Introducing TikTok Messaging Ads: Where conversations fuel conversions

As TikTok evolves, we remain focused on creating new ways for brands to connect meaningfully with their community. That means building not just better content experiences, but better communication experiences as well—ones that feel direct, useful, and personal.

Today, we're expanding that vision with TikTok Messaging Ads, a new lead generation solution that helps businesses start real-time conversations with potential customers. With 41% of users having already contacted a business on TikTok,¹ Messaging Ads make it easier than ever to meet people where they're ready to connect, whether in TikTok Direct Messages or on their go-to messaging apps.

These interactions can support a range of outcomes, from product consultations and lead capture to appointment booking, customer support, and sales. With Messaging Ads, we're giving businesses a new way to show up, start a conversation, and move customers closer to action.

What are Messaging Ads?

TikTok Messaging Ads are designed to help businesses start meaningful conversations with prospective customers through their existing messaging channels.

For businesses, Messaging Ads unlock a new way to engage, whether that's offering a product consultation, collecting contact information, booking appointments, or simply making a personal connection. Advertisers can also automate parts of the conversation by setting up personalized chat prompts, such as frequently asked questions, to guide users toward quick and relevant responses.

There are two ways to run Messaging Ads, depending on your goals and where you want the conversation to take place:

• Direct Messaging Ads: Keep users inside the TikTok app. When someone taps the ad, they're taken straight into a direct message with your TikTok Business Account, making it easy to consult, connect, and convert in one seamless thread.

• Instant Messaging Ads: Redirect users to trusted third-party messaging platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp, Zalo and LINE. This format is ideal for brands that already use external messaging tools or CRMs and want to meet customers where they're most active.

Direct Messaging Ads

Instant Messaging Ads

Both formats are built for real-time engagement, giving advertisers a direct line to the people most likely to act.

Why use Messaging Ads?

In a performance-driven world, Messaging Ads offer a smarter, more direct way to connect with potential customers. They are perfect for advertisers looking to:

• Shorten the path to action. Two-way communication allows customers to quickly get what they need to make a decision and take action faster.

• Qualify leads immediately. High-quality leads only. Screen for prospects that are likely to convert immediately. No more long forms or rejected call-backs.

• Improve the customer experience. Be where your customers are and build lasting business relationships with new and existing customers for higher lifetime value.

Whether you're driving conversions, capturing leads, or building brand loyalty, Messaging Ads help turn conversations into measurable business outcomes with speed, scale, and impact.

Features for managing your brand's messages more efficiently

Messaging Ads on TikTok allow you to:

• Collect users' contact information automatically in direct messages.

• Configure relevant and personalized chat prompts, such as commonly asked questions, to help customers easily fire questions to them.

• Send automated direct messages to users who leave comments identified as high-commercial intent on your brand's posts.

To streamline the messaging process, we've also launched the TikTok Business Messaging API, which allows TikTok direct messages to be managed through messaging partners, and Messaging Events API, which enables event tracking, optimization, and reporting for improved campaign delivery and performance.²

Common use cases

Across industries, Messaging Ads make it easier for businesses to connect, convert, and keep customers—all in a space where conversations drive results. Common use cases include:

• Commerce: Provide consultation and address questions. Transactions may be completed in chat, or through other methods such as call-backs from sales departments or cash-on-delivery.

• Auto: Give guidance to potential buyers and arrange test-drives or other appointments. Conversions are completed in-store as test-drives and purchases.

• Beauty services: Perform consultations and arrange appointments for services. Transactions are completed in-store, with the main goals being store traffic and service purchases.

• Professional services: Qualify high-intent leads through a series of questions, to be reached out to by sales teams at a later time to close sales.

No matter the category, Messaging Ads give brands a direct line to their audience and the tools to turn a simple message into a valuable customer connection.

Messaging Ads best practices

To get the most out of your Messaging Ads, it's not just about setup—it's about execution. From creative strategy to response time, small tweaks can greatly impact results. Here are a few proven ways to drive stronger performance with Messaging Ads.

