June 9, 2022
To Stop the CMO Revolving Door, Bring Brand and Performance Together
Feeling like you’ve exhausted your efforts on Microsoft Ads? I bet you haven’t considered running ads on the Microsoft Audience Network.
As we’ve found testing the Microsoft Audience Network, many advertisers will have an opportunity for great results. One of our B2C advertisers focusing on subscriptions felt tapped out on Google remarketing and was looking to grow their nurture efforts further. They leveraged the MSAN to improve remarketing efforts and have seen CPA improvements of 43% with 41% cheaper CPCs compared to GDN remarketing.
Though typically underutilized compared to its Facebook and Google counterparts, the Microsoft Audience Network (MSAN) has grown steadily in the past few years to include a far reaching array of targeting types with something for every advertiser. Below is an overview of options available to help drive successful campaigns.
Where Do Ads Run?
Microsoft boasts a large inventory of brand-safe sites to reach hundreds of millions of users. Though their inventory is not as vast as the GDN, they are working to expand their availability and have several premium partners including MSN, Outlook.com and Microsoft Edge.
What Do MSAN Users Look Like?
Ads on Microsoft’s audience network reach over 139 million users around the globe, with a specific focus on the 18-45 age demographic. Over 50% of the audience on premier partner sites are college graduates, and over 50% of users on the network have a household income of $85k+, giving advertisers ample opportunity to reach qualified consumers..
User Profiles: LinkedIn profile targeting & demographics
LinkedIn profile targeting is likely the most compelling targeting option on the Microsoft Audience network. Advertisers in this pilot can target by industry, job function, and company to reach extremely narrow segments of users. In addition to LinkedIn targeting, you can also target via demographics including age, and gender. This feature is an excellent way to engage with key decision makers in your target industry.
User Intent Targeting (Remarketing, In-Market, and Custom Audiences)
Similar to Google, you can leverage remarketing audiences based on site behavior, and in-market audiences based on products or services users are browsing. Custom audiences employ first-party data like purchase history and lifetime value to create unique lists of users to target.
Location and Device
Less exciting than LinkedIn and custom audiences but equally (if not more) impactful, location and device targeting options are especially effective when layered upon previously mentioned audience types for more granular targeting.
Ad Types
Ads on the Audience Network are meant to fit into the user experience and appear in native formats alongside content while browsing. These ads will look extremely similar to responsive display ads on the Google Display Network, and you can easily incorporate a product feed for dynamic remarketing. We recommend utilizing lifestyle imagery and cheerful color palettes to create more engaging ads for your audience.
The MSAN is in earlier stages of use, meaning it’s a great way to get ahead of competitors with affordable CPCs. Expanding to the Microsoft Audience network is a great move if you’re feeling tapped out on current GDN efforts. Contact us if you have any questions.
