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It’s true, Google has become a household name, a eponym that just means “search for on the internet.” When you think of online advertising, it’s likely the first network you consider is Google Ads – after all, they’re seemingly everywhere. But as an advertiser, it’s important for you to follow the money, literally. That money, in many cases, will lead you to Google’s biggest competitor, Bing.
As it turns out, Bing is not only growing at a rate that surpasses Google’s, it also is especially attractive to older users with high household incomes. Bing commands about a fifth of desktop search for those living in the US, or about 116 million people. Those users are, on average, higher spenders.
Specifically, they spend 22% more on their online purchases than worldwide averages. This data point is likely best explained by their average household income: over a third of Bing users have a household income that exceeds $100,000 (the national average is around $70,000). Concerning demographics, they’re more likely to be above 35 years old (the majority are Baby Boomers), have children, and be technological laggards. Almost all of them live in the United States.
Excited about Bing Ads yet? If you target Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, upper middle class customers or parents, advertising on Bing just makes sense. This is especially true if you’re conscious of your budget, and want to make sure that your money is used as effectively as possible to target your audience.
It’s easy to feel lost in the sea that is Google Ads – you probably are. For many, especially in crowded markets like retail, consumer services and entertainment, it’s hard to feel like your advertisement is being seen without going over budget on your bids. However, if your target market syncs up, even partially, with Bing users, the alternative search engine provides a great opportunity to get more conversions for your cash. The average cost per click for Google Ads is $1.83, whereas for Bing Ads it’s $1.07. That difference definitely adds up over thousands of interactions!
Additionally, if you’re worried about the older demographic of Bing Ads, don’t be. Microsoft is actively targeting younger generations, and adapting the search engine to be more friendly to a variety of users. This is evidenced by Google’s dropping user base – while it’s still the king of search, and likely will be for years, Bing is proving to be a non-insignificant competitor that gains more ground every year.
The one drawback of using Bing Ads is that the user interface is a bit more difficult to use than Google Ads, and there are some key differences, so it can be easier for mistakes to happen.
The main difference that most advertisers struggle with is that you can’t create negative audiences, or audiences you don’t want to show your advertisement to, like you can with Google Ads. You can still create AND and OR specified advertisements, but if your brand should not be shown to a specific group, Bing may prove a little tough to work with.
Another major difficulty we’ve heard griping about is that you can’t download Bing’s audiences to work on in your favorite spreadsheet program. This can be irritating if you have several campaigns, each with a long list of audiences to target. Bing Ad’s interface required a bit more manual work, so you’ll need to set aside more time to set up each campaign.
Lastly, bulk edits can be a bit challenging, as the Bing Editor isn’t really set up for them the way AdWords is. You’ll need to do edits in each individual ad group, which again, will require more time to be set aside for each campaign’s setup and maintenance.
Overall, Bing Ads can be an incredible asset to companies that are targeting wealthy Baby Boomers and Gen X, blue collar workers, or parents. The network’s users are much more eager to spend, are more avid shoppers, and are less likely to shop around compared to Google’s user base. The interface for their network is a bit tougher to use, but we’re always here to help! Reach out today to get your Bing Ad campaign up and running.
