Why Franchise and Multi-Location Businesses Should Give Local Bing and Local Microsoft Network Ads a Shot
Google Ads often get all the love, but today we’re talking about the Underdog, the Dark Horse, the Hidden Gem, the Cinderella Story……..Bing/Microsft Ads. While Google might be the Starbucks of search engines, Bing is like that quirky local café that serves surprisingly great coffee. If you’re a franchise or multi-location business, you might be wondering, “Why should I bother with Bing Ads?” Well, it turns out there’s more to this search engine than meets the eye. Let’s dive into the numbers, bust some myths, and see why Bing and Microsft Ads could be your next best friend in local advertising.
Bing ads and Microsoft Network ads’s Secret Superpower: Who’s Actually Using It?
Let’s start with the obvious question: Who’s using Bing anyway? While Bing doesn’t have Google’s sheer dominance, it quietly owns a respectable share of the search market. Around 6.3% of the search engine market in North America belongs to Bing, and 5.1% in Europe . While these numbers might seem small, don’t write Bing off just yet.
Here’s the kicker: Bing is the default search engine on Microsoft devices, which includes a staggering 1.4 billion devices running Windows globally . This means a huge number of users don’t even think to change their default search engine. These users often skew slightly older, more affluent, and less price-sensitive—exactly the type of audience that’s ready to spend money on your services. For example Bing holds a 16.5% market share of desktop searches in the United States! And since Bing powers voice searches on Cortana, you’re also tapping into the growing trend of voice search, with 72% of people using voice search for local business queries.
In fact, Bing users tend to have higher purchasing power, with studies showing that Bing users spend 25% more online than the average internet searcher. Recent analyses indicate that users of the Bing Microsoft Network (MSN) tend to have higher spending patterns compared to Google users. This trend is largely attributed to Bing’s user demographics, which include a higher proportion of individuals aged 35 and above with higher household incomes. According to data from TechPenny, 38% of Bing users in the United States have a household income of more than $100,000 annually.
Additionally, Bing’s integration with Microsoft products enhances user engagement, leading to increased spending. For advertisers, this presents an opportunity to target a more affluent audience, potentially yielding higher returns on investment.
Bing’s Global Footprint: Yes, It’s Everywhere (Even Antarctica?)
Now, it’s easy to assume that Bing is just a North American thing, but Bing’s reach extends across all six continents. Its largest usage areas include North America and Europe, with growing presence in Asia (3.0%), Australia (4.8%), and even South America (2.9%) . While Bing’s share in regions like Africa (2.7%) is smaller, its global presence is not to be overlooked.
So whether your franchise locations are in Toronto, Berlin, Sydney, or even Tokyo, Bing Ads and Microsoft Network Ads offers a chance to connect with potential customers locally.
Where Bing Shines vs. Google: The Competitive Edge
Okay, so Bing has a smaller slice of the pie—but that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious! Bing has a few tricks up its sleeve that could give your franchise or multi-location business a competitive edge, especially in local markets.
Search Partner Network: Bing’s search engine isn’t limited to just Bing.com. Bing Ads also run across the Yahoo Network and AOL, giving your ads broader exposure on a range of sites. This means your local franchise ads could appear in front of users on websites they visit daily, even if they’re not directly searching on Bing.
Demographics Targeting with Linked In Profile Targeting: Thanks to Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn. This feature allows you to target ads based on LinkedIn profile data like job title, company, and industry—a dream come true for B2B franchises . Imagine being able to serve ads directly to business professionals who are more likely to need your service—think gym franchises targeting HR managers or home services aimed at property developers. Similarly high end products or services can be targeted to high earners. For example a luxury car dealership could target all C-suite executives in a given municipality.
Bing Ads’ Local Targeting Capabilities: Zeroing in on Customers
When it comes to reaching local customers, Bing Ads offers a range of highly effective targeting options designed specifically for franchise and multi-location businesses. Bing’s local targeting capabilities allow advertisers to deliver ads to users in a specific geographic area, whether you’re targeting by city, zip code, radius, or even by proximity to a certain point of interest.
Radius and Location Targeting
One of the key features of Bing’s local targeting is radius targeting, which allows you to serve ads to users within a specific radius around your franchise locations. This is incredibly valuable for brick-and-mortar businesses trying to capture foot traffic or service areas. For instance, if your home service franchise only covers a 20-mile area, you can ensure that your ads are seen only by potential customers within that zone.
Additionally, location targeting enables you to refine your audience by country, state, city, or zip code. Whether your franchise locations are spread across different cities or regions, Bing Ads lets you tailor campaigns for each market individually, maximizing relevance and reducing wasted spend.
Local Search Ads
Bing also offers Local Search Ads, which allow businesses to prominently display their ads when users search for products or services in their vicinity. This feature is integrated into Bing Maps and appears on mobile devices, helping you target users who are likely looking for immediate, nearby solutions.
