How to create telegram business account

The Ultimate Telegram for Business Guide [Sept 2022]

The Ultimate Guide to Telegram for Business: Telegram Business Accounts

Is Telegram popular with your customers? If it is, read this Telegram guide and learn how to use Telegram for business. We’ll explain what a Telegram business account is, how to create a Telegram bot to chat with customers and best practices for making the most of your business account for Telegram.

What is Telegram?

Telegram is a messaging app renowned for its privacy and security, support for every major operating system and ease of use as a mobile app. It had over 700 million monthly active users and was among the top five downloaded apps worldwide as of June 2022.

The privately-owned service also long held a not-for-profit stance. While Telegram has introduced a paid premium subscription, all existing features remain free, assuring users of its commitment to prioritizing their interests over profit.

As its popularity continues to grow, the channel is seeing an uptake among businesses. Let’s examine why Telegram is a key channel for customer communication.

Telegram Business Account Benefits

An impressive 64% of customers prefer communicating with businesses over instant messaging rather than traditional channels like phone calls or email. Using Telegram for business, in particular, has multiple benefits.

First, security is a key driver of the channel’s popularity. Telegram uses server-client encryption and files are stored encrypted in the Telegram cloud. Privacy-conscious users can opt for extra security with advanced end-to-end encrypted messages and voice calls.

The benefits of using Telegram for business

But customer communication is not limited to 1:1 chats and calls. Telegram also has social platforms businesses can leverage to interact with customers at scale, such as Telegram Groups and Channels (more on these later).

Best of all, Telegram doesn’t limit the number of devices an account can be connected to or used on simultaneously, and chats are synced in real-time across all devices. Without any restrictions on content type or messaging windows, it’s a great channel for business.

Regions that Use Telegram for Business

In a few regions around the world, Telegram is overtaking Facebook Messenger in popularity, though it’s still behind WhatsApp globally. What spurred this development and where is this growth prominent?

Telegram was the fastest-growing messenger in 20 countries and the top messaging app in 16 countries in 2020. That number has only risen since. The 2020 Telegram user growth map below shows its use in Eastern Europe and Asia, as well as in parts of South Africa, North America and South America.

The trend continued in 2021 and 2022, with Europe, Asia and Africa recording steady downloads. Telegram’s largest user base is now in India, where the app has 120 million monthly active users as of September 2022 and comprises almost 20% of its total users.

Telegram user growth in 2020 shows its popularity from Brazil to South Africa and Indonesia

A possible reason for this explosive growth is market share saturation. The most popular apps are already in use, leading to a slowdown in recent downloads. This allows Telegram to rank higher in app stores now as other messaging app users seek it out.

Telegram was also mostly popular in countries with authoritarian regimes due to its privacy policies and security features. Demand multiplied globally in 2021 when concerns about WhatsApp sharing private user data with parent company Meta arose.

Since then, Telegram has become part of an elite club of apps that have been downloaded over 1 billion times. If you’re in a region where customers are increasingly turning to the channel, consider using Telegram for business to reach out to them.

How to Use Telegram for Business

Telegram provides an easy yet impactful experience for businesses and customers alike. Businesses can drive customers to chat with them via Telegram links or QR codes. Small businesses will find the free version of the Telegram app sufficient with the ability to schedule messages and more.

Medium to large businesses can connect Telegram to a messaging inbox like respond.io and integrate it with their business software or CRMs to perform tasks while chatting with customers. They can also enable auto-replies, push notifications and bulk messaging, as well as advanced automation.

Let’s look into native Telegram features or capabilities that are ideal for businesses.

Create a Telegram Business Account with Telegram Bot

The Telegram bot is basically a Telegram Business account. Unlike WhatsApp Business App, there is no dedicated Telegram Business app. However, using the Telegram bot allows you to create a branded Telegram account for your business.

The Telegram bot (or Telegram Business API) is free and allows you to create bots to play games, run ecommerce services or chat with customers. Viber chatbots are also searchable in the app if you agree to their commercial terms.

A Telegram bot can run tasks and act as a business account

However, as an API, the Telegram bot lacks an interface and needs to be connected to a messaging inbox like respond.io to send and receive messages.

Additionally, connecting a Telegram bot to respond.io will enable sophisticated automation to automate marketing initiatives, sales cycles and customer support over Telegram, including the escalation of complex support issues.