• Set Smart+ to default: By leveraging the power of AI, Smart+ automates the campaign process across targeting, optimization, and creativity, delivering the right ad to the right person with the best performance.

• Improve data quality: Mark messages as spam or block suspicious users directly within TikTok Direct Messages or through your connected Messaging Partner. Doing so helps TikTok better understand and filter out low-intent or harmful interactions, ultimately improving audience quality and optimizing delivery toward higher-value conversations.

• Reply within three minutes: Messages replied to within three minutes see up to 2.2X improvement in conversation engagement rate.³ Two tips to help do this: 1) Run ads during your operational hours; and 2) use automation tools, such as a 'Welcome Message Template' for Direct Messaging Ads, or a supported Messaging Partner.

• Align creative with CTA: Call out the action you'd like your audience to take in the caption or creative. Use "Message us" or "Get in touch" consistently across all elements to encourage users to initiate a conversation. This uniformity helps set clear expectations and guides users toward the desired action.

• Double check set-up for Instant Messaging Ads: Before launching, always review your setup to ensure the correct phone number or messaging destination, such as your Facebook Page, is linked to the associated Messaging Events Set. Small setup errors can lead to missed conversations and wasted ad spend.

Messaging Ads are designed to drive real-time conversations, and with the right approach, every message is a chance to build a connection, capture a lead, or close a sale.

Messaging Ads success stories

Messaging Ads are already delivering strong results for businesses across categories. By reaching out to customers, brands are lowering costs, improving lead quality, and increasing conversions through the power of conversation.

Linh Anh Beauty Clinic, a renowned Vietnamese beauty brand with 14 branches nationwide, introduced TikTok Direct Messaging Ads in late 2023. After just one month of testing, the clinic saw notable reductions in cost per acquisition (CPA) and cost per mille (CPM) and an increase in qualified lead conversion rates compared to its business-as-usual campaigns.

Meanwhile, Clyn Thailand, a beauty product business, launched a Direct Messaging Ads campaign in March 2024, targeting Thai customers aged 25 to 55+. By optimizing for conversations and using a mix of creatives, including product benefits, testimonials, and promotions, the brand achieved a 22.5% conversion rate and over 900 total conversations in a single week. Compared to a control campaign optimized for clicks, the strategy led to a 67% lower cost per conversation, driving more efficient results and sales opportunities.

The takeaway? When brands make it easy to start a conversation, customers are more likely to take action, and Messaging Ads help turn that action into measurable business growth.

Building the ecosystem

Messaging Partners are a valuable resource for businesses running TikTok Messaging Ads. These partners enable businesses to manage their customer-facing instant messaging interactions, including multi-user permissions, conversation labeling, advanced filtering, auto-reply, keyword-generated auto-replies, order and reservation management, and direct connection with CRMs. Messaging Partners help to:

• Centralize message management by integrating WhatsApp, Messenger, and TikTok Direct Messages into a single interface through the TikTok Business Messaging API.

• Optimize conversations through the TikTok Messaging Events API for improved performance tracking and reporting.

• Improve sales and consultation workflows by streamlining sales and consultations through advanced features like conversation labeling, filtering, auto-replies, order management, and CRM integration.

Learn more about our badged Messaging Partners here.

Where conversations drive conversions

TikTok Messaging Ads make it easy to turn conversations into results. Designed for real-time connection, they help brands show up at the right moment, deliver meaningful interactions, and move people closer to action.Ready to incorporate Messaging Ads into your marketing strategy? Check out our Help Center article now.

Note: Messaging Ads available in select markets.

1. TikTok Marketing Science Click-to-X Survey via AYTM, September 2023. Base: TikTok MAUs 18+ [PQ1] (n=360)

2. TikTok Business Messaging API and Messaging Events API are currently in beta testing, with global availability coming soon.

3. TikTok Internal Data, 2024