The essentials
- Buying: through Microsoft Advertising campaigns.
- Markets: Copilot ads run in English, French and German markets.
- Formats: text ads plus newer formats Microsoft has piloted, such as Showroom ads.
- Claim to check: Microsoft says ad relevance in Copilot is 25% better than traditional search; this is Microsoft's own research.
Why B2B should look
- Corporate Windows users often have Bing and Copilot as defaults.
- LinkedIn profile targeting in Microsoft Advertising narrows by company, industry and job function.
How to measure
- Give Microsoft campaigns their own UTMs and conversion action.
- Don't expect a separate Copilot placement report; judge the campaign as a whole.
- Use company identification to see which accounts arrive.
Where it fits next to ChatGPT ads
Microsoft offers audience precision; ChatGPT offers topic control inside the conversation. A B2B test can run both and compare them on in-profile companies. ChatGPT ads vs Microsoft Ads.
What to check in your Microsoft account
- Which campaigns are eligible for Copilot placements.
- Whether LinkedIn profile targeting is applied to your search campaigns.
- Separate conversion actions and UTMs for Microsoft.
- Company identification on landing pages.
Questions
Do Copilot ads appear in Microsoft 365 Copilot at work?
Microsoft's ad formats described here relate to Copilot consumer and search experiences. Check Microsoft Advertising's current documentation for where ads serve.
Is Copilot worth a separate budget?
Not yet as a separate line. Treat it as part of your Microsoft Advertising test.
How do we know if Copilot brings visitors?
Look for Copilot referrals in analytics and identified companies from Microsoft campaigns.
Why Copilot is worth watching for B2B
Copilot sits close to where business users work: in Windows, in the Edge browser and alongside Microsoft's search. As more work-related research happens there, ads and answers in Copilot will matter more for B2B. Advertisers who already run well-structured Microsoft campaigns will be ready when that happens.
What to do now
- Run a modest Microsoft Advertising campaign with your best search keywords.
- Apply LinkedIn profile targeting where it fits.
- Track Copilot answers for your buyer questions as part of AI visibility.
Start here: Display advertising vs AI ads. More articles in AI ads vs other channels.