With Baidu's dominance in the Chinese search and advertising space, video ads provide an effective way to increase brand visibility and engagement in a mobile-first market. This guide walks you through the process of setting up video ads on Baidu, from account creation to campaign optimization.

TL;DR: Setting up video ads on Baidu involves creating a Baidu PPC account, designing a video campaign, configuring targeting, uploading high-quality video content, and monitoring performance.

Why use video ads on Baidu?

Video advertising on Baidu opens the door to a huge audience base, as Baidu offers access to a network that includes Baidu Video, Baidu App, and Baidu’s extensive partner sites.

As video consumption increases in China, leveraging video ads on Baidu provides an ideal way to engage audiences more visually and persuasively than text or static ads.

Step-by-step guide to setting up Baidu video ads

Step 1: Create a Baidu advertising account

Register Your Account: Visit Baidu Tuiguang to create a PPC account. To complete registration, provide necessary documents, such as your business license. Foreign companies may need to submit additional documents.

Verify payment method: Set up a payment method like bank transfer, Alipay, or credit card to fund your account and start your campaigns.

Create an account on e.baidu.com (2024)

Step 2: Design your video ad campaign

Access Baidu ads manager: Once registered, navigate to Baidu Ads Manager and select “新建计划” (Create New Campaign) under the video advertising section.

Define campaign settings: Choose your campaign’s primary goal, whether it's brand awareness, lead generation, or driving traffic. Naming conventions, targeting settings, and bid strategy will help you organize and prioritize ad groups within your campaign.

Step 3: Target your audience

Set up targeting options: Baidu offers keyword targeting as well as demographic filters (e.g., age, location, gender). Use Baidu’s keyword suggestion tool to help refine your list. Tailoring your ad’s reach will maximize engagement by showing it to relevant audiences.

Choose placement types: Baidu lets you specify placements, such as the Baidu App, Baidu Video, and third-party sites within Baidu’s ecosystem. This flexibility ensures your video ads reach users on both mobile and desktop platforms.

Step 4: Upload video creatives

Prepare video assets: Ensure your video adheres to Baidu’s requirements, such as a minimum of 5 seconds and a maximum of 30 seconds (for certain ad types). Videos should be optimized for Chinese viewers and include subtitles if necessary.

Create a compelling visual story: Use high-quality, visually engaging content that resonates with your audience. Localize the content, using Simplified Chinese and culturally relevant themes to increase viewer retention.

Set landing pages: Provide URLs for both desktop and mobile versions, ensuring these are optimized for users in China with localized content and fast load speeds. Chinafy can help you to optimize your landing page for China.

Step 5: Launch and Monitor Your Campaign

Review campaign details: Before going live, review your campaign settings, video content, and targeting configurations. Make sure the ad complies with Baidu’s guidelines and policies.

Monitor performance with Baidu analytics: Once live, track metrics like view-through rate (VTR), engagement rate, and conversion rates. Baidu Tongji (Baidu Analytics) offers tools to monitor ad performance and make data-driven adjustments.

Tips for effective video ads on Baidu

Optimize for mobile: With mobile being the dominant platform, ensure video ads are mobile-friendly and configured with mobile bid adjustments to maximize reach.

Use localized landing pages: Tailor landing pages to Chinese audiences by localizing the content and ensuring fast load speeds optimized for China’s unique internet environment.

Experiment with ad length and formats: Short-form content often performs best in digital video. Test different video lengths and layouts to see which version resonates most with your audience.

Use Baidu’s tools for continuous optimization: Tools like Baidu Tongji help you measure key performance metrics, adjust bids, and optimize targeting to improve ROI.

Stay compliant with Baidu’s advertising guidelines: Familiarize yourself with Baidu’s ad policies to avoid prohibited content and sensitive topics that could lead to ad disapproval.

Key takeaways for video ad success on Baidu

Create a Baidu advertising account with valid documentation and a verified payment method.

Design a video ad campaign by defining objectives, targeting, and placements in Baidu Ads Manager.

Upload high-quality, localized video creatives optimized for mobile and designed to resonate with Chinese viewers.

Monitor and optimize your campaign to improve engagement and reach your advertising goals.

Using Baidu video ads to expand your brand reach in China is a powerful strategy, especially in today’s highly visual digital landscape. With video ads, you can engage users in a dynamic, immersive format that fosters higher engagement and strengthens your brand presence in the Chinese market.

For assistance in launching video ads on Baidu or optimizing your China website performance, reach out to Chinafy. Chinafy partners with Baidu SEM experts to help businesses set up compliant, high-performance campaigns that captivate Chinese audiences and deliver measurable results.