According to Bing’s internal data, users searching for local services are highly likely to convert, as 76% of people who perform a local search visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase. This means that, with Bing Ads’ local capabilities, franchise businesses have the opportunity to directly connect with high-intent, nearby customers who are ready to engage.
Bing’s Not Just a Backup Plan
Sure, Google is the Goliath of search engines, but sometimes it pays to be David. With Bing’s lower costs, unique desktop targeting capabilities, and integration into the Microsoft ecosystem, there’s a real opportunity here for savvy franchise and multi-location businesses. Plus, you get to be one of the few companies that knows how to work the Bing system while everyone else is still throwing elbows on Google.
So next time someone asks “Why Bing?” you can simply say, “Because being the underdog means you get the last laugh—and lower CPC!”
The Dynamic B2B Advertising Duo: LinkedIn for Awareness and Account Based Marketing (ABM), Bing for Action
If you’re a B2B advertiser, combining LinkedIn Ads and Bing Ads can create a powerful funnel strategy that moves decision-makers from awareness to action.
At the top of the funnel, LinkedIn Ads are perfect for targeting key decision-makers based on professional criteria like job title, industry, and company size. You can serve ads to C-suite executives, HR managers, or procurement heads, creating awareness of your brand and services. This is where you build brand recognition and position your solution as a top choice in their minds. LinkedIn’s precise targeting allows you to zero in on high-value professionals who may not yet be actively searching but are ideal candidates to engage with your brand.
Once these decision-makers are aware of your offering, Bing Ads come into play at the lower funnel. When those same professionals perform searches with high commercial intent—like “corporate cleaning services near me” or “corporate gym memberships in Atlanta Georgia”—your Bing Ads will be there to capture their interest and drive conversions. Bing, with its lower competition and more affordable CPC, allows you to target users who are ready to buy, making it the perfect tool for converting those initial LinkedIn leads into paying customers.
In short, LinkedIn helps you get noticed by the right people, and Bing closes the deal when they’re ready to make a decision. It’s the ultimate B2B advertising combo, turning your local awareness campaigns into lead-converting machines.
Conclusion: Adplorer + Bing Ads = A Local Advertising Dream Team
Let’s face it—managing local PPC campaigns across multiple locations can feel like juggling flaming swords. But don’t worry, Adplorer is here with a fire extinguisher and some slick juggling moves. Pairing Bing Ads’ low competition and local targeting prowess with Adplorer’s tech makes for a winning combo in the franchise world.
Adplorer’s features, like advanced reporting, automated bidding, and bulk campaign edits, give you the control you need without the headache. Plus, with budget pacing, you won’t blow through your ad spend faster than a kid with birthday money at a candy store. Need individual franchisees to take charge? No problem—Adplorer’s self-service ads feature ensures they can manage campaigns while still keeping everything on-brand.
But here’s the real secret sauce: Adplorer integrates seamlessly with CRMs and builds custom lead attribution models. It’s like giving your campaigns X-ray vision—you’ll see exactly where leads are coming from and how they’re converting, letting you tweak for maximum performance.
In short, Bing Ads and Adplorer together are like peanut butter and jelly—a perfect match that makes managing local ads across multiple locations not just easier, but a whole lot more effective (and tastier).
Sources:
StatCounter Global Stats – For Bing’s global market share and comparisons to Google.
StatCounter Global Search Engine Market Share
Statista – Bing’s global market share, focusing on desktop search engines.
Statista Global Search Engine Market Share 2024
Kinsta – Lower cost-per-click (CPC) of Bing Ads compared to Google Ads.
Kinsta Search Engine Market Share: CPC Comparisons
Bing’s Integration into Windows – Bing is the default search engine on 1.4 billion Microsoft devices.
Microsoft Advertising Insights
BrightLocal – Bing’s voice search usage and local business queries.
BrightLocal on Voice Search
WordStream – Comparison of average CPC on Bing Ads vs. Google Ads.
WordStream Bing vs. Google CPC
Microsoft Advertising Blog – Details on LinkedIn Profile Targeting through Bing Ads.
Microsoft Advertising: LinkedIn Profile Targeting
Yahoo Finance – Bing’s search engine partnerships with Yahoo and AOL for broader ad network reach.
Yahoo Finance on Bing’s Partner Network
StatCounter by Region – Bing’s search engine market share by region (North America, Europe, etc.).
StatCounter by Region
Statista’s Market Share Report for 2023 – Breakdown of Bing’s market share and other search engines globally.
Statista Search Engine Market Share 2023
Bing Ads Radius and Location Targeting – For details on Bing’s radius targeting and location-based capabilities:
Microsoft Advertising – Location Targeting
Local Search Ads and Conversion Data – Bing’s local search ads and statistics on users visiting a business after a local search:
