How to drive conversions with TikTok messaging ads

TikTok has quickly grown into one of the world’s most influential platforms. For brands, TikTok is a marketplace of discovery where consumers can actively explore new products and services.  With over 1.6 billion monthly active users worldwide and some of the highest engagement rates across social media,TikTok Ads tap on this to give businesses the chance to connect with a global audience that’s young, engaged, and ready to buy.

While traditional click-to-website ads often lose attention in the handover from TikTok to a landing page, TikTok Messaging Ads change the game. By keeping prospects inside the app and letting them message your business instantly, you shorten the customer journey, remove barriers, and turn interest into real conversations.

So, what exactly are TikTok Messaging Ads, and why are they becoming the go-to format for businesses selling high-value products and services? Let’s break it down.

What are TikTok Messaging Ads?

TikTok Messaging Ads are a powerful ad format that lets people message your business directly within the TikTok app. Instead of clicking away to a landing page, users tap Send message on your ad and start chatting through TikTok’s built-in direct messaging feature.

There are two types of messaging ads:

• TikTok Instant Messaging Ads redirect users to third-party apps like WhatsApp or Messenger.

• TikTok Direct Messaging Ads keep the entire conversation inside TikTok.

Both options dramatically shorten the path to action by starting a conversation, so they can ask questions, get answers, and move towards purchase in a single flow.

Benefits of TikTok Messaging Ads

TikTok Messaging Ads, whether through instant messaging apps or direct messaging within TikTok, are designed to remove friction and get prospects chatting with your business immediately. By replacing the traditional click-to-website journey with direct, two-way conversations, they make it easier for customers to engage and convert.

Key benefits:

• Shorter customer journey: Prospects skip landing pages and connect with you instantly, whether inside TikTok or in their preferred chat app.

• Higher engagement: Real-time messaging encourages interaction and builds trust faster than static ads.

• Personalised conversations: Customers can ask in-depth questions and receive instant, relevant responses.

• Lower drop-off rates: Fewer steps mean more prospects stay engaged until purchase.

• App flexibility: With two types of ads to choose from, you can keep conversations in TikTok for seamless discovery or redirect to apps your business already uses.

• Better conversion tracking: Every chat is a measurable event that feeds data back into TikTok Ads Manager to optimise the algorithm for precise targeting.

How to create a TikTok Messaging Ad

Setting up a TikTok Messaging Ad is simple inside TikTok Ads Manager. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose your advertising objective

• In TikTok Ads Manager, click Create campaign.

• Under Objectives, select Lead generation.

• For the lead method, choose Direct messages or phone calls.

Step 2: Set up your campaign

• Select Lead generation as the objective.

• Select Manual campaign for more control, or Smart+ campaign to let TikTok auto-optimise.

• Name your campaign clearly for tracking.

Step 3: Optimisation and bidding

• Pick where you want to collect leads:

  • TikTok direct messages to keep chats in TikTok

  • Instant messaging apps like WhatsApp or Messenger
    Phone call if you prefer direct calls.

• Set your goal (e.g. Conversations).

• If using an external app like WhatsApp, enter your registered number.

Step 4: Define your budget and schedule

• Choose a daily or total budget.

• Set start and end dates (or run continuously).
  Configure audience targeting (location, age, languages, and interests).

Step 5: Create your ad

• Upload your videos or images.

• Choose your destination (TikTok direct messages or instant messaging apps).
  Set your call to action (use Send message).

• Preview the ad to check formatting, then click Publish all.

Your TikTok Messaging Ad is now live and ready to bring in high-intent conversations!

Best practices for TikTok Messaging Ads

Running TikTok Messaging Ads is not a one-time setup but a continuous process of optimising over time. Here are some best practices to maximise results:

1. Test creatives with A/B testing – Try different video hooks, captions, and CTAs, then compare results.

2. Track messaging events – Define milestones like asked for pricing or requested a quote to understand funnel drop-offs.

3. Optimise with TikTok Pixel and API – Feed back lower-funnel events (like chats and sales) to improve targeting.

4. Qualify leads with AI agents – Take the burden off your team and use AI agents to filter low-intent chats and escalate hot leads to your sales representatives.

5. Retarget engaged users – Re-engage and nurture prospects who have messaged you but have yet to convert with follow-up offers.

6. Monitor response time – Fast replies boost lead qualification and conversion rates. Using auto-replies, as well as a tool to track your response time such as SleekFlow can help you improve this metric.

Maximise the conversions from your TikTok Messaging Ads with SleekFlow

With TikTok Messaging Ads, every click on Send message becomes a lead, but without the right system, many of those conversations slip through the cracks. As one of the first omnichannel messaging platforms to collaborate with TikTok, SleekFlow helps you capture, qualify, and convert leads at scale.

Integrating your TikTok with SleekFlow turns TikTok chats into a reliable conversion channel. Discover how this integration works here: TikTok Business Messaging Integration.When you use SleekFlow to manage your TikTok messaging ads, you unlock key benefits that drive measurable results:

Instant First Reply: AI agents handle the first reply instantly, ensuring rapid engagement with every lead.

Shared Inbox Management: Your team manages every enquiry efficiently from a unified, shared inbox.

Performance Optimisation: Conversion data flows back to TikTok Ads Manager to optimise future campaigns and ad spend.

Capture, Qualify, and Convert: You move beyond scattered enquiries to systematically capture, qualify, and convert leads at scale, ensuring every ad dollar drives measurable results.