Telegram is one of the most popular instant messaging platforms today, after WhatsApp. It represents an excellent communication opportunity for companies, thanks to the groups and especially the channels that allow them to communicate in one direction and send notifications to subscribers. Telegram also offers the possibility of creating sponsored ads thanks to the Telegram Ads (or also Telegram Promote) platform, which is still in beta phase for now.
Telegram ads follow the text vocation of messages that are used on the platform and are posted in other channels and bots. Like Facebook Ads, Telegram Ads also allows for audience segmentation based on interests and also allows for audience building from other similar channels.
However, the entry threshold is high, and at this stage the initial investment is at least €2,000,000, but an investment of at least €10,000,000 is strongly recommended. However, it is worth considering because interesting scenarios may develop in the coming months.
How to open an advertising account on Telegram Ads and requirements
The basic requirement for opening a Telegram Ads account is, of course, to have a public Telegram channel. At this point, simply log on to the platform, fill in the required data and start creating the new listing.
In order to get started, the other section to be filled out is the payment section. Here we find the mode, total and type of advertiser (direct or agency), as well as amounts and costs.
How to create content and ads
The campaign creation panel on Telegram is very simple. Here we can indicate the name of the campaign, the sponsored channel, the total amount and the maximum CPM.
The advertising message is in text format only, cannot exceed 160 characters including spaces, and emoji and emoticons can also be used. Obviously, excessive and misleading use of capital letters, bold type, spaces between letters, or symbols is not allowed. Links to external sites are not allowed. The message must be clean and straightforward.
Violent or sexual content is prohibited, as well as advertisements that cover certain areas such as political messages, gambling, financial fraud, medical services, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, spam software or malware. Fast food chains are also included among the categories that can endanger health and therefore banned for listings. All categories are listed in the official guidelines.
The other important part of creating an ad on Telegram is the targeting part, which we find in the right column. Here we can indicate the language of the channels where we want to advertise our content, but also more specific filters to build our audience. These are optional fields, but it is advisable to select them in order to make the campaign more effective. We may include or exclude certain topics or reference channels.
How much does it cost to advertise on Telegram
Telegram has a minimum annual threshold for advertising. When the first campaign is launched, it asks for a deposit of €2,000,000, half of which is used for campaign delivery while the remainder remains as a deposit for the platform.
Telegram returns the €1,000,000 deposit only if during the 12-month period the advertiser has invested at least €10,000,000. Otherwise the platform will retain this amount. The actual cost for advertising then depends on the volume. In other words, an annual advertising expenditure of 1,000,000 € corresponds to an actual expenditure of 2,000,000 €, while 10,000,000 € invested in advertising corresponds to 10,000,000 € of actual expenditure.
The cost of a single ad is calculated in CPM (cost per thousand impressions). The minimum value per CPM is €2.
Alternatives to Telegram Ads
There are several platforms that sell new subscribers to the Telegram channel. They do not go against the regulations, but under no circumstances are they able to sell real members of a specific nationality. These are international users, often fake, and it is normal to quickly see a drop in membership shortly after entry. This solution may only be good for showing a higher number of subscribers, but it brings no real business benefits.
Then there are automatic Telegram channel lists, which publish posts or channel links in related channels via bots. These are not official platform lists, but are maintained by third parties. They can be an alternative to increase visibility, but we must agree to reciprocate and post ads on our channel as well.
The other option is to advertise with Facebook Ads or Google Ads. It is not possible to link directly to the Telegram channel, but we can use a landing page that acts as a bridge. In this case, we can effectively leverage the interest-targeted audiences of Facebook and Instagram, or Google’s search query. It is important to select mobile-only placements in order to increase the conversion rate on the Telegram app.
Conclusions
Telegram Ads (or Telegram Promote) is still in the beta stage and is very selective for now. Use is recommended only for companies that can afford to spend at least €10,000,000 per year to develop an alternative advertising channel to the more common ones. But new features will be added in the coming months and the platform will probably decide to extend the possibility to smaller companies as well.
Telegram channels, on the other hand, provide an excellent opportunity to communicate directly with one’s audience. It is a tool that can integrate seamlessly within a more structured communication plan.