Interact with Customers on Telegram Groups

Telegram Groups work just like groups on any other messaging app. The key difference is groups on Telegram can have up to 200,000 members. Groups are highly configurable, have granular controls for chat management and can be private or public and searchable.

Telegram Group settings

As Telegram Groups support two-way interaction, they are invaluable for community building. Businesses can share their Telegram links with customers and use them to gather feedback, conduct polls or address topics of interest according to the group’s segmenting.

Send Broadcasts via Telegram Channels

Telegram Channels have the same features as Groups except communication is one-way. Only admins can send messages. They also have no user limits, making them ideal for broadcasts.

For instance, Health Ministries in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Israel used Telegram Channels to update the public on Covid-19 news.

Example of health ministries’ Telegram Channels

Users subscribe to channels through in-app searches on Telegram or by using channel links posted on websites or other places. Channels with over 1,000 subscribers can access channel and post analytics to measure their reach and impact.

Share Identification Documents Securely with Telegram Passport

If you’re in an industry that handles identity verification, then Telegram Passport is for you. It’s a platform that stores identification documents for use by institutions or service providers that require them for Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures.

Telegram Passport

The idea is to stop uploading these confidential documents to various places. Since Telegram stores this data in its cloud with end-to-end encryption, only the intended recipients can access the data.

Get Telegram Premium for Heavy Use of Telegram for Business

Telegram’s co-founders were adamant that its private messaging would always be cost-free and ad-free. That promise is still intact, but the channel recently introduced Telegram Premium for users who are willing to pay for additional benefits.

Telegram Premium capabilities

These include 4GB file uploads, faster downloads, exclusive stickers, custom animated emojis and emoji statuses, and advanced chat management and privacy settings. If you often send large files, subscribe to the Premium plan. Otherwise, you can get by with the free version.

For best results, however, connect your Telegram business account to respond.io to unlock features like advanced chat automation, integration with external CRMs and extensive reporting and analytics. We’ll show you how to do this next.

How to Set Up a Telegram Business Account with Telegram Bot

As it lacks its own interface, the Telegram bot has to be connected to respond. io to send and respond to messages. To get started, we’ll guide you through the Telegram account setup using a Telegram bot.

How to Create a Telegram Business Account

The Telegram bot allows you to set up a branded Telegram account for business, which gives your account legitimacy and credibility. To create the bot, do the following:

1. Chat with the BotFather. Search for the BotFather in Telegram and then press Start.

Creating a Telegram bot with BotFather

2. Use the /newbot command. This will start the bot creation process.

BotFather Menu List

You’ll need to choose a display name and then a username. You can change the bot name later, but the username has to be unique, should describe who you are and end with bot .

3. Receive the token to connect your Telegram bot to a messaging CRM.

Connect Your API token

4. Create a respond. io account if you don’t already have one and use the token to connect the Telegram bot.

That’s it — once this Telegram account setup is complete, you can start using your Telegram bot immediately.

Verify Your Business Account with the Telegram Badge

Want to assure contacts of your legitimacy with a Telegram verified badge? You’ll need verified accounts on at least two of these services, including TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Verification is currently only available for channels, bots or public groups.

Next, let’s look at best practices to make the most of your Telegram account.

Telegram Business: Best Practices

Using Telegram for business is a smart move as the channel is focused on providing fast and secure messaging, with complementary features for that purpose. But for conversations to happen on this channel, you need customers to message you first.

Let’s look at how you can encourage inbound conversations.

Telegram Business: Get Contacts to Find You on Telegram

Although users sign up for Telegram with a phone number, the primary identifier of each user is their Telegram ID. To protect your privacy and reduce spam, Telegram does not pass on your phone number or ID to your messaging CRM, just your name.

Chat Links and QR Codes

This also means Telegram users cannot be imported via CSV file to a CRM as contacts. Customers will have to message you first to become your Telegram contacts. Luckily, there are features designed for this purpose. We’ll guide you through them.

Telegram for Business: Chat Links and QR Codes

When a person clicks a chat link or scans a QR code, they will be taken directly into a chat with your brand. Every Telegram bot comes with a chat link using the t.me/username format, so it’s important that your bot username reflects your brand.

Telegram t.me link

Chat links work well on websites, social media profiles, or even in emails sent to customers. They do have a limitation though, t.me links only work well when the Telegram app is installed on the device.

