How to master TikTok Lead Generation Ads & get more leads

TikTok recently launched a new kind of ad objective: TikTok Lead Generation. This new feature, which works very similarly to Facebook Lead Ads, allows marketers advertising on TikTok to have a seamless and frictionless interaction with their potential customers directly on the TikTok platform.

Curious to know more about TikTok lead forms? Then keep reading.

In this article, you will gather an overall understanding of TikTok Lead Generation ads: what they are, how they work, and their benefits for all businesses. Then, you will learn how to set up a TikTok Lead Generation campaign and generate TikTok leads thanks to a step-by-step process overview.

If you’d like to search for a specific integration between TikTok Lead Generation and your favorite marketing tool, you can easily do so yourself by typing in your desired destination below.

Why is lead generation on TikTok the new marketer’s dream?

Despite its great success, a lot of marketers are still skeptical about TikTok, thinking “Is it really where the cool kids are at?”. To answer this question: yeah, mostly. Over the past few years it has evolved from being the place where kids used to go for funny dances and easy entertainment, to a literal goldmine for marketers in all fields.

But let’s make the numbers speak for themselves. Here are a few TikTok business statistics that you should know in 2024.

TikTok ranks as the 5th most popular social platform in the world

TikTok is amongst the most used social media platforms in the world. In terms of monthly active users, it ranks just behind Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

TikTok is the #1 downloaded app in more than 40 countries

TikTok has skyrocketed to international stardom at incredible speed and is currently reigning as the top downloaded app across over 40 nations. With its availability in over 150 markets and support for 35 languages, its global reach is undeniable.

TikTok generates greater audience engagement

We’ve all fallen under its spell at least once. You just can’t stop scrolling! But TikTok’s addictive nature can actually be a great advantage for businesses, allowing them to gain the attention of a younger audience with a specific psychographic interest.

It’s been shown that TikTok creates a pleasurable experience for viewers, so much so that it makes them more receptive to brand messaging and calls-to-action. According to TikTok, 90% of users say that the app brings happiness into their day, as it never gets boring.

As you can see, it’s never been a better time to crack the platform; if you want to rest safe knowing that the content you create will do your brand justice, you can always use TikTok templates.

So, whether you’re selling services or products, investing in TikTok Lead Ads can be a great way for your brand to reach a highly engaged group of users and easily turn them into paying customers with your offer. And this is where TikTok Lead Generation comes in: to make this process even easier, for both you and your potential customers. Let’s learn how.

How to generate more TikTok leads with TikTok Lead Ads

TikTok Ads can be made through immersive, vertical, short-form videos and now – with TikTok Lead Generation Ads – TikTok offers a new first-party solution, that can help businesses reach more leads and drive conversions effortlessly.

TikTok is by nature an immersive, highly engaging platform, where it’s extremely easy to generate interest and create connections. With TikTok Lead Ads, TikTok has come up with an original way for businesses to connect with their target audiences to grow their customer base and drive revenue.

TikTok Lead Generation Ads allow your potential customers to share their contact information with you directly on the TikTok platform, without having to go to a different landing page and wait for it to load. This way, you are able to publish an in-feed video ad that is connected with an Instant Form. This form is already pre-populated with some of the basic user’s info – that are gathered from their TikTok profile – and can also be fully customized according to your industry, marketing needs, and business scenario.

TikTok Lead Ads are a great solution for all businesses who are looking to expand their reach and learn more about their audience, by gathering lead data very quickly and easily, which allows them to act on their prospects immediately.

Here are some other tips to help you get leads on TikTok.

Add a clickable link to your bio

This is a best practice for all social media platforms, and TikTok is no less. When a user sees your content by chance and finds it interesting, the first thing they do is check your bio. 

Use your bio as a business card and add a clickable link to help you drive your TikTok traffic to your own domain or landing page. When used effectively, clickable links in your bio can help generate new leads, generate subscribers for your email newsletters, invite users to your brand events, and much more.

Note: This feature is still in beta and not available for all TikTok accounts. However, you might get access to this feature by joining TikTok’s Testers Program.

Take advantage of TikTok challenges

Another great way to increase awareness and get leads on TikTok is to join both organic and sponsored TikTok challenges.

