China is one of the most digitized nations in the world. The country has got residents that love using the internet for almost everything that they do, from paying a taxi fare to purchasing their daily necessities. With a tech-savvy population and a strong purchasing power, if you’re not taking advantage of the right tools at your disposal then you’re missing opportunities that can usher in the growth of your brand or business. One of these tools is Baidu Advertising/PPC and today we are taking a look at it.
Baidu is one of the most important and influential search engines in China. It’s no wonder that brands and marketers are eager to explore the benefits of paid advertising on the platform. We have already dived into Baidu SEO, so in this blog post, we’ll take a look at how Baidu paid to advertise can help brands achieve their marketing goals in China. We’ll also discuss some of the key features of Baidu paid to advertise, so you can decide if it’s right for your business.
What Are the Conditions & Requirements To Run Ads on Baidu?
Here we will discuss how you can run ads and set up an account on Baidu Tuiguang.
What Is Baidu Tuiguang?
Simply put, Baidu Tuiguang is Baidu’s advertising product, which is similar to Google’s AdSense and Ads. It is also a pay-per-click ad platform that will allow brands and businesses to put up ads on search engine results pages and on websites that are a part of the Baidu Union.
How Much Does It Cost To Advertise on Baidu?
The initial cost to get started on the platform would be around $1,500 to $3,000. The cost will depend greatly on where you are currently located. What you are going to pay for is a small fee to set up your channel and then everything else will go to advertising.
The average CPC or Cost Per Click will be around $0.1 to $1 but can easily go up to $20 dollars on competitive keywords.
Who Can Run Paid Ads on Baidu?
It’s no secret that the Chinese government has got a firm grip on anything that goes live in the digital landscape and if you plan to advertise on Baidu, there’s nothing to exempt you from any restrictions. You’re going to have to comply to start advertising on it.
Your application will be checked by the Chinese government and you need to secure a Chinese business license or an overseas one. Once you’ve secured the necessary documents and paid the fees then you can start putting up ads on Baidu.
Please do take note that you will also be asked for bank statements, authorization letters, website screenshots, and photos of your office building whenever necessary.
How Do I Create a Baidu PPC Account?
Well, there are a few important steps that you need to accomplish before you will be able to successfully create a Baidu PPC account and start putting up Baidu ads.
- First is that you will need to get your Chinese website ready. You don’t necessarily need to have a website hosted in the mainland but make sure that your website is fast enough to be opened within it.
- Identify which region you are in and contact the regional Baidu reseller to set up a new account. The next step will then involve the reseller to validate your company and website.
- Next is the submission of the necessary documents that we spoke about above. Then, you’re going to have to wait for at least two to four weeks after the submission of said documents to get an approved Baidu PPC account.
- After you get the approval, you’re going to need to sign the contract. The contract may be signed by an agency on your behalf through the reseller or from a company representative directly.
- Lastly, you need to pay the necessary fees and downpayment before finally activating your Baidu PPC account. Congratulations!
The Different Types of Baidu Ads
Under the Baidu Tuiguang mechanism, there are a few types of ads that you may utilize. There’s ProTheme, which is available to union members and perfect when targeting a very specific audience.
- Keyword Search ads (P4P – pay for placement) campaign areperfect to target users that are looking up relevant searches. It’s the equivalent of google search ads
- You can also go for Baidu TV which is for video advertisements.
- Information Feed Ads, which are mixed in with organic content and are also displayed in products like Baidu News and Baidu forums among others. You could compare it to Google Discovers Ads. This types of ads alow you to extend your reach to others baidu products such as Tieba.
- Then, there’s the brand zone which are branded campaign and allows brand to occupy most of Baidu 1st result page using a customized design. This campaigns are usually ran on branded keywords. It’s kind of a super ads where instead of 1 landing page, you can send users to your website, your online store and varied landing pages.
Baidu PPC vs Google Adwords: Differences
The two platforms have some differences when it comes to keyword match types and how the ads are displayed. Adwords has a broader match modifier while Baidu unfortunately still does not. But, Baidu has got a total of six types, namely broad, phrase-core, phrase-synonym, phrase-exact, exact, and negative.
The placing of the ads are somewhat similar, but the placing of the rules on the web page will be different in both Adwords and Baidu.
The Pros and Cons of Advertising on Baidu (Is It Right For You?)
So, why Baidu? Well, we think that the more appropriate question here is, why not?
Baidu Has Got a Massive Market Share
The very first and most glaring advantage of Baidu amongst its competitors is a massive market share that for a very long time now has maintained at least 70%. Sogou, the second-ranked search engine in the country, does not even come close at around a 14% market share.
Haosou and Shenma are some of the other search engines in the Chinese digital space that have a significant amount of market share but they are definitely not in the same league as Baidu. To say that Baidu is dominating this side of the world and in this industry is an understatement.
Did you know that Google only takes about 2% of the market share in China? In this aspect, it’s really not that hard to say that the Chinese consumers and online surfers really do patronize their own products. This is important if you are a foreign brand, business, or investor wanting to do business in China.
Unique Features and Advertising Options
Baidu also offers a ton of advertising options. They don’t only have paid search advertising but also give you a chance to run in-feed ads and create what they call brand zones so that advertisers can have a broader reach to their ideal clients.
It’s got an audience segmentation feature that through the years has become one of the most sophisticated in the industry that will enable brands to get right in front of their target market.
If you advertise on Baidu, you will also have access to insights on industry searches as well as a drag and drop builder for landing pages which will prove valuable for your campaign.
It’s China’s Longest Running Search Engine
With tenure comes maturity in its search engine structure, and Baidu’s influence is ingrained in the minds and even the hearts of the Chinese consumer. Reputation can’t be bought nor built overnight and that’s an area that Baidu will definitely help you with.
What Are the Limitations of Baidu?
As robust as this platform can be, Baidu most certainly has a few cumbersome limitations that won’t completely put off businesses but can make things challenging. What users first find very challenging is setting up an account on the platform itself. We will discuss how to do so later on.
Some businesses also find the minimum daily budget for each ad campaign restricting if not inflexible. You also won’t have the ability to advertise multiple websites on one Baidu account. You’ll unearth a few inconveniences here and there as you utilize the space but there’s really nothing else major that might get in your way to implement your strategies effectively.
Baidu Advertising: Conclusion
There’s no doubt about it, Baidu is definitely where you look first and explore your options as far as advertising is concerned when cultivating a brand in China. Its massive market share and lead amongst its competitors is testament enough of the potential that’s just lying in wait for you and your brand.
When strategies are aligned and implemented right, then you might just have a chance at making it in this brutally competitive yet highly-rewarding market. Baidu’s features will not just help you be in a position to succeed but also get you right in front of your ideal client. There’s definitely no other way but up from here.
If you need help on getting your brand off the ground or integrating your strategies into Baidu, you know where to turn to. Contact us today for not only educational blogs but to have a partner in building your business and making it relevant in the minds of the Chinese consumer.