Over the last few years, the trend in business communications has shifted. Instead of communicating via email, instant message, or phone call, many businesses have started to use Telegram to communicate with their clients. This article will equip you with the needed knowledge on how to use Telegram for business in 2022.
What is Telegram?
Telegram is a free messaging app that can be used on any platform: Web, mobile, and desktop. Telegram is safe, secure, and easy to use. To start using it all you need to do is download the app on your device from the App Store, Google Play, or from any other source you prefer.
What is a Telegram Channel?
A Telegram channel is a public communication tool. It allows users to broadcast information or send messages to a large number of subscribers in an instant. Channels are owned by whoever started them. Anyone can join, and anyone can leave. You can create your own channel and start broadcasting news, updates, or messages on it. Each channel can have an unlimited amount of members, so you don’t need to worry about reaching the maximum number of subscribers.
Types of Telegram Channels
There are 2 types of channels: public and private.
1. Public Channel
Anybody can join a public channel. Public channels are open for everyone to see and read, so it must be clear what kind of channel it is and who manages it. Public channels are managed by admins with the ability to add or remove moderators or members from the channel. All admins in a channel can ban users from the channel, but they cannot remove the founder as an admin.
2. Private Channel
Private channels are managed by the admin only and no one else can post or comment on the channel. They are completely offline. The number of members in a private channel is unlimited, but only admins can join. Each member can create groups and send messages to their members and any other member in their groups. Members could also be invited by other users an unlimited number of times.
What are Telegram Groups?
A Telegram group is a set of people who can send each other messages and channels. Groups can be created by anyone, and they may have unlimited members. Groups are useful when you need to share information only with a specific number of people (or simply keep in touch with your friends), to organize teamwork, or even just to discuss the weekend football game.
Members of a group can send each other private messages, members and admins can ask to join the group, or members can create new groups without the administrator’s consent.
When creating groups, you have several options: to make it public, to make it private (only admins can join), or to make it public and also invite other people. In order to create a group in a channel, invite at least one member of the channel.
How Do They Work?
Just like channels, groups are public or private. When a group is public, anyone can join it and find their “friends.” However, a group is private if the administrator only allows members and admins to join or create new groups without the administrator’s approval.
Each member of a group has a different access level, ranging from regular to admin. The access level affects how many messages the member can send and receive. Group owners can set up different rules in their groups, such as to limit the number of members who can send messages to their group.
What are Chat-bots?
Telegram chat-bots can be added to any Telegram channel or group. A chat-bot is a robot that administers different tasks. The first and most common task is to deliver information within the group. To do that, a bot must be connected to a messaging channel or group and it can send text messages (only admins can create bots).
Bots are also able to voice messages, photo and video messages, as well as share links with their members (this feature will be available soon). They can also send commands to users and manage tasks such as adding new members or removing old ones.
Bot developers are allowed to offer their bots for free. Those bots can be used in various ways and connected to a variety of channels and groups.
Other tasks that can be assigned to chat-bots include: ad revenue, selling products on Amazon, selling games or services, creating polls, creating polls on your website, moderating the comments on a website or discussion board, etc.
How to Create a Business Account on Telegram?
There is no difference between creating a regular channel or group and the business version of the channel/group. FTo create a business account on Telegram, you must have specific goals in mind. For example, if you want to communicate with your clients or employees via Telegram, you may need a Group with them as members. You may also want to use Telegram as a marketing tool and receive marketing analytics on where and how many users were reached.
How to create a Telegram channel – detailed instructions.
Why Use Telegram as a Marketing Tool
Nowadays, it is necessary to consider marketing strategies in order to grow your business on the web. Telegram gives both advertisers and companies a way to approach their target audience by using channels and groups. Below are 5 reasons why you should consider using Telegram as a marketing tool:
1. Secure
Telegram is a secure communication channel that can be used in any situation. With users worldwide sending over a billion messages each day, it’s difficult to build a profile without being caught for something illegal or inappropriate. Besides its use for private or business needs, there are dozens of channels and groups dedicated to specific topics such as politics, local news, education and sports.
2. Authentication
One of the most promising Telegram features is the ability to create your own bot and manage it to control your channels. It controls all messages sent by members and bots, removing suspicious or unwanted messages so that only you have access to manage your channel or group. You will have full ownership of your account, but you can give admin permissions to people you trust.
3. Collaboration
The concept of working in teams also applies to Telegram channels. By creating a group, you can collaborate with members or create a channel and invite members that work with you. You can also create new groups with the same purpose. This creates a sense of community by sharing information and adding value to the group.
4. Speed
Telegram is one of the fastest ways of communicating today, especially if you are in a group or have several members in their chats. The user interface is simple, smooth, and fast. You can also open multiple chats at the same time without any pauses or wait times.
How to Promote Your Telegram Channel
Creating a Telegram channel is easy, but it’s not the same as promoting it. First of all, you must know that there are thousands of channels at this moment on Telegram. So, how can you promote your own? Below are a few tips to make your channel more visible or:
A hashtag is a word or phrase that becomes a lot more popular when added to another one. It makes it easier for people to find information about the topic mentioned in the message.
The hashtags used on Telegram are different from those used on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They are also very common in conversations with other users or within channels, and there are no spaces between words and phrases (normally, you put a space to separate words). You can use hashtags for your channel name or any topic related to your channel.
2. Add Information
In order to create a community of followers, you need to give something for them to look for. This could be about your company or about the product or service you are offering. It’s important that you give information that is justified, but also that it is useful, especially in terms of the channel name itself.
3. Offer Prizes
This strategy is not very popular in Telegram, but it is, in some way, an incentive to create a channel or group. The prizes can be things of little value (a badge or sticker pack) or could be a competition among members. One of the objectives is to encourage users to interact with the channel and increase your number of followers over time.
4.Be Original
Telegram allows you to send videos up to 1 minute long on channels and groups. This is a great opportunity for businesses to get their reputation on the market in a very simple and effective way.
5. Use Channel Images
The image of your channel is part of your name, and as a result, it should represent you and your business. In this way, you can let people know what kind of content they will have when they join the channel or group. Telegram allows you to change the dimensions, so it is not necessary to use square images.
Conclusion
There are plenty of social networks and applications today, but Telegram takes the cake. It has a simple interface, is free, and allows you to send texts, images, GIFs, videos, and much more. Better yet it’s a platform designed for desktop as well as mobile devices. The reasons above are just some of the reasons to use Telegram as an alternative channel for your business. There are many other uses for this channel and it is even more effective when used together with the bot services available through Telegram for business.