A TikTok challenge going viral can really put your brand in front of thousands of potential customers. If you want to target a younger audience, you should definitely add TikTok challenges to your lead generation strategy on TikTok.

You can either participate in an existing popular TikTok challenge or launch your own TikTok branded challenge. Get some TikTok followers and ask them to share the challenge to boost reach.

Partner with TikTok influencers

Creating a partnership with TikTok influencers can help you reach a larger audience, generate high-quality leads, and increase the ROI of your marketing efforts. As a matter of fact, reports show that influencer marketing has an 11% higher ROI than traditional marketing channels.

However – when it comes to lead generation on TikTok – it’s best to work with micro-influencers. This is because they usually have a better engagement rate than influencers with millions of followers.

Micro-influencers will reach a smaller audience, but – since they are in fact fewer in number – can build more personal relationships with their fans. Their followers are more authentic and present a better opportunity for generating quality leads.

The benefits of TikTok Lead Generation Ads

Essentially, with Ads becoming more and more competitive – not to mention, expensive – on all social media platforms, TikTok Lead Generation qualifies as an additional and extremely valuable way to generate more leads and sales.

TikTok Lead Generation is offering a cheaper alternative that proves to be extremely beneficial from many points of view.

1. Mobile-optimized solution

The great majority of TikTok users go to the app from a mobile device. So, having an Instant Form within the TikTok app allows your potential customers to learn about your brand and answer to your questions directly on TikTok – which takes away the frustration of being redirected to an outside landing page that takes a while to load and is probably not mobile-optimized.

TikTok Lead Generation Ads make the process of sharing information – for your leads – and gathering information – for you – a lot smoother. This is especially true when you implement automation into your lead management system with a tool like LeadsBridge to sync incoming leads with your CRM in real time.

2. Pre-populated fields

When creating TikTok lead forms, you can choose for certain fields to be pre-populated with the users’ basic information (like Name, Email, and Phone Number). This information is gathered directly from the users’ profiles, which they have previously provided to TikTok with consent.

This feature guarantees a safe and efficient experience between your business and your leads, making it easier for them to share their information.

3. Customizable forms

You are free to choose which questions you want to ask your audience inside the form. This feature allows you to focus on the information that is most relevant to your business.

4. Access your lead data right away

The fact that leads share information so easily allows you to collect it quick and easy as well, which means you get to act on it immediately. Now, you have two ways: you can either download your lead data from TikTok and upload it into your CRM manually; or you can sync TikTok Lead Generation to your CRM through LeadsBridge and automate lead data transfer.

That’s right: LeadsBridge is an official TikTok partner, providing a seamless lead generation experience to all marketers advertising on TikTok. Our integrations allow you to connect TikTok Lead Generation to your CRM, email marketing software, autoresponder, or any other marketing tool of your choice, so that lead data gets synced from one platform to another automatically, safely, and in real time.

Having lead data always synced and updated inside your marketing stack allows you to:

• Act on your prospects immediately, by nurturing them with your offer;
• Forget about manual downloads and uploads of CSV files;
• Streamline your marketing and sales automation.

Here are a few of our most popular integrations for TikTok Lead Generation.

That’s a no-brainer.

Explore all our integrations for TikTok Lead Generation!

Does TikTok work with a pixel?

Yes, you do need to install a TikTok pixel in order to run targeted ads and effectively track conversions on TikTok. 

What is a TikTok pixel?

Just as the Facebook pixel, the TikTok pixel is an HTML code snippet that tracks users’ actions and behaviors across your website. It’s added to your site through your backend dashboard and uses data and cookies to track users and serve them relevant ads on TikTok based on how they interacted with your content. 

Is TikTok pixel free?

Again, yes. The TikTok pixel is free and can be installed by anyone who has a TikTok Ads account. If you’d like to learn more about the TikTok pixel, you can take a look at this article: How to use TikTok Pixel: TikTok conversions tracking.

Use case scenarios for different industries

Now that you know what TikTok Lead Generation is, how it works and why it’s so beneficial, you might be interested in learning exactly how it could benefit a specific industry. Here are some practical ways in which different businesses could use TikTok Lead Ads.

Automotive

You can use TikTok lead forms to ask interested potential buyers to schedule an appointment for a test drive at your car dealership. Or, you can showcase a new car model with the video ad and use the instant form to invite the users to visit your website. See all our automotive integrations here.

