When Telegram first popped onto the scene back in 2013, it was just like any other social platform: filled with selfies, pets, and pictures of food.
Telegram ’s transformation from a simple chat sharing app to a full-on marketing channel is nearly complete.
Just look at some of the platform’s newest features! In the last year alone, Telegram has released dozens of new tool for businesses, including advanced Channels, Groups, and new ways to do business from Telegram channels, and the new standalone video platform, Telegram call.
Whether you work in eCommerce, education, or media and publishing, it pays to build a presence on Telegram. But if you really want to get ahead, you need to know the platform (and your audience) inside and out, including what kind of content resonates most, how to build an Telegram channel strategy, and how to track your metrics and KPIs.
That’s where this guide comes in. In the next chapters, we’ll walk you through:
The fundamentals of a well-rounded Telegram marketing strategy
Tips on how to create an effective Telegram profile
Running your first Telegram influence marketing campaign
The ins and outs of your Telegram analytics
Tips on how to use Telegram channel for business
And so much more!
But first, let’s take a look at why Telegram service is so effective for eCommerce businesses in particular.
Why Telegram Marketing is Key to E-commerce Success
We all know how great Telegram is for sharing photos and videos with our friends and family, but it’s also an incredible channel for eCommerce marketing. But why?
Well, an obvious reason is Telegram’s format. Because of Telegram nature, Telegram holds massive opportunities for eCommerce businesses looking to showcase their products. Whether through regular photos, videos, or Telegram channels, millions of businesses have learned that building a channel on Instagram can hugely compliment their commerce marketing.
Telegram Marketing
There’s also the fact that Telegram users are more engaged than the average social media user. And while trends do seem to show that Telegram engagement is dropping (something we’ll be discussing in the next chapters), the platform is still producing higher engagement rates for businesses compared to other social medias.
But Telegram users are more than simply engaged — they’re also commonly online shoppers. According to a recent study, 72% of Telegram users report making a purchase decision after seeing a service on Telegram, with the most popular categories being Forex, Crypto, and other business.
Telegram Promotion
This shopping mindset makes Telegram users the perfect audience because they’re high-intent and quick to convert.
Another reason Telegram is so great for eCommerce has to do with the platform itself. As we mentioned in the previous chapter, Telegram has recently introduced a ton of new business channels and there’s definitely more to come! Whether through links in Telegram channels or Telegram posts, soon enough many of our online shopping experiences will start (and end) on Telegram.
Successful Telegram Marketing
All of this said, it would be a mistake to think that just because you don’t sell eCommerce services, your business doesn’t belong on Telegram!
Beyond its unique ability to move products, Telegram is also an incredible place for businesses to build brand awareness and connect with new audiences (and potential customers).
Of course, if you want to build an Telegram service strategy that really resonates with your target audience, you first need to understand how the Telegram algorithm works — something we’ll be discussing next.
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The Telegram Algorithm
When Telegram first announced in 2017 that they were replacing the chronological feed with an algorithm, most people responded with a less-than-joyous reaction… And not much has changed since.
As Telegram grew in popularity, it became harder to keep up with all the posts share. In fact, according to Telegram, people missed an average of 70% of their feeds when it was chronological.
In light of this, Telegram created an algorithm that re-organized people’s feeds so they would theoretically see more content that was relevant to them.
Whereas a chronological feed requires little-to-no guesswork (all you really have to worry about is posting when your audience is most active), algorithm-based feeds can be influenced by a ton of different factors — like how much engagement a post gets or how long people spend viewing your posts.
Telegram services by Salvanik
Since Telegram is constantly updating the algorithm to improve user-experience and prioritize certain types of content, it can be difficult to know how to optimize your posts to get the most engagement and reach possible.
Last year, Telegram actually went on record about how the Telegram algorithm works, including the factors that determine how your post will perform in the Telegram channels (and how many people will see it!). Here they are below, ranked in terms of importance:
Interest
This is Telegram predicting how much you’ll care about a post.
The more they think you’ll “visit” that post, the higher it appears in your feed. This is based on “past behavior on similar content and potentially machine vision analyzing the actual content of the post,” according to Telegram.
Think about this one visits the Telegram channel post: once you visit one post, your entire explore channel is full of posts. And if someone in your feed posts a post too, Telegram’s going to guess that you’ll visit that too.
Telegram Marketing Algorithm
Timeliness
How long ago was a photo or video posted? The new Telegram algorithm will prioritize recent posts, so you’ll hopefully see fewer posts from over a week ago.
While the feed isn’t going back to chronological by any means, Telegram is starting to care a lot more about when you post, instead of just the content or engagement on the post.
This was confirmed in 2017 when Telegram pledged to creating a channel.