On mobile, users will be directed to download the Telegram app if they press the link. On desktop, users will be taken to a page where they can open Telegram Web. However, this only works when users have visited the page previously.

Telegram QR Code

QR codes can drive traffic to your account from online or offline locations such as storefronts. Similar to chat links, they will only work when the app is installed. To let customers know which app to use, add a Telegram logo above the QR code.

Although Telegram doesn’t provide QR codes out of the box, they can be made with any QR code generator using the t.me link. Alternatively, generate a QR code on respond.io. Just go to Settings > Channel > Select your connected Telegram channel > Scan code.

Telegram for Business: In-App Search

Unlike other messaging app business accounts, you don’t need a verified Telegram bot to be searchable in-app. Once your bot is created, any user should be able to search for it on Telegram and send it a message.

Searching for a Telegram Bot

Although in-app search may not drive the bulk of your traffic, this is the most likely way hardcore Telegram users will find your brand. Now that you know how to acquire customers as Telegram contacts, let’s explore how you can go about messaging them.

Telegram Business: Messaging Customers

Messaging customers on Telegram is relatively straightforward. Although other messaging app business accounts place limits on when and what you can send, Telegram for business doesn’t have any such restrictions.

Telegram for Business: 1:1 Messaging

Since Telegram doesn’t have a messaging window, you can send customers a message any time after they become a contact. The key things to know about messaging customers on Telegram are the sent and read receipts.

Telegram for business: 1 to 1 Messaging

While Telegram provides sent, delivered and read statuses on personal accounts, a Telegram business account doesn’t have the same functionality. Status updates are not provided by the Telegram Bot API, even if connected to a business messaging platform.

Additionally, whenever a Telegram user messages your bot, their messages will automatically be marked as read, creating the impression that they were seen but not replied to. Use a centralized inbox like respond.io to ensure you never miss a message and track responses.

Telegram for Business: Broadcast Messaging

Like 1:1 messaging, Telegram doesn’t have any limitations for broadcasting. You can send rich media like pictures, videos, files, and text to an unlimited number of Telegram contacts.

Telegram for business: Broadcast messaging

However, contacts can block your bot if your content is irrelevant or your broadcast too often. If they do, you’ll receive a Forbidden: bot was blocked by the user notification when you message them. Keep your content relevant and broadcast carefully to avoid this.

Just like with 1:1 messaging, you’ll need to connect your bot to a business messaging platform to send a broadcast. Make sure the business messaging platform you choose has broadcast capabilities.

Telegram for Business: Group Messaging

Group messaging is important for business use cases like sales or promotional messaging. You’ll be pleased to learn that Telegram bots can be added to group chats.

Telegram for business: Group messaging

By adding a Telegram bot to your group chat, you’ll be able to record group chat history in the messaging CRM your bot is connected to. While we haven’t enabled group chats on respond.io, you can help us do so by upvoting the feature request.

In short, talking to customers on a Telegram business account via respond.io drastically expands what you can do with the channel. Interested in using Telegram for business after reading this Telegram guide? Sign up for respond.io to get started.

How to Create a Telegram Channel for Business: The Ultimate Guide

Natalia Shpitula

Updated April 27, 2021

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What is a Telegram channel?
How to set up a Telegram channel: Step-by-step instruction
How to set up your Telegram channel
How to manage your Telegram channel
Telegram bots
How to promote your Telegram channel and monitor statistics
Conclusion

In 2018, the Telegram audience reached 200 million people, with 500,000 new users joining the messenger every day. Telegram is a powerful tool that allows to exchange instant messages, create and manage channels, set up bots, and many more.

What is a Telegram channel?

Via your Telegram channel, you can send a message to multiple users at the same time. Like on social media, users need to subscribe to your channel to get access to your content which is published by one or more administrators.

A Telegram channels can pursue a variety of purposes, from sharing useful content to implementing a business strategy. Also, you can successfully use your channel to build and improve your company image, boost your sales, make profits on ads, enhance customer loyalty, etc.

To keep your subscribers interested, you need to create unique content that must be both useful and entertaining for your target audience. This is a tough task, so be sure to realistically estimate your content generation skills before putting efforts into your Telegram channel.