Education

TikTok Lead Generation Ads can help you share information about your institute’s programs and courses with prospective students and encourage them to visit your website after they submit your form. See all our integrations for the Education industry.

Retail

You can use TikTok Lead Generation to advertise to your potential customers the advantages of submitting to your loyalty program and then create a form where people can easily sign up. See all our integrations for the Retail industry.

Ecommerce

You can use TikTok ads as a storefront for your products, allowing buyers to purchase them in just a few clicks. By putting product links directly in your TikTok ads, you allow consumers to purchase instantly, as soon as they see your products in their feed. Then you can use TikTok lead forms to instantly collect users’ information and upsell or cross sell, according to their recent purchase. See all our integrations for Ecommerce.

Real estate

You can use TikTok Lead Generation to give users a sneak peek into your listings and then use TikTok lead forms to get users to sign up to get a free tour of your listings. See all our integrations for the Real Estate industry.

How to set up TikTok Lead Generation

Now that we’ve covered all the basics, let’s take a closer look at how to set up TikTok Lead Generation with a step by step guide.

1. Start a Lead Generation Campaign

To get started on TikTok Lead Generation, you have to log into your TikTok Ads Manager. If you don’t have a business profile yet, you can easily create one. And no, you don’t need to have a TikTok profile to use TikTok Ads.

Once you’re logged in, go to Campaign and click Create. Then, select Lead Generation as your Advertising Objective and click Continue.

2. Build an Ad Group

Under Targeting you can only select audiences over 18 years old. Then, use a Custom Audience to reach potential customers who have interacted with your brand in the past or exclude current customers.

Under Bidding & Optimization enter a bid price for your cost per lead. Here, and you can also set a daily Ad Group budget, that is at least 10x your bid amount.

3. Create the Ad

Once this is set up, you can start creating your Ad following these steps:

• Add your video by clicking +Upload, + From Library or + Create;
• Enter your Ad Details, which include Display Name, Text, Call to Action and Profile Image.

4. Create an Instant Form

Go under Instant Form and click Create. Here you can choose a template for your form: select Advanced Form if your goal is to highlight your products; or select Classic Form if you’re only interested in asking questions.

5. Prepare the Form

Choose a Name for your campaign by clicking the little edit sign. Click Settings and select your preferred language from the drop down menu. Then click Content to choose a form type: select More Volume to make it easier for users to complete and submit the form right away; or select Higher Intent if you want to give users the opportunity to review the information they enter.

6. Customize the Form

Once your form template is ready, you can customize the following sections of your form according to your business needs:

• Under Brand Image upload the image that you want to appear in your form’s header;
• Under Form Style choose a color scheme for your form, which can be Light, Dark or Smart;
• The optional field called Introduction allows you to add some extra context about your form, such as Logo, Displayed Name, Headline, and Promotional Slogan;

• Under Question you are required to specify why you’re collecting users’ information, by typing in a Purpose Statement. Then, you can add up to 10 custom questions, choosing between Short Answer, Multiple Choice and Appointment Scheduling. Finally, under Personal Information, you can pick the fields you’d like to have already pre-populated on your form;

• Under Privacy add your Company Name and a link to your company’s Privacy Policy;

• The field Review Screen allows users to review the information they submit and is only required if you selected a High Intent form type at step 5;
• The field Thank You Screen allows you to tell users what will happen next. Include a Headline, Description, Button Text and Website URL. Advanced Forms support links to both app stores and websites.

You’re all set! Now preview your form and then click Complete.

7. Review and publish your Form

Take a moment to go over your Ad and Instant Form one last time, just to make sure it all looks good. Then, when you’re ready, click Submit to publish your TikTok Lead Generation campaign.

And voilà, that’s how you set up TikTok Lead Ads like a pro!

TikTok lead generation forms best practices

Here are some TikTok lead generation forms best practices to help you optimize your advertising efforts on TikTok:

Clear and compelling CTA

• Be direct: Use clear and concise language that tells users exactly what you want them to do.
• Offer value: Highlight what users will get in return for providing their information, such as exclusive content, discounts, or a free trial.

