Images are an essential part of building your brand online. According to marketing expert Heidi Cohen, adding an image to a piece of content can attract 94 percent more views than a piece of content with text only. This is why Bing’s announcement about Bing Image Extensions is such a welcome development for marketers.
What Are Bing Image Extensions?
Bing Image Extensions allow you to upload between one and six images for each of your Bing ads. Your ad will stand out far more clearly than if you left it with text alone because the color, texture, and contrast will command attention.
They also make your ads larger, which means they’ll dominate more on-screen real estate. Consumers have become all but blind to small elements on websites; they see so many of them that they’re likely to overlook yours. If your ad is larger and features a visual element, however, you’ll be far more likely to increase CTR.
Following the Bing Image Extension Rules
Bing has created several guidelines for advertisers. You must follow them if you want to enjoy a seamless experience.
First, the minimum resolution for your images is 160X90 and the maximum is 1289X720. Stay within those ranges so your images follow Bing’s Terms of Service. Additionally, you can’t use images with white or transparent backgrounds, and you’re not allowed to add text overlays to the images. Any written information that you want to convey must appear in the ads themselves.
Uploading Images to Your Bing Ads
Ask for your team’s input on great photos to include with your Bing ads.
It’s easy to add images to your Bing ads at the Campaign or ad group levels.
When creating a new ad group, you’ll upload your images after you click on the “Ad Extensions” tab. Bing offers several different ad extensions, which means you can customize each ad to make it unique and engaging for the consumer.
Optimizing Image Extensions
Currently advertisers are able to see the number of impressions and clicks each image type is driving, however reporting is not yet available to segment ad performance with and without the image ad present.
Bing Image Extensions offer yet another way to leverage paid search for increased account performance.