How to set up a Telegram channel: Step-by-step instruction

Telegram channels fall into two types:

Private channel is only accessible to subscribers and doesn’t appear in public search. To join a private channel, you need to receive a link from the owner (administrator). A private channel is a great solution for companies and teams. You can also use this type of channel to write down personal notes, reflections, etc. By the way, you can make your private channel public at any moment.
Public channel is accessible to all users, regardless of whether or not they are subscribed. A public channel is displayed in search results and has a short address (link).

Here is more useful information you should know:

Your channel login must contain 5-32 characters.
Your channel name and bio must be no more than 255 characters long.
You can create up to 10 public channels per account.
The number of subscribers is unlimited.
You can invite up to 200 users from your contacts to join your channel.
You can add up to 50 administrators.
You can activate up to 20 bots.
You can edit you content within 2 days of publication.
To delete a channel that has over 1,000 subscribers, you need to contact the user support.

How to create a Telegram channel

You can set up a Telegram channel via desktop app or mobile app (for Android and iOS):

Desktop app: In the upper left corner, click the Menu icon (the one with three lines). Select “Create Channel” from the drop-down menu.
Android app: Open the list of chats, click the Menu icon and select “New Channel”.
iOS app: In the “Chats” tab, click the new message icon in the right upper corner. Select “New Channel”.

Let’s zoom in on how to create and set up a Telegram channel via desktop app step by step. Start with clicking the menu icon:

Select “Create Channel”.

A new window will come up. Enter your channel name and bio. (See the character limits above.) Click “Create”.

In the next window, choose the type of your channel. If you want your channel to be public, you need to come up with a link for it. In the screenshot below, it’s ”/catmarketing”. If your selected link is unavailable, you’ll need to suggest another option.

As the next step, you can invite up to 200 people from your contacts to join you channel. Select the users you want to add and click “Invite”. You can skip this step altogether.

Done! Now you’re the proud owner of a Telegram channel. The next step is to set up and customize your channel.

How to set up your Telegram channel

While your content and promotion strategies surely affect your subscriber base and conversion rates, those are not the only things that matter. The visual aspect of your channel is also important. In fact, design is the first thing a potential subscriber pays attention to, even though unconsciously.

The main design elements of your Telegram channel include a name, bio (brief description), and avatar. Your bio must be:

concise;
clear;
informative.

While the character limit is at 255, try to fit into 200 characters. This way, users will be able to take in your text fast and easy. Reveal the essence of your channel and provide contact information. For example, you can add a bot name, link to your pricing plans, etc.

To view your bio, click the Menu icon and select “View channel info”.

When choosing the right name for your Telegram channel, use the language of your target audience. The name must sum up the essence of your channel in 1-3 words. If you’re planning to expand your Telegram audience, it makes sense to incorporate keywords into your name.

To edit your name or bio, click the Menu icon and select “Manage Channel”.

Your avatar is the face of your Telegram channel. This small image is responsible for evoking the right associations in the minds of your audience. For a better brand recognition, we recommend that you use your corporate logo as your avatar. As you might have noticed, Telegram uses round avatars. You don’t need to crop your image, though; the messenger will do that automatically. You simply need to upload a square 300px х 300px image. Make sure the core elements of your design are arranged in the center.

There are three ways for getting a logo for your Telegram avatar:

Find the appropriate image on a stock photography website. The pros include a big selection of designs and easy search by theme. On the flip side, you can never be sure that your image is not being used by someone else.
Commission a professional designer to create a logo for your company or project. You’ll get a unique design that fits your brand personality like a glove. The only deal breaker is a high cost of such services.
Use an online logo maker, e.g. Logaster. Enter your channel name, select your industry, and choose from dozens of beautiful options.

To upload a logo, click the Menu icon and select “Manage Channel”. In a new window, hit the camera icon.

Add the logo from your device. Adjust the visible area of your image.

Click “Save”. Congratulations! Now your Telegram channel has a face!

How to manage your Telegram channel

Administrators

The creator of the channel becomes its administrator by default. If you need help managing your channel, you can add more administrators from your subscriber base. You can provide each admin with limited or full rights to manage the channel. For example, you can allow an administrator to publish and edit content while withholding the right to add new subscribers.

Select: Settings – Manage Channel – Administrators – Add administrator. From your list of subscribers, select the right user. A new window will appear on the screen. Check the rights you’re willing to give to your administrator.

Click “Save”.

