Search Campaigns
Keyword-led ads on Bing and partner search engines. We move the Google structure over and tune it to Bing's own data.
Explore
Microsoft Advertising campaign type
Microsoft Audience Ads Management (Microsoft Audience Network)
Audience Ads are audience campaigns that run in image, native and video placements on the Microsoft Audience Network. Ads appear on MSN, Outlook, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Casual Games and partner sites, in a way that fits the flow of the content. What interests us most is the targeting: alongside search and web behavior, Microsoft uses LinkedIn profile data, so you can choose audiences by company, industry and job function.
Purpose and appearance
What do we use this format for?
We use Audience Ads for two jobs. First, to reach corporate users in specific industries and job functions on MSN and Outlook for the first time, using targeting based on LinkedIn profile data. Second, to bring back visitors who came from a search campaign and left without filling in a form. For B2B brands where a purchase decision takes weeks, this keeps the brand in front of the buying team until the decision is made.
Funnel stages it serves
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
- Loyalty
LinkedIn profile targeting on the Microsoft Audience Network
In Audience campaigns, company name, industry and job function criteria can be added to an ad group alongside age, gender, location and radius. These criteria come from Microsoft's LinkedIn profile data. A B2B software brand, for example, can show ads to IT and procurement teams in selected industries. Search campaigns offer no occupational targeting this precise, and neither the Google Display Network nor Demand Gen has the same kind of profile data.
There is a platform-specific trap: if targeting is too narrow, the ad group does not serve for privacy reasons and its privacy status does not show as active. The fix is to add a broader set of industries or locations. Our first task after setup is to check the privacy status of each ad group one by one.
Microsoft Audience Ads image requirements and creative
Responsive image ads need at least one landscape (wide) image. Image extensions in search campaigns can use one to six images, but to qualify for every Audience placement you need one image in each of the four supported aspect ratios. For ads without image extensions, Microsoft can automatically add licensed stock images that have passed editorial review.
- We prepare an image set covering all four ratios and prefer clean images with no text on them.
- For brands that do not want automatic stock images, we open a support request to have the option turned off.
- In the Outlook inbox the ad looks like an email, so we write the headline as a clear offer rather than a news headline.
- On MSN slideshows attention is scattered, so the image shows a single product, large.
Feed-based Audience Ads for e-commerce remarketing
For e-commerce brands, a Microsoft Merchant Center store can be linked to an Audience campaign. Ads are then generated from catalog products, and a product scope with up to seven conditions can be defined at campaign level. We mainly use this setup for remarketing to people who viewed a product page and did not buy. We compare it with Criteo dynamic retargeting on the open web to see which one returns visitors more cheaply.
What we watch in Audience Ads reporting
In most reports, Audience Ads data comes combined with search data by default. We separate the two with the ad distribution column. Search query and share of voice reports contain no Audience data at all. Age and gender and professional demographics reports show which companies and job functions clicked; in B2B accounts we compare this report with the sales team's CRM data. We assess the indirect effect of display ads in GA4 with view-through and assisted conversions.
Audience Ads: when do we recommend it?
We recommend it
- B2B brands whose target customers work in specific industries and job functions
- Accounts that want to reach corporate users who visited the site again
- E-commerce sites with a Microsoft Merchant Center feed that want product-level remarketing
- Brands whose search campaigns have reached their ceiling and want visibility in the consideration stage
We don't recommend it
- Low-budget accounts judged only on last-click sales
- Brands without image production capacity that cannot prepare the four-ratio set
- Niche B2B segments whose audience is so narrow it falls below the privacy threshold
How we manage Audience Ads
- Availability and audience sizeWe check that the Audience Network is open in your account and that target industries have enough audience.
- Profile targeting draftWe build the company, industry and job function list together with your sales team's ideal customer profile.
- Image setWe prepare text-free images in four aspect ratios with short, clear headlines.
- Privacy status checkWe confirm each ad group is serving and broaden groups that are too narrow.
- Placement and demographics reviewWe compare the professional demographics report with CRM data and narrow or widen targeting.
Audience Ads: metrics and requirements
Metrics we track
- View-through conversions
- Cost per conversion
- Click-through rate
- Professional demographics breakdown
- Remarketing list size
What you need to get started
- UET remarketing lists split by product, pricing and contact page visits
- Brand images in four aspect ratios
- Ideal customer profile: industry, company size, job function
- A catalog to link to the campaign if you want product-level remarketing
The Brand Move Microsoft Advertising Team
Contact us nowTo learn more about Audience Ads or other Microsoft Advertising ad formats, contact The Brand Move Microsoft Advertising team today.
Explore further
Microsoft Advertising (Bing) overview
Other Microsoft Advertising (Bing) campaign types and ad formats
Shopping Campaigns
Bing Shopping ads from your Microsoft Merchant Center feed, managed through feed quality, campaign priority and product groups.
ExplorePerformance Max
Microsoft Advertising Performance Max across Bing search, Shopping and the Audience Network, set up so it learns on lower data volume.
ExploreRelated pages
Frequently asked questions
Audience Ads: frequently asked questions
What is the Microsoft Audience Network?
It is Microsoft's display and native network. Audience Ads run there in image, native and video placements on MSN, Outlook, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Casual Games and partner sites, designed to fit the content around them.
How are Microsoft Audience Ads different from LinkedIn ads?
Audience Ads use LinkedIn profile data for targeting, but the ad appears on placements such as MSN, Outlook and Microsoft 365, not on LinkedIn. So you reach corporate audiences outside a work context, while they read the news or check email. We test both channels with the same audience and compare costs.
Why is our Audience Ads ad group not serving?
Usually because targeting is too narrow. To prevent individuals from being identified, Microsoft does not show ads to very small audiences, and the ad group's privacy status does not become active. Broadening the industry, location or job function list usually solves it.
Do our search ads also appear on the Audience Network?
They can. Microsoft can extend search ads to native placements with image extensions. We read this traffic separately with the ad distribution breakdown and change settings if it hurts the search campaign's conversion cost. Adding image extensions makes the ad look right in these placements.
What image sizes do Microsoft Audience Ads need?
At least one landscape image is required for responsive image ads. To qualify for every placement, provide one image in each of the four supported aspect ratios. We prefer clean images without text overlays.
Let's run a first Audience Ads review together.
In a free call we review your search terms report, conversion settings and budget split, then send you the first three fixes in writing.
Book a growth call
No sales pressure. Just findings.