Microsoft Audience: ad review, budgets and fixing low delivery

This article covers what to expect after you launch a Microsoft Audience campaign, and what to do when it doesn't deliver. For setup, see Microsoft Audience campaigns: B2B targeting by company, industry and job function.

After you save

1. PPCmate creates the campaign on Microsoft within a few minutes.
2. Microsoft reviews the ad (editorial review). Image ads can take longer to review than text ads.
3. Once approved, the ad starts serving. Spend shows in your reports as Microsoft reports it.

Check progress with Campaign Health Check. It shows whether the campaign is live on Microsoft, not sent yet (with the reasons), or refused by Microsoft (with Microsoft's reasons).

Budgets and CPC

• Minimum $5 a day and a max CPC of at least $0.30.
• B2B audiences cost more per click than broad consumer traffic, because many advertisers compete for the same decision makers. A bid near the minimum may win very few auctions.
• Bidding is Enhanced CPC: Microsoft can adjust each bid up or down a little, based on how likely the click is to convert.

Ad refused by Microsoft

• Text in the image: keep text on the image short, or leave it off. Put the message in the headlines.
• Logos and trademarks: don't use other companies' brands unless you're allowed to.
• Landing page: it must load, match the ad and not redirect to a different website. Microsoft-owned domains (microsoft.com, linkedin.com and similar) can't be used as the landing page.
• Fix the image, texts or landing page and save. The new ad is sent again and reviewed.

Not eligible for B2B targeting

• Countries: company, industry and job function targeting works only in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France and Germany.
• Restricted categories: PPCmate won't send ads for cryptocurrency, gambling, risky financial products, prescription drugs and pharmacies, adult content or weapons.
• Sensitive categories: Microsoft may limit profile targeting for ads about credit, insurance, jobs, housing or education. If Microsoft refuses the ad for this reason, Health Check shows it.

Live but few impressions

Work through these in order:

1. Widen the audience: add companies, industries or job functions. A short list of companies may be too small to serve.
2. Switch "Only these people" off and use Bid higher for them instead, so the ad can also reach similar people.
3. Raise the max CPC.
4. Add countries from the six supported ones.
5. Give it a few days. New campaigns often start slowly while Microsoft learns.

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