Businesses need to show up wherever their audience is. While Google and Facebook may talk like they own the internet, that's far from the reality. Which is why you should turn your attention to some of the further corners of the internet.

Microsoft launched Bing in 2009 and still operates it today. The platform is still active and rivals Google in terms of its overall performance, if not its volume. It provides search features for web, video, and images, as well as shopping and finance on its partner platforms.

Google has made its AdWords widely known around the world, but Bing Ads has its potential to reach key parts of your target audience. So, what is Bing's ad potential? Is it worth it for you to divert your ad spend to this alternative search network?

We'll cover whether Bing Ads is a worthy investment for your advertising and how you can tell if a big chunk of your target audience is reachable on the platform. We'll also go over your best bets to increase the chances of finding those people and ways to check your progress moving forward.

Are Bing Ads a Viable Option in 2021?

As someone who exists solely on Google, you might be surprised at how much Bing Ads can benefit you. Even though Google seems like the king of the search engine space, Bing still has a lofty chunk of internet searches.

More importantly, Bing ads are spread across an online advertising network. That means Bing ads don't just run on Bing, but also on AOL and Yahoo. Bing ads reach about a third of the internet's traffic, which is a significant amount of audience you're missing. That network reaches the second-highest amount of people, after Google, and will deliver your ads to millions more people than you're likely reaching already.

The best approach to using Bing ads is to use them in conjunction with other campaigns. Using Bing Ads alone won't net you better results with your advertising, but it's an incredibly viable opportunity you don't want to pass up.

When are Bing Ads Good for You?

Bing ads are often a lot cheaper than their Google AdWords alternative. The cost-per-click with Bing ads is lower, sometimes by almost half. Your Bing ad spend will likely be lower than that on Google with higher rates of engagement. What's more important is that Bing ads had significantly higher click-through-rates.

If your Google AdWords budget feels like a black hole absorbing your money, then consider pursuing the same expensive keyword on Bing. There's a big likelihood you'll save yourself some money while still making good conversions for your products.

Bing has an advantage with specific demographics. You'll benefit from using Bing if:

• Your target audience is older.
• Your target market is more affluent.

On average, Bing Network users are more likely to be 45 years or older. They're also disproportionately likely to have incomes of $100,000 or more. More than 70% of Bing's users make over $40,000 per year. Since Bing ads reach on Yahoo, they also reach onto Yahoo's established shopping and finance networks. People with an interest in stocks and financials will more likely be reached through this platform.

If this fits your demographic, then Bing Ads likely has an untapped portion of your target market waiting to learn about your offerings.

Top Tips to Making the Most of Bing Ads

Your business can see amazing results from Bing ads, but that doesn't mean it's suited for everyone. Where you fall within the demographic distinctions between Bing Ads and Google ads is your best indicator for whether you'll win big using this platform.

Photo searches are a key area where Bing shines over Google. They used the endless scroll feature ahead of Google. If that's a key part of your business, it's worth looking into.

Find out if it's the right fit for you by comparing some key information from your campaign to Bing's trends. The key ways to make sure Bing ads will be a good fit for you are by:

Determine Your Audience

There's a good chance you've done this already, especially if you have an existing Google AdWords account. If your desired customers fit the people more likely found on Bing, then chances are your messaging is missing a key group of customers. After all, showing up where your customers can find you is how businesses succeed.

You'll need to either turn to or develop your buyer persona to find how your audience matches against Bing's demographics. Buyer's personas are the semi-fictional representatives of your audience. You'll have all the necessary information to make the most informed decisions, like what jobs or hobbies your audience has. You'll also know if they have kids or if they like to regularly travel. Age and income ranges are the biggest differences between Bing users. That's an important area to keep track of.

If you don't have a buyer persona but have a Google AdWords account, check the Demographics tab in that account. It will break down the information on who your users are and will tell you those key ranges. If you know the industries your audience works in, you can find income ranges based on that knowledge.

Remember, Bing users tend to be both older and higher income. If your key market involves lawyers, doctors, or financial analysts, you may be missing out on many prospects.

That said, the opposite is also likely true. If you find your target market skews much younger, Bing likely won't noticeably improve your results.

Find Your Top Keyword's CPC

Bing Ads doesn't have a one-to-one transfer in terms of cost. Different keywords have different costs from their Google equivalent. Not all are less expensive'and some are more expensive.

Test your industry to see how it compares with the amounts you're already paying. Either check your industry's local or top national keywords on both, OR use your existing keywords.

You might save some money finding keywords for insurance or mortgages on Bing Ads. However, you'll likely have less luck if you're in the legal industry. The most expensive Bing ads keywords are 'lawyers' and 'attorneys' at about $100 each per keyword, which is significantly more expensive than Google's.

The Bing Ads preview lets you check how much you'll spend per ad to see how your budget will look for how many people you'll reach.

Compare Your Campaigns!

If you do decide to test out Bing ads, you'll want to run comparisons with your Google AdWords or other digital advertising services. You can either import your existing data or manually set up a mirroring account on Bing Ads. Set this up before running your Bing Ads campaign. Make sure your audience and demographic information is the same on both.

As your campaign progresses, check the performance of each. Both Bing Ads and Google ads will give you detailed analytics. You'll want to look out for certain things in particular:

• Make sure you're not spending too much for a single click.
• Check your conversion rates.
• Compare performance in key demographics.
• Check how much revenue you earned from each campaign.

Let these run for a few months, and only make small adjustments, unless it's causing a huge uptick in your ad spend, so you can see the full trend cycle. Then adjust your campaign according to how successful it is.

Make Sure Your Campaign Is Well Built

Your ad campaign relies on a lot more than just demographics and costs. Ads on both Bing and Google may seem similar overall, but there are some differences. Take the time to optimize your ads for Bing instead of porting them over directly. If your formatting is off, then your ads will rank lower in performance.

If you run into issues with your ad performance, also consider revising your ads. Double-check your metrics to make sure they're reliable. Highly competitive industries run into issues with click fraud that could put you off your marks by adding error into your analytics.

Furthermore, make sure your ads are relevant, well-made, and that they lead to an informative and clear landing page. If you have issues with high bounce rates and low conversions disproportionate to a high click-through rate, it's worth exploring these.

So, Are Bing Ads Worth It in 2021?

Even if Google runs most of the internet, it by no means runs all of it. Your business should tap into the other options to make sure you reach the biggest portion of your target audience possible.

Understanding how internet usage trends vary across different media will help you figure out your chances of success. While it's not a big enough platform to use all your ad spend, it's a fantastic way to bolster your campaign. Putting ads on Bing will smooth out your campaign and expand your reach beyond Google alone. Plus, it's a good way to diversify so that you're not solely at the whim of Google's changing decisions and trends.

It's incredibly possible that you'll be able to find your keywords at a lower CPC and with higher conversions. Despite its lower volume, Bing ds make up for it with less competition and higher positioning. You'll likely be able to find a more dedicated, albeit smaller audience for a lot less on Bing Ads.