Telegram effective service
Relationship
As a result, businesses will need to be more aware of when their audience is most active on Telegram, so they can optimize their posts to appear at that time.
How do you know the accounts that appear on your feed? If you often comment on someone’s photos or you get tagged in photos with them, this signals to Telegram that they fall into your “Telegram channel creation” ability. As a result, you’ll likely see more content that they post (and vice-versa!).
This is great news for businesses because it gives them a way to stay top-of-mind. Just ask your Members to share your posts and make sure you optimize your Telegram posts to get as many new members as possible.
Telegram advertisement service
Other service for Telegram is “Advertisemnet” that influence the Telegram algorithm:
How often do you advertise on Telegram? If you’re a frequent user, your feed will look more “chronological” since Telegram tries to “show you the best posts since your last visit.”
If you check the Telegram app less often, then your feed will be sorted more to what Telegram thinks you’ll like, instead of chronologically.
How many people do join your channel? If a lot of members join your Telegram channel, then Telegram has more options to choose from, so you probably won’t see all of the posts from every account.
Buy Telegram members
If you buy Telegram members for your channel, you’re going to see more result from your Telegram channel, then Telegram will show more your channel on search algorithm.
If you only spend a few budget on the Telegram each day, then you’re going to just get the highlights from the algorithm.
Telegram service updates
This is How the Telegram service works in 2020 Things to Know About the Telegram service
Everything You Need to Know About the New Telegram service.
identifying Your Goals and Objectives
Now that we’ve covered how the Telegram service works, let’s talk about how to set your Telegram marketing goals and objectives.
Of course, the first step to identifying your goals and objectives on Telegram is to understand exactly what “success” means for you.
Telegram Marketing Goals Example with Happy Socks
Are you using Telegram to build brand awareness and reach more of your ideal customers? To showcase your products and services? To grow an engaged community? To increase brand loyalty?
Will you use Telegram as a tool for customer service? Will you rely on it to educate your Telegram channel members about your business or industry?
There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to using Telegram to meet your business goals and how you use it is ultimately up to you. Just keep in mind that the goals you set will heavily influence the metrics you use to tracks your success on Telegram.
If you’re using Telegram to build a large channel, you’re more likely to focus on engagement metrics, such as post views, contacts, and shares.
If you’re having trouble deciding on goals for your account, it can help to consider the following questions:
Why are you using Telegram?
How can Telegram assist you in achieving your overall marketing goals?
How much time or budget can you commit to Telegram?
How does Telegram offer you something different to other platforms?
Finding Your Target Telegram Audience
Once you’ve determined why you’re using Telegram, you need to think about who you’re trying to target.
If you already have a good sense of who your ideal customer is, a good strategy is to take that customer profile and extrapolate to Telegram.
Telegram targeting research
What kinds of content do they engage with? What hashtags do they use? What communities are they a part of? Answering these questions is a great way to sure that you’re hitting your target audience on Telegram.
If you’re still having trouble, another option is to research your competitors. Go to your competitors’ group and click on their “Members” You’ll be able to see the whole list of users who joined them. (Note: we don’t recommend simply going through this list and following each one. Instead, use this information to build a strategy to capture their attention organically).
You can also use this strategy to see what hashtags your competitors are using. Telegram post view are still one of the best ways of reaching audiences on Telegram, especially now that you can join Telegram channel like you would other users.
Telegram Hashtags
When researching relevant hashtags, try to go as micro as possible. There’s a good chance you’ll find some ultra-niche hashtags that are teeming with activity from your target audience.
Run Your Own Telegram Audit
With your goals and audience in mind, the next step is to take a constructive look at your Telegram channel by performing an Telegram.
By doing this, you’ll be taking a critical look at everything you’ve done on the platform so far, analyzing it, and then decide if it’s still serving the needs of your business.
Each element of your Telegram channel should feel intentional, including your channel photo, bio, feed, captions, hashtags, and more.
Even the accounts you currently follow become part of your brand on Telegram. Do you find them inspiring? Do they align with your business? Or are they completely random and disconnected?
Remember to keep your goals in mind while you’re auditing your account to ensure that every decision you make moves you closer to them!
Once you’ve completed your Telegram channel, you should have:
Defined your Telegram businesses goals and objectives
A clear understanding of your branding and voice
Solidified your content aesthetic
Assessed your current engagement strategy
Refined your hashtag strategy
Setting Up Your Telegram Business channel
It’s a question that still pops up from time to time: “Should I switch to an Telegram business channel.”
Telegram recently gave businesses a few more big reasons to convert to a business channel, namely the ability to add links to Telegram channels, Telegram services, and auto-publishing to Telegram.
The fact is that today, as a business on Telegram with clear marketing goals, the benefits that come from switching to a business channel are indisputable.