Committing to Marketing your brand Online is not only a great way to make yourself known to your potential Customers; sometimes, it’s your best path to financial security, stability, and growth. This is especially true for Small Business.
Those smart cookies that are already Advertising Online are typically aware of one, and only one, avenue: Google. Let’s get the obvious out of the way, Google is the largest Search Engine and has now become synonymous with web search. If you’re serious about growing your Small Business you need to be doing something to cater to the bajillions of people who use Google. However, you also need to know of the opportunities beyond the platform on everybody’s lips.
For the majority of Small Business Owners, your next port of call should be Bing Ads. This Blog gives you a crash course on Bing and why you’ve GOT to be looking at how soon your Business can adopt it.
GET TO KNOW BING
We like to think of Bing as that – usually slightly odd – childhood friend who insisted on changing their nickname every time you sat next to them in art class. It was once MSN Search, but it also moonlighted as Windows Live Search, it’s currently going as Bing, but God knows how long that’ll last for.
There’s even a vicious rumour that BING stands for ‘Bing Is Not Google’. It’s a bit of a stretch to say we’re fully behind that, but it did make us giggle the first fifteen to twenty times we heard it.
Essentially, you’re safe enough just thinking of the platform as an alternative to Google. It’s a Search Engine used by many (by all reliable reports it’s the second most popular Search Engine in the world), and it’s a great tool for Small Businesses just like yours to increase exposure.
WHAT MAKES PEOPLE BING?
While it’s always easier to stay within the confines of your comfort zone and keep up your Digital Marketing with Google, it’s counterproductive to your stability and security. We’ve always been of the opinion that you need as many lead generation sources as possible (the number 20 sits nicely with us here), and that means you’ve got to be looking for Online alternatives to Google. Â
However, it’s probably unfair on Bing to only ever pitch it as a necessary evil, or the ugly sister. There are a fair few people out there who actively prefer it to Google, and with good reason. First and foremost is the improved image search. Images on Bing are often displayed at a superior quality. This has certain benefits to Small Business Owners. For instance, if you’re a travel agency, a photography business, or a cake shop, it’s always an added boost to have your photos look just that little bit better.
Similarly, many find video search is also much more convenient because results are presented in a grid of thumbnails, unlike Google where you have to go through a pretty unimaginatively presented list.
Best of all, Bing has a loyalty program where you can get free stuff (and we, just like you, love free stuff!). It’s called Microsoft Rewards and the freebies can be anything like gift cards to reduced price subscriptions. It’s easy to rack up points on a daily basis simply by searching on Bing. Hopefully, you’re now beginning to appreciate some of the appeal.
SO WHY BING ADS?
Right now, a number of Small Businesses see Bing as something of an afterthought, meaning the competition is still not as fierce as it is on Google. If you’re smart, you can use this to your advantage to nab cheaper Ads and better placement.
Scheduling your Ads is also easier on Bing as you have the option of controlling multiple time zones.  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and pretend you’re going to start scheduling Ads tomorrow in Europe (congratulations if you do have a Business at this level), but easier management of Australia-wide Ads is a blessing.
Bing Ads also takes pride in its social extensions, which easily allow your potential Customers to view your Social Media profiles. If you – or someone else on your behalf – are doing a good job of maintaining those profiles, it’s going to lend your Business extra credibility.
We know just how daunting the process of trying to grow your Small Business Online can be. If you’ve got any questions about Bing or any other method you’d like to discuss, then give us a call.