Hashtags

Hashtags are a fast way to find the right information on social media. To put your content out there, be sure to add hashtags to each of your posts. We have two smart tips to give you:

Avoid compound hashtags that consist of several words. If you have a hashtag like #marketingnewsinusa, split it into smaller hashtags: “#marketing, #news, #usa.
Write your hashtags in the language of your target audience.

Polls

A few years ago, to run a poll on Telegram, you had to use a special bot. Now you can easily do that yourself in two clicks. Hit the Menu icon and select “Create Poll”. Write your question and add up to 10 options. Running polls is a powerful strategy for getting feedback from your audience. If you’re considering the possibility of modifying your channel in any way, be sure to ask your subscribers’ opinion first.

Smart rules for publishing content

Check out our content management tips:

Don’t publish new content at nighttime. Since not all users disable notifications for the night, you risk inadvertently disturbing them.
Find your optimal posting schedule and stick to it. On social media, the peak posting times include 8 am, 6 pm, and 8 pm. Try to publish serious stuff in the morning and leave less demanding content for later in the day.
Choose quality over quantity. Remember that one high-quality post is better than 5 short publications of questionable value.
Your posting frequency depends on the topic of your channel. If you have a news channel, it’s OK to publish new content every day (or even every hour). For other industries, stick with 2-3 large posts a week.
Users are more open to new information on workdays rather than weekends.

Telegram bots

Bots are third-party applications that help Telegram users to:

create beautiful posts;
engage with subscribers in a more effective way;
schedule publications;
track vital metrics
set alerts and notifications, etc.

Bots enhance the functionality of Telegram big time. Take a look at some popular Telegram bots:

@ControllerBot helps you create and publish posts (including scheduled posting). By using this bot, you can also add emojis to your post and view analytical metrics.
@BotFather is a chatbot builder from SendPulse. Use it to create auto-reply flows and inform, advise, and even sell goods to your audience.
@vote is an expert in creating polls.
@LivegramBot responds to messages from your subscribers, creates newsletters, and provides you with important statistics.
@mrkdwnrbt helps you edit and schedule your contents.

How to embed a bot (@ControllerBot) into your Telegram channel

First, you need to create your own bot. Copy this name – @BotFather – and enter it into the Telegram search box. Go to the BotFather page and send the /start command to the bot. Then create a new bot by sending the /newbot command.

The system will ask you to name your new bot.

Now you need to come up with a username for your bot. It must have the word “bot” at the end. If the username is already taken, you’ll need to come up with another option.

The bot has been successfully created. Now you need to copy its token.

Enter @ControllerBot into the search box. Go to the Controller Bot page. Send the /start and /addchannel commands to the bot.

Paste your bot’s token.

Add your newly created bot as an admin to your Telegram channel (see above).

Copy your channel link from your Bio and paste it into the @ControllerBot dialog window.

Enter your city to set up the time zone. Done! Your bot is now up and running!

Get down to explore what your clever bot can do.

How to promote your Telegram channel and monitor statistics

Building a solid subscriber base costs money. Luckily, Telegram offers no lack of advertising exchanges. Identify the channels your target audience might be interested in and use them to promote your channel.

Also, you can find a channel in the same or similar niche as yours and agree on mutual PR.

Leverage the power of socials (Instagram, Twitter, etc.) to raise awareness of your Telegram channel.

Try to get press coverage for your channel. For example, consider publishing an article “The Best Telegram Channels on [your industry/niche/field of expertise]”. Be sure to put your channel first or last on the list. This way, the readers will be more likely to memorize it.

Telegram stats

If you’re using your channel for business purposes, you need to closely monitor its performance. For analytical metrics, use @ChannelAnalyticsBot, Tgstat.ru, or Telemetr.me. Focus on the following data:

number of subscribers;
number of daily views;
number of reposts;
number of mentions.

Conclusion

Telegram is a leading platform for building, expanding, and nurturing target audience. Companies, brands, and entrepreneurs are actively using their Telegram channels to achieve a bunch of objectives, from developing customer loyalty to improving sales performance. Telegram offers a powerful toolset for creating, managing, and tracking your posts. Our advice is to view Telegram as your corporate blog. Use this messenger to discover your unique style, forge trust with your audience, and polish your skills at generating exclusive content.