Mobile-friendly design

• Simple layout: Ensure the form is easy to fill out on a mobile device, with large touch targets and minimal scrolling.
• Short and sweet: Keep the form short, asking only for essential information to reduce friction and increase completion rates.

Engaging visuals

• High-quality content: Use high-quality images and videos that capture attention and convey your message effectively.
• Brand consistency: Ensure the visuals align with your brand identity to create a cohesive experience.

Personalization

• Tailored messages: Personalize the form and follow-up communication based on user behavior and interests.
• Dynamic content: Use TikTok’s capabilities to create dynamic and interactive content that resonates with your target audience.

Incentivize submissions

• Exclusive offers: Provide incentives such as discounts, freebies, or entry into a contest to encourage users to fill out the form.
• Clear benefits: Clearly communicate the benefits of signing up to motivate users.

Seamless integration

• CRM and email integration: Ensure the lead generation form is integrated with your CRM and email marketing tools for efficient lead management and follow-up.
• Automated responses: Set up automated responses to acknowledge submissions and provide next steps.

Compliance and privacy

• Transparency: Be transparent about how you will use the information collected and assure users of their privacy.
• Opt-in options: Include clear opt-in options for users to consent to receiving further communication.

Testing and optimization

• A/B testing: Continuously test different headlines, visuals, CTAs, and form lengths to determine what works best.
• Analyze performance: Regularly review analytics to understand form performance and make necessary adjustments.

Leverage TikTok features

• Interactive elements: Use TikTok’s interactive features like polls, quizzes, and challenges to engage users and drive them to the lead form.
• Influencer partnerships: Collaborate with influencers to reach a broader audience and add credibility to your lead generation efforts.

Follow-up strategy

• Timely follow-up: Respond promptly to leads with personalized messages to keep them engaged.
• Nurture campaigns: Develop a series of follow-up emails or messages to nurture leads through the sales funnel.

By following these TikTok lead generation forms best practices, you can effectively use TikTok to capture high-quality leads and drive meaningful engagement with your audience.

Manage leads with TikTok Leads Center

Once you have your TikTok lead forms up and running, you can unlock the full potential of your TikTok Ads campaigns with TikTok Leads Center.

Leads Center is a lead management tool that enables you to organize and manage leads directly from your TikTok Ad account. Say goodbye to the chaotic world of spreadsheets and stay ahead with organized, accessible data – right within your TikTok account.

TikTok Leads Center empowers you to to streamline your lead generation process with the following features:

• Tap into the lead lifecycle: Monitor each stage from initial contact to final conversion with dynamic lead tracking.
• Assign custom tags: Use custom labels for a hyper-organized view.
• Attach specific notes: Jot down note-worthy instructions on individual lead profiles to personalize your follow-ups.
• Designate team members to follow up: Allocate assignees with ease, ensuring every lead is nurtured by the right team member.
• Sort leads swiftly: Use advanced filters to sort through leads by status, tailor-made tags, or by date.

Learn more about how to manage your leads with TikTok Leads Center.

Sync TikTok Lead Generation with your CRM through our integrations

There’s one more thing you have to do, to really generate sales from these leads: connect TikTok Lead Generation with your CRM or email marketing software through LeadsBridge and never have to worry about manual downloads and uploads of lead data. If you’d like to see an example on how to create a bridge between TikTok and a marketing tool of your choice, you can check out our guide on how to integrate TikTok Lead Generation with LeadsBridge.

Thanks to our integrations, lead data gets synced automatically, in real time, at all times, which allows you to get in touch immediately with your prospects, therefore increasing your chances for conversion.

Learn more about our TikTok integrations!

Final thoughts

With the TikTok Lead Generation ad objective, generating leads on TikTok has never been so easy. This new feature allows you to collect your prospects’ info directly on the platform, without redirecting them to an external landing page.

The TikTok lead forms are already pre-populated with the users’ basic info from their TikTok account, and you can customize them by adding whatever fields you wish.

This lets you reduce the time and friction associated with filling out a form on a different landing page, allowing you to increase your chances for a successful conversion.

TikTok Lead Generation can then be easily integrated with your favorite CRM or other marketing tool thanks to LeadsBridge. This way, your newly acquired leads will be sent to your CRM automatically and in real time, allowing you to work on them with your offer right away, before the competition.

Start automating with LeadsBridge for free!