoft Advertising best practices

If you’re just getting started with Microsoft Advertising, it helps to understand best practices so you can maximize your ad budget:

1. Use eye-catching visuals
2. Write engaging ad copy
3. Create a strong call-to-action
4. Try different ad placements
5. A/B test often

1. Use eye-catching visuals

Display ads rely on visuals to catch the user’s attention, so ad design is important. The best rule of thumb is to keep it simple.

Don’t overcrowd the ad with design elements or text. If the user can’t read it at a glance, there’s a good chance they aren’t going to click on it. Your ad will be more impactful if it’s easily digestible.

2. Write engaging ad copy

While visual elements can make or break your display ad success, your copy is also an important part of your display ads. Using headlines and descriptions, you can communicate the value of your business and why someone should click on your ad.

When writing display ad copy, make sure your copy is:

• Free of grammatical errors
• Relevant to your audience
• Clear and concise
• In your company’s brand voice
• Aligned with landing page copy

3. Create a strong call-to-action

Your call-to-action should be clear and direct. Tell users exactly what you want them to do when they see the ad. Encourage users to click by using active words like “register,” “download,” “book,” “buy,” etc.

Your CTA should work together with any ad copy to create a sense of urgency or even curiosity. For example, something as simple as using the word “now” in your CTA can help add a sense of urgency.

4. Try different ad placements

“Take advantage of all of the placement options to get the best visibility and engagement,” Willner says.

Here are some of the most popular ad formats you can choose from on the MSDN:

• Mobile banner (320 x 50 pixels)
• Medium rectangle (300 x 250 pixels)
• Large rectangle (336 x 280 pixels)
• Square (250 x 250 pixels)
• Half-page (300 x 600 pixels)
• Skyscraper:(160 x 600 pixels)
• Leaderboard (728 x 90 pixels)

Just make sure you familiarize yourself with the latest text and ad style guidelines so your creative is maximized for each placement and you don’t run into any issues.

5. A/B test often

Willner recommends A/B testing every part of your Bing display ad campaigns.

“Be sure to test different image themes,” says Willner. “For example, a university might want to test photos of students and photos of campus to see which one gets more traction with their audience.”

You can also test ad copy and ad formats or placements. Just remember, you should only change one element at a time so that you have the data you need to know which elements impact ad success.

6. Monitor results and adjust for best results

Ensure you’re tracking properly, analyzing metrics often, and adjusting your campaigns as needed.

On Microsoft Advertising, you can monitor campaign performance metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions. Using the insights you gather from these metrics, you can adjust your ads, budget, and targeting options for optimal results.

Pro tip: Microsoft’s AI will be observing and adapting to the data generated by your campaign to optimize it, but this takes time. That’s why it’s wise to let your campaign run for at least a week or two before making any changes.

The takeaway

The lower competition and lower costs associated with Microsoft Advertising make it an attractive way for businesses to maximize their ad spend and their reach.

Even those who are currently using Google and Meta ads to reach their audiences may find that adding Microsoft ads to the mix helps improve PPC results.

Interested in how your business can use Microsoft Advertising to its advantage? The team at HawkSEM would love to help you get started. Book a consultation now.

This article has been updated and was originally published in March 2021.