Telegram business account: opportunities, how to create, set up

Telegram business account implies the creation of a public channel, which will be “sharpened” for entrepreneurial activity. After creating and configuring, you can connect the bot and use its help for promotion. Below we will consider what are the features of such a step, what results it helps to achieve, and how to set it up.

What is it, opportunities

As such, the term "business account" in Telegram does not exist, because any profile is drawn up according to the standard procedure and there are no features here. The difference is that after creating an account, a businessman creates a public channel to inform subscribers about company news, promotions, special offers, an increase in the range or list of services.

Such communities are of two types: private and public. The first is most often used by ordinary users and is not available to outsiders. To enter, you need to have a special link. The second is often used for business, because the owners of all accounts (even non-subscribers) can view the records. At the same time, the public version is open in the search and has its own address.

Consider how a business account and a channel in Telegram are useful:

The ability to send subscribers links to longreads with the addition of a short content of the material.
Use of visual content (gifs, pictures, stickers).
Placement of advertising posts.
Informing about new products/services, etc.

It is not necessary to run a Telegram channel on your own - you can use the help of a bot. At the same time, it is important to remember that the number of public communities per account (for business or regular) is no more than 8. It is allowed to involve up to 50 administrators and up to 20 different bots.

How to create

To make a business account in Telegram, just download the application from Google Play (link play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.telegram.messenger&hl=ru&gl=US0 or App Store (apps.apple.com/ ru/app/telegram/id686449807). After that, you should register using a real or virtual number.

In the next step, create a public channel that will be used for business purposes. To do this, on the PC, enter the application, click on the three bars and on desired section

On Android, click on the pencil symbol at the bottom right and select "Create a channel", and on iOS, in the "Chats" section, click on the new message symbol in the right corner and select "New ...".

For example, consider how to make a channel for business through a PC / laptop:

Log in to your Telegram account and click on the three bars on the left.
Click "Create Channel".

Enter a title and description. Try to keep this data concise and describe the essence of the business page.

Select the type (public in our case).

Add members from Telegrams (max 200 from your own). If you plan to do this in the future, click Skip.

How to set up a Telegram account

In order to expand business opportunities in Telegram, it is important to set up a channel correctly. The increase in the number of subscribers, conversion and other parameters directly depend on the correct design. A person sees a picture of the Telegram channel and decides to enter. If she is interested in a person, he reads the title and description.

Let's highlight the main points:

The size of the description is up to 255 characters, but up to 200 is better. In this case, it is easier to read the information provided. Tell us what will be discussed, provide data for feedback. To configure, click on the three dots at the top and enter the "Description ...".
The title must be one to three words. At the same time, it is desirable to express in the language of the audience. You can make changes in the management section.
Logo. Three options are possible here - search on the Internet, order from a designer, or use an online generator, for example, logaster.ru/logo. To add, just enter the editing section and click on the symbol with the camera, then upload the picture.
Administrators. For management, you need to add administrators (one or more). Go to management (press three dots) in Telegram and go to the "Administrators" section.

It is also necessary to add hashtags to each publication, write them in Russian and in the language of the business account audience. It is desirable to post posts in the morning, but you can limit yourself to two or three per week.

Bots can be used as assistants. For example, @ControllerBot helps with adding posts, @vote creates polls, @LivegramBot is a tool for communicating with the audience, etc.

Knowing how to create a business account in Telegram, you can get new business opportunities and additional customers. In this case, it is desirable to use a separate profile that will not overlap with the personal one. To do this, it is enough to get a phone for business and only then register a Telegram account for it.

How to create and start running a Telegram channel for business - Marketing on vc.ru

There are a huge number of places where a business interacts with its audience. One of the new ones, where competition is not yet so strongly developed, is Telegram channels.

27 335 views

Telegram channel is a community in which posts are created only by the administrator. The rest of the participants can send reactions, perform a target action, or leave comments if these actions are allowed by the author of the post when it is published.

Difference between channel and group

The main difference between a channel and a group is that, by default, its members cannot communicate with each other. If the administrator, when publishing a post, allows commenting on it, then channel visitors will be able to express their opinion in the attached group.

You can't see other members of the Telegram channel - the public only has information about the total number of readers. In this way, privacy is achieved, and each of the participants does not have to worry that the fact of his participation in the channel will become known to someone else. Users of the channel will also not see that a new subscriber has joined it. In the group, about each new user, a corresponding message is received, which is visible to all participants.

