Baidu Union: The Baidu Display Ad Network (BDN) Explained
The Baidu Display Ad Network (百青藤, Baidu Baiqingteng) aka Baidu Union is a vast network of over 600,000 websites, apps, and channels. Similar to the Google display network, Baidu Union allows marketers to increase brand awareness among a larger variety of consumers in China and drive traffic in the Chinese market.
We get and answer many questions about this powerful marketing tool, so in this article, let’s find out which platforms belong to the Baidu Display Ad Network, and how to get your content displayed there.
Let’s jump right in.
The Chinese Online Landscape
As you know, Baidu is the Google of China and the most relevant search engine in the country, but have you ever heard of Baidu Union? Let us explain.
What is Baidu Union?
The Baidu Display Ad Network aka Baidu Union allows brands to display their ads beyond the Baidu search engine and serve a specific target audience on a variety of websites and apps. Here, diverse ad formats are displayed like
- native ads,
- immersive video ads,
- splash ads,
- and mini-program ads.
The whole Baidu Display Ad Network includes more than 600,000 platforms, allowing advertisers to engage with a large variety of users on different channels, and is widely used by marketers in China for brand promotion, audience retargeting, and driving conversions.
The benefits of distributing ads in the network include an extensive reach across various demographics, diverse formats tailored to each platform, and high visibility on China’s most visited and trusted websites.
The Baidu Union Ecosystem
Led by Baidu-owned platforms, the following sites are the most prominent ones included in the Baidu network. You can access them and distribute your ads via a Baidu advertising account.
All of this can be overwhelming and confusing (we get it), and there are even more tools to help with that and assist with running ads, for example, Baidu Analytics.
Within the Baidu advertising account, Baidu Guanxingpan (百度观星盘), which translates to “Baidu Star Watching Platform,” helps advertisers to monitor user behavior, track ad performance, and optimize marketing campaigns.
Then, Baidu Jimuyu is a landing page builder for Baidu ads that doesn’t require coding knowledge.
The top websites on the Baidu Display Ad Network are the following:
Baidu’s Owned Media Platforms
- Baidu Search: Baidu’s main search engine platform, 676 million monthly active users (MAU)
- Haokan Video (好看视频): A video platform for streaming and sharing content
- Baidu News (新闻): A news aggregation and distribution platform
- Baidu Tieba (贴吧): Largest community platform with more than 3.5 billion daily page views
- Baidu Cloud (百度云): Baidu’s cloud storage and file-sharing service
- Du Xiaoman (度小满): Baidu’s financial product, e.g. for loans
- Baidu Netdisk (百度网盘): Personal cloud storage service
Baidu Search: news feed ads channel
Baidu’s Network Alliance
Informational Platforms
- Toutiao (头条): News aggregation and content platform, 292 million MAU
- Sohu (搜狐): News and media website, two million MAU
- Zaker (Z): Personalized news aggregation app, with 190 million users
Fiction/Reading Platforms
- QQ Reading (QQ小说): Platform for reading novels and other content, 562 million MAU
- Duokan (多看): E-book reading platform
- Jinjiang Literature City (晋江文学): Fiction reading platform with seven million users
Video Platforms
- Mango TV (芒果TV): Video streaming platform
- PPTV (PPTV): Video-on-demand and live streaming platform, 300 million MAU
- iQIYI (爱奇艺): Major online video platform, 530 million MAU
Mobile Phone Manufacturers
- Huawei (华为): Smartphone and technology manufacturer
- Xiaomi (小米): Electronics and smartphone manufacturer
- Vivo (维沃): Smartphone brand
Various Platforms
- Baidu Netdisk (百度云): Cloud storage and file management services
- Baidu Input (百度输入法): Language input editor
- Baidu Maps (百度地图): Navigation and mapping service, 581 million MAU
Example: Novel-reading platform on Baidu Tieba and Baidu News
Example: Promo for brands like Chanel on Baidu App’s Video Channel and Baidu Haokan Video
Next, let’s take a look at some real-life examples.
Case Studies
Here are a few examples directly from Baidu Union.
Qimao is one of the most popular novel-reading platforms in China. In just six months of using the Baidu Display Ad Network, Qimao’s traffic increased by 40% and the revenue doubled.
