Telegram
What is Telegram?
Telegram and Telegram Messenger is a cloud-based voice chat and messaging service powered by free apps compatible with all leading devices. With an emphasis on speed and ease of use, Telegram also boasts a secure approach with two levels of end-to-end encryption of all data. Users can make voice calls and send instant messages with emoticons and custom stickers, share images, videos and file attachments of any format. Telegram, available in the browser and free installation on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and Windows Phone, can be deployed to all devices simultaneously with automatic message synchronization on any number of phones, tablets and PCs. Designed for universal use, this service is especially suitable for business users and small groups due to flexible installation, file sharing, and contact group options.
Telegram contacts can invite and connect traditionally through saved known contacts already stored on the device, or by creating and searching for public usernames. Usernames and shared t.me links allow for chats without the need to exchange numbers, while setting up groups, supergroups and channels facilitates mass communication in the private / public community. Additional key features include open developer support with accessible APIs for building internal "bots" programs and embedding messaging services into custom applications. Telegram also has its own imaging tools such as animated GIF search, photo editor and custom sticker maker platform, and provides cloud storage and caching for off-device media asset management.
Key benefits of using Telegram
Telegram Messenger is a free cloud messaging solution with its own app for every platform on the web, mobile devices (iOS, Android, Windows Phone), macOS, Windows, Linux (32- and 64-bit) with a focus on security and performance speed.
You can reach other users through existing phone contacts or by creating and searching for public usernames, reaching new individual contacts or groups with SMS invitations, or by exchanging the t.me/username link, which you can use to chat without exchanging phone numbers ...
Telegram supports voice calls, as well as sending messages, photos, videos and files of any format, while messages and conversations are automatically synchronized between any number of installed Telegram applications on phones, tablets or computers.
Telegram Widgets are embeddable widgets for website integration, including a Publishing Widget for embedding messages from public groups and channels, and a Login Widget for authorizing users through a Telegram bot associated with a domain.
Two APIs are available for free for developers, including the Bot API for building programs that use Telegram messages for the interface, and the Telegram API and Telegram Database Library (TDLib), which support the creation of custom clients.
What platforms can you use it on?
Android / iOS applications for smartphones
Available in Huawei App Gallery
Desktop version for Mac / Windows / Linux
Web browser version
One of the great things about Telegram is that it is available on almost all popular operating systems, be it a Mac, Windows or Linux computer, an iOS or Android smartphone, or a Huawei phone.
If you are an iPad or iPhone user, you can download the app from the App Store. For Android devices, there is an application in the Play Store, as well as Telegram X, which has a slightly different interface, but does everything the same.
You can download the app directly to your PC or Mac by going to the Telegram download page.
If you're using a Chromebook, you can still use it by going to the web browser version of the chat tool, or - if your Chromebook supports it - by downloading the Android app from the Play Store. Obviously, the browser option is also available to anyone who wants to use it but doesn't want to install it on their computer.
What can you do on Telegram?
Packs of stickers (animated and static)
No limit on file size
Telegram groups up to 200,000
Customize the look
Fast / instant sync between devices
As with any good messaging app, you can have one-on-one or group chats with up to 200,000 participants. In addition, you can send and receive files, images and data without any size or quantity restrictions. You can also make voice or video calls, so this is a truly full-featured app.
One of the fun parts of the app is the collection of downloadable sticker packs. Some of them are animated, others are static, but they automatically pop up when you use emoji, so - if you like - you can replace those yellow static faces with fun animations. With connections to the likes of Star Wars, The Avengers, The Wizarding World and other popular characters, there is no shortage of ways to express emotions.
It's also customizable, so you can choose what colors and gradients you want to use in your chats, from changing the background shade to customizing the color of speech bubbles in chats.
Its best feature is probably how fast and reliable it is. New messages appear on all your devices at once, and any updates are almost instantaneous, so if you need to switch from your phone to your PC desktop (or vice versa), it's easy and convenient.
Recent updates have shown that the app adds features like having multiple sticky messages in chats, which can be useful in large group chats or if you share a shopping list with your partner / housemate. Live locations can be configured to alert when you are close to a friend if you plan to meet, and a short playlist is automatically created when you send multiple music files.
How safe is it?
256-bit AES encryption
Secure key exchange
Highly. In fact, this is the reason why so many people have been attracted to it lately. According to its own FAQ page, it is more secure out of the box than WhatsApp or Line. Whether you are in a one-to-one or group chat and use two levels of secure encryption.
Server-to-client encryption is used to encrypt and protect your messages in the cloud, while secret chats use end-to-end client-to-client encryption between two people on two devices and do not store messages in the cloud at all.
It's worth noting that these secret chats only appear on the devices the chat was started on, so you cannot read or reply to these conversations on your desktop / tablet or anywhere else you are logged in.