Another difference is that an unlimited number of people can subscribe to the channel, and the maximum number of group members cannot exceed 200 thousand, and for this you need to set up a supergroup.

Posts in the Telegram channel are provided with a view counter. Thanks to this, you can draw conclusions about the activity of your audience. The activity of group members can only be estimated by the number of messages from them. The same users who prefer to simply view the feed and not discuss will not be included in the statistics.

For clarity, we present the differences between the channel and the group in the form of a table:

Types of channels

All Telegram channels are divided into 2 types depending on the possibility of joining them - public and private.

Public

The public channel can be found by any user of the application through the search. Anyone can join it. Such channels are suitable for attracting the maximum number of interested people, warming up the audience and sales.

Private

You can join a private channel only with a special invitation link. Even if a person knows the exact name of the channel, he will not be able to find it through the search. Private channels are suitable for communicating with people who have already bought your product. For example, if you create online courses, you can use a private channel to notify participants of the date and time of the next webinar.

How to create a channel

Any Telegram user can create a channel. This does not require special skills. Just do everything according to our instructions.

From phone

The interface of Android phones is somewhat different from iOS phones, so it would be advisable to consider the steps of creating a channel on such smartphones separately.

Android

Enter the application. In the lower right corner is a blue circle with a pencil.

Click on it and select "Create Channel".

We fill in the data about the channel: the name and description, upload the avatar, click on the checkmark in the upper right corner.

At the next stage, we select the type of channel - public or private, and also prescribe a link by which subscribers can go to the channel.

Click on the checkmark in the upper right corner. The application will offer to add new subscribers - this can be done later. Click on the blue circle with an arrow in the lower right corner.

Channel created! You can fill it with content.

iPhone

When you go to the application, in the upper right corner you will see a blue square with a pencil. Click on it.

Select “Create channel”.

Fill in the title and description, upload the avatar. Click "Next" in the upper right corner.

Enter the link and select its type - public or private. Here you can also prohibit copying materials from the channel. This setting can be changed in the settings. Click "Next".

As in the android application, in the next step you can invite subscribers from your contacts, or you can do it later. Press "Next" again.

Channel ready!

Via PC

The steps for creating a channel in Telegram are the same for Windows and MacOS, but some elements of the application interface for these operating systems are slightly different.

Windows

We go into the Telegram program and click on the three bars in the upper left corner.

Opens a menu in which you need to select the item “Create channel”.

A window pops up in which we enter the name and description of the channel, upload the avatar. Click "Create".

The next step is to select the channel's privacy: public or private. Here you need to register a link.

Press “Save”. The next step is to add members. If we do not need it yet, click "Skip". And so the channel is created.

MacBook

Log into the Telegram program. In the upper left corner is a blue square with a pencil - click on it and select "Create Channel".

We enter all the same information: avatar, title, description. Click "Next" in the upper right corner.

Select the type of channel, set the link, specify whether the transfer of channel materials is allowed. Click "Finish".

Channel ready!

Telegram channel for business

A Telegram channel for business should be designed in such a way that readers want to subscribe to it. Therefore, come up with a catchy name and a clear description for it, make a bright avatar. You can use up to 128 characters in the channel name, but we recommend limiting it to 27 characters so that it does not get cut off. The description allows you to place up to 255 characters. You can insert any emoji into the title and description, and links into the description.

The link to the channel should be as simple as possible so that users can easily enter it into the search box if they wish. It can be a transliteration of the channel name or the name of your main product in English. If, when entering the link, it turned out that it was already taken, do not add characters to it until you get a free address. Better come up with something else - unique, that will be associated only with you.

Basic settings

You can customize the channel depending on the purpose of its creation. We'll show you how to do it on a computer.

Where are

Go to the channel and click on its name.

In the upper right corner, click “Change.”

You are in the settings!

Settings menu

In the channel settings menu, you can change its name, description, type or avatar, as well as change the configuration of the following parameters:

“Discussions” - when this option is enabled, a separate group is created where channel posts are duplicated with the possibility of commenting;
"Sign messages" - publication of posts with their author indicated. Can be useful if the channel is run by multiple administrators;
"Administrators" - you can appoint any user as an administrator and select options for him;
“Subscribers” - view current channel readers, add new ones and ban unwanted ones;
"Black List" - readers who were banned by the channel administrator.