New Wave Media partnered with Baidu JuScreen to create an “AI + Elevator Media” platform. The Baidu Display Ad Network meant more than 68 million daily ad impressions were generated and more than 200 million people were reached daily.
Shanghai 2345—a platform offering PC, mobile web (WAP), and app-based services—was one of the BDN’s first users. The platform extensively utilized its services with impressive results, including more than 20 million daily active users and one billion ad exposures each day.
Now that you understand the basics of the Baidu Display Ad Network, let’s look at some frequent questions to deepen your understanding of this service and its benefits.
FAQ: Baidu Display Ad Network
Can I distribute all Baidu ad types through Baidu Union?
No, only Baidu Display Ads (images, videos, interactive media). Banner ads are the most popular format within Baidu Union. Certain ad formats like Baidu PPC search ads are not integrated into Baidu Union. Find out more about the Baidu ad formats here.
Do I have to create separate ads for the Baidu Display Ad Network, or can I share an existing Baidu ad to even more platforms?
You can share existing Baidu ads to the network partners with minimal adjustments. However, we recommend optimizing creatives for the specific platforms within to align with the formats and resonate with the target audience.
How much does it cost to spread Baidu ads through Baidu Union? Is there a minimum ad spend or setup/access fee?
The cost to run ads through the platform network depends on the bidding strategy (CPC, CPM, CPD) and the target audience. It is billed separately, there’s no fixed minimum spend, but customized ads can only be created by contacting Baidu.
Which ROI can I expect?
Typically, the platforms on the Baidu Display Ad Network are used to raise brand awareness. Whether this is achieved or not, depends on your specific goal, budget, and ad creative. Normally, brands with popular products or services can expect strong brand visibility and competitive click-through rates.
How do advertisers choose the platforms of Baidu Union to distribute their ads?
Advertisers select the platforms based on their campaign goals and budget. Within this, they may consider which audience they want to reach, user interests, and behavior. For this, Baidu offers a practical targeting tool and Baidu’s AI can also automate distribution to maximize the impact.
Are there any restrictions for brands to appear in the Baidu Display Ad Network?
Advertisers must comply with Chinese Internet regulations and Baidu guidelines. Sensitive industries like healthcare or finance require specific attention to meet regulations.
As a global marketer outside of China, can I access Baidu Union or do I need to hire an agency?
Baidu Union may only be accessed through or in collaboration with an agency. An experienced Baidu agency can help global marketers navigate the complexities of ad regulations, content localization, and audience insights effectively.
Which user demographic can I reach through Baidu Union?
The platforms reach a diverse Chinese demographic, including urban professionals, tech-savvy youth, and middle-income consumers. Precise targeting options allow marketers to segment these users based on various factors, including interests, behavior, and location.
What are the advantages of using the Baidu Display Ad Network compared to competitors like Tencent, Alibaba, or Douyin?
Baidu Union ads can be shown on Tencent, Alibaba, and Douyin platforms (and vice versa).
Which types of brands or industries particularly benefit from showing up in the BDN?
Baidu Display Ads are very beneficial for branding purposes.
How should Baidu ads in the Baidu Display Ad Network be integrated with other China marketing efforts for a comprehensive digital strategy?
The Baidu Union network is ideal for boosting brand awareness and increasing traffic. Keep in mind that this requires an extra budget. Baidu Tieba and Zhihu are integral parts of a comprehensive China marketing strategy. What’s most important is that the key value propositions, brand voice, and visual identity of the ad correspond with the target platform of the network.
The Takeaway
The Baidu Display Ad Network aka Baidu Union refers to a variety of Baidu-owned and non-Baidu-owned platforms where advertisers can further distribute their Baidu ads. Like Google Display Network, various ad formats like images, videos, and rich media are supported to increase brand awareness among a diverse audience and drive traffic. That being said, banner ads are the most common.
E-commerce and consumer product brands benefit most from the more than 600,000 platforms on Baidu Union, and global and domestic marketers can place ads on Baidu’s various partner websites, vastly extending the reach of their advertising beyond the search engine itself. However, a Baidu advertising agency and a separate budget are required.
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