None of your data - be it messages, media, or shared files - can be decrypted when intercepted by your ISP or the owners of the routers / Wi-Fi networks you may be using at the time.
Telegram is so confident in its security that it is holding a competition in which anyone can try to decrypt messages and data. If they succeed, they will receive $ 300,000.
What's more, Telegram has a reward system in which users who identify security areas that need improvement are rewarded between $ 100 and $ 100,000 if their proposals are then implemented.
There's a small hole in Telegram's armor right now, and it's a feature called People Nearby. It is disabled by default, but if you enable it, Telegram users will be able to see you and send messages.
People with the wrong motives and the right skills can find your exact location, or simply use it to target you with scams, the researchers note. Therefore, to stay safe, do not use this feature.
How much does Telegram cost?
Free download
No in-app purchases or subscriptions
Without advertising
Actually, nothing. In fact, this is another point that makes him so attractive. There are currently no download fees or in-app purchases. Plus, there are no ads in the apps. Telegram is not a commercial company. Telegram does not sell your data or use it for targeting.
The money came from a tech tycoon named Pavel Durov, and at the time of this writing, the initial donations are still valid. Telegram says that if it ever runs out of money, it could start adding non-essential paid options in the future to keep developers on the job and keep its infrastructure up and running.
What is Telegram Marketing?
Telegram marketing is a type of messenger marketing that involves promoting a brand through Telegram. Through this channel, you can expand your reach, increase sales, and help customers learn about your service.
Why should you use Telegram for your business?
As of April 2020, Telegram's audience has grown to 400 million monthly active users. 1.5 million users download the app and register every day. The growing popularity of the platform allows you to enjoy many of the following benefits.
Benefits of Telegram for business
1. Allows businesses to keep their audience informed. This is possible with Telegram channels. Create a public or private channel and invite your current customers to join it. Share photos and videos of your products, tell followers about your brand story, and introduce your team. Notify customers about upcoming sales and hot deals.
2. Helps businesses communicate better with their customers. Telegram Groups will help you interact directly with your customers. A Telegram group is a chat where you can communicate with your audience and members of your group can interact with each other. You can also add administrators to better manage your group. With the help of a group, you can allow your regular customers to help new potential customers by answering questions about your product or service. Telegram groups are a great opportunity to build a community.
3. Allows brands to support customers 24/7. This is where chatbots come into play. A chatbot is an online assistant with which you can simplify your daily tasks. Delegate FAQs, order processing, and customer consultation with chatbots that are available 24/7. This way, your customer support team can work on more complex problems. Create a chatbot without any technical skills with SendPulse and develop autoresponder streams to send messages after a user enters your specified keyword such as "shipping", "price" or "refund".
4. Allows brands to drive traffic to the website. Share links to your landing pages, invite clients to check out your new collection, or share a link to your clients' testimonials. Thus, you will increase traffic to certain pages on the site.
5. Increase user engagement. You can easily do this with Telegram polls. Create a multi-answer poll to get your customers' opinion of your product or service; create a test in which you explain why the user chose the wrong option. Your surveys may be anonymous.
Now that you know the benefits of using Telegram, let's find out how to incorporate all of these tools into your strategy.
Telegram Marketing Strategy
Set your goal
Create a Telegram account
Promote your Telegram account
Step 1. Set a goal
Developing any strategy starts with setting a goal. Your goal will dictate the tools you will use, content formats, and KPIs to measure. With Telegram, you can pursue the following goals:
driving traffic to your website;
increasing customer engagement;
building trusting relationships with your audience;
automation of routine tasks;
customer support;
increase in sales.
For example, if you are looking to build trust with your existing customers and at the same time increase sales, you can create a private channel for your most loyal customers. Make them the first to know about upcoming sales, create a survey to let them select the items they want to discount, and more.
Step 2. Create a Telegram account
Now that you've decided your goals, it's time to get started. There are 3 options available to you: group, channel, chat bot.
• Group
A group is a chat where you can add many people. It can have up to 200,000 participants. After joining it, members can send messages, photos, videos and audio files. You can create a public or private group. If it's public, anyone can search for it, join it, and view history. If it's personal, people can only join it if you add them manually or using an invite link.
To create a group, click on the 3 horizontal lines in the upper left corner and select the "New Group" option. Add members, name it and set a photo or video.
• Creation of a group
To better support your group, you can add admins and choose what they can do: change group information, delete posts, block users, invite users from a link, pin posts, add new admins, or remain anonymous. You can also set permissions to choose what your team members can do and create polls to increase engagement.
• Create a survey
If you are already popular and have thousands of fans, consider creating a channel.
• Channel
Telegram channels are created to broadcast messages to a large audience. They have no restrictions on the number of participants. The difference between a group and a channel lies in several facts. First, only channel administrators can post messages. Secondly, each member is notified of every new post. Members see the name and photo of the channel instead of the individual sender, as is the case with groups. Channel members do not see each other, as well as administrators. Only the owner and admins can see members.