If you go to "Administrators", you will see the "Recent Activity" option

Displays all activities that have occurred in the channel in the last 2 days. For example, here admins can see which readers have joined or left the channel.

Designing a Telegram channel

In order for readers to come to a new channel, you need to take care of its design. Let's consider this question in more detail.

Channel Avatar

The avatar must be of interest to users. Choose an interesting picture with a clear image or a logo for it. At the same time, we do not recommend choosing images with many small details - let it be a large image of one object, which is clearly visible in a small circle.

An example of a good avatar

An example of a bad avatar

Channel description

The description should give the user a clear idea of where he is. Write here about the content that you publish, how it will be useful to the reader, and also place a link to your site.

Example of a good description

Bad description example

Catchy headlines

Post titles should make subscribers want to continue reading. But you should not be like the journalists of the yellow press - do not write in the spirit: “He drank our tea for a week and he grew it!”. The title should reflect the information that is written under it, not distort it or contradict it. For example, if you are writing about how to lose weight, then title the post: “5 ways to lose weight that work.”

Alternate posts

Content must be varied to appeal to different audiences. You can write about news in your industry, about useful life hacks, about upcoming events. The main thing is not to post several posts of the same topic in a row. This threatens that they will not be read, but scrolled through.

Content ratio

All content posted on Telegram can be informational, selling, engaging, entertaining or viral. In a commercial channel, approximately 40% of posts should be informational, 20% entertaining, and 40% selling. At the same time, you should not try to sell immediately after creating the channel. The audience must first be prepared by telling them about the product and describing its benefits. And so that at this time readers do not fall asleep from boredom, you need to sometimes entertain them with funny stories that fit the topic.

Example of bad content ratio

Example of a successful content ratio

If you add a comment group to your channel, you can insert engaging elements into informative and entertaining posts that will encourage the audience to communicate.

Viral content cannot be planned — it can be an informative post, a funny picture, or a new product launch. Information becomes viral when subscribers begin to actively forward it to their friends, and they are so addicted to it that they come to your channel. You can increase the likelihood of this if you know what pain points your audience has and how to act on them.

Posting time

It's good if posts on a certain topic will be published at a certain time. For example, you can post news in the morning, an interview at lunchtime, a joke or a meme a couple of hours before the end of the working day, and a relaxing story in the evening.

Connecting bots

Bots help to upgrade the telegram channel so that it turns from a regular blog into an online store, an educational platform or a freelance exchange. With bots, you can save on channel admins as they can automatically answer frequently asked questions, place orders, accept payments, send messages, and publish posts.

I would suggest starting with @ControllerBot. To do this, find the bot in the search

Select it, and then in the chat that opens, click “Start”.

The bot will start sending you tips that will help you set up delayed posting, attach reactions and comments to posts, and view channel statistics. @ControllerBot will create its own bot for your channel, which will deal with administration.

You can connect other bots to the channel. On the Internet, you can find many bots that perform various functions. For example, @VoterBiBot will run giveaways, @markdownbot will help with post text formatting, and @shortLinkMakerBot will shorten a long link.

Attracting traffic

After creating a channel, you can invite up to two hundred readers from your contact list to join it. The rest of the users themselves must somehow find out about your channel.

If you have a large audience on another social network, for example, on Instagram, publish information there that you are now also on Telegram. And to make people want to subscribe to your channel, tell them about the benefits: for example, about information that will be published only there, or about a gift that awaits each new reader.

Add a channel link in your profile description of other social networks, place a button with a similar link on your website, write the channel's nickname on your business card, publish an article in a popular publication mentioning your channel.

Register in the catalogs of telegram channels. You can find them by searching the Internet, and usually the owners of these sites do not charge money for registration - they earn on advertising. You are unlikely to get live subscribers there, but the owners of other channels will be able to find out about you and offer mutual PR.

Advertising

Advertising in telegram channels works on the principle of word of mouth: you agree with the administrator of another channel on all the conditions and he posts a post about you. You can find a PR platform:

in other popular channels;
in telegram bots;
on advertising exchanges.

The main thing is to be vigilant so as not to stumble upon scammers. Check all the information about the advertiser, look for reviews about him on the Internet, ask experienced friends for advice.

The Telegram Ads advertising platform has also recently launched, but the entry threshold for it is currently from €1 million.