Microsoft Intros Website Building Tool, LinkedIn Integration With SMB Advertising Platform
Microsoft Advertising this week introduced two features for Digital Marketing Center, a platform for small and medium-sized companies (SMB), introduced in June.
Later this month, Microsoft Advertising will integrate LinkedIn into Digital Marketing Center, as well as launch a website creation tool.
Users will have the ability to connect their LinkedIn business pages, schedule and publish content, receive comments on their posts in a consolidated inbox, and review engagement, impressions, and audience growth alongside other platforms supported by the platform.
Digital Marketing Center aims to help small and medium-sized companies manage campaign keywords, ad copy and more for Microsoft Advertising, Google Ads, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. Artificial intelligence helps campaigns become more responsive.
Smart Campaign users who sign in the Microsoft Advertising platform will land in the new Smart Campaign version in the platform. Tools include viewing campaign performance, ability to view and edit ads, basic campaign editing, search phrase management, and more.
Agencies, at this time, cannot manage multiple clients through the platform. The idea of this platform, today, is to support small and medium size businesses that do not work with agencies. Microsoft is exploring what a platform for agencies might look like.
Microsoft Advertising has also introduced a website creation service through Digital Marketing center for businesses that do not have one. It’s a free service where marketers or business owners can create a website. The Microsoft platform creates a business URL based on the company’s name.
Options to build the site include the ability to start from scratch or import data, information such as reviews, and photos from Facebook. When creating a site from scratch, it imports information like headline descriptions from the campaign to make it simple.
Business hours and address or phone number are listed at the bottom of the home page, pulled from other listings such as Facebook or campaigns.
There are other website-building options, such as GoDaddy and Wix, but Microsoft wanted a tool that enables SMBs to advertise through its Digital Marketing Center platform, with a way to immediately set up the site.
(12)