To create a channel, click the 3 horizontal lines in the upper left corner and select the New Channel option. Give it a name, write a description, set a photo, choose whether your channel is public or private, enter your invite link text, and add members.
• Channel creation
You can see the number of views under each of your posts. If you have more than 500 subscribers, you can track detailed statistics using the following information:
languages spoken by your subscribers;
the number of users who join, leave and disconnect your channel;
how subscribers found your channel
how subscribers interact with your posts.
You can schedule your posts and they will be sent automatically at the specified time. You can also send silent messages outside of office hours or at night so that your subscribers receive a silent notification. Use hashtags to improve navigation and provide your subscribers with important information. You can add admins and enable signatures to better manage your channel. This is a useful feature if you have a large company and your top managers are administrators. So, your colleagues need to know who is publishing: director, HR, accountant, etc.
If you are interested in the opinion of your subscribers, you can create a discussion group. All your messages will be forwarded and pinned there. Members can comment on each post and their comments will appear in the thread. Creating polls is also available in channels.
If you want to support customers 24/7 with minimal resources, consider creating a chatbot for this messenger. You don't need to program or have any technical skills.
• Chat bot
If your company is growing rapidly, hundreds of customers contact your support team every day. You definitely need a chatbot. This is a virtual assistant that simulates a real conversion with a client according to a pre-developed scenario. Chatbots can provide users with additional information about your brand, display catalogs, stock prices, arrange consultations, answer frequently asked questions, close deals, and automate routine tasks. Its flexibility is up to you. The more you “teach” it, the better it works.
SendPulse offers a flexible chat bot builder. Create a widget and host it on your site so users can subscribe to your bot.
A chatbot works like this: you create a list of questions / commands that users can enter and enter answers to them. The more commands you have, the more advanced your bot will be. Then, after the user enters a keyword, the autoresponder stream starts. The chatbot communicates with the client according to your scenario. You can create a chatbot using SendPulse for free. You can send up to 10,000 messages per month for free.
Now you can create your stream. Start by creating a welcome stream. Think about the keywords that might trigger sending messages. Create a stream to welcome subscribers, sell products, help customers, and host other events. Follow this step by step guide to build your flow.
With the chatbot builder, you can segment your audience. Tags and variables help you send the right message to the right people. Save the information your customers enter in order to create relevant offers for them in the future.
For more valuable information, take our Telegram course. You will learn how to organize your chatbot structure and build your flow.
Step 3. Promote your Telegram account
Once you've decided on your goals, it's time to choose the type of account you want to use: group, channel or chatbot. It doesn't matter which one you prefer. It should be visible to your audience. Below we have listed several effective ways to promote your Telegram account. So check them out.
1. Social media. Social media is a great source of leads today. You may already have thousands of followers on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Don't miss the opportunity to let them join your Telegram brand. Post the link in your Instagram bio or create an exclusive offer for those who join your channel or Telegram group.
2. Cross-promotion. Look for popular Telegram accounts in your niche and offer them cooperation. For example, if you sell tours, ask a famous traveler or blogger to promote your agency in exchange for a big discount, or if you sell beauty treatment supplies, partner with the best therapists in your area.
3. Advertising on Facebook. You can promote your Telegram account by running an advertising campaign. Prepare a compelling offer and pay special attention to targeting the best audience your ad will be shown to. Keep in mind that this method can be costly, so make sure you get a return on your investment if users join your account.
4. Groups. These are chats created by like-minded people to discuss a topic of interest. You can search for such chats and promote your account there. Remember that it must be relevant to the topic.
5. Your site. This is one of the best places to start. Use your most visited pages or product landing page to educate visitors about your Telegram account. You must provide an incentive to join you, otherwise there will be no reason for users to do so. If you have a bot, invite visitors to talk to your customer service agents or make the right product choice. If it's a channel, motivate them to join for the most exclusive deals. You can also promote your account using the multichannel subscription form available in SendPulse. You only need to add the link to your account.
So, choose the best method for your business or create a complex to improve efficiency.
What is the bottom line?
In short, Telegram is convenient, fun, fast and secure. In addition, the fact that the company is not interested in making money from your personal data or selling you ads means that you are not dealing with a company whose sole purpose is to make money from your data (unlike most other third-party app providers for messaging).
You may even be surprised to see how many friends you already have there, the number of users is constantly growing.
Telegram marketing and its relationship to business promotion is a daunting task for almost all businesses. Contrary to the popular belief that social networks like Telegram are mostly places where young people are most involved, these networks are used by adults and older people. Thus, Telegram marketing can be a productive method of promoting your business. Because Telegram has millions of active users around the world.