Telegram for Business: Step-by-Step Guide for Better Customer Communication

Assessing the messenger's potential for real-time communication with customers.

With over 1 billion monthly active users and advanced features, Telegram Business is one of the world's most popular and feature-rich options among messaging apps available to companies.

If you are considering employing Telegram to strengthen your brand’s audience loyalty and increase sales, this article is for you. We will discuss the benefits of using Telegram for business, the app’s standout features, and best usage practices.

What is Telegram Business?

Telegram Business is a set of features of the popular cloud-based messaging and desktop communication app that provides seamless synchronization across devices and rich real-time customer communication capabilities for companies.

With Telegram, a company can set up around-the-clock prompt customer support via a convenient text-based channel as well as establish efficient marketing communication and monitor its key metrics, such as views and subscriptions.

Telegram benefits for business

Telegram comes with a number of benefits that can contribute to an organization's efforts in customer communication and engagement. The messaging platform offers both essential and non-essential capabilities that help companies implement a diverse marketing strategy, improve sales conversion, and provide prompt solutions to customer inquiries.

Wide popularity

Over the past several years, the Telegram app has grown in popularity as a method of communication due to its rich set of features, wide support of multimedia, easy-to-use bot builders, as well as channels for content distribution. With a billion audience of monthly active users, Telegram is strongly appealing to organizations that aim to amp up their customer communication and reach a global audience. The messaging app allows to do so without incurring high message rates, attributed to SMS, and low engagement rates associated with emails (60-80% vs 15–25% open rate).

According to the SMM World report, the platform is most popular among the 18—34 age demographic, which constitutes 53% of its users, while males make up a 57.4% majority of the audience. Geographically, Telegram has its strongest presence in Asia, which accounts for 38% of its global users, with India being its single largest market. Europe follows as the next largest region with 27% of users, and Latin America accounts for another 21%, which highlights the app's significant international reach.

High-end security

Telegram's end-to-end encryption available in Secret Chats keeps business communications secure and private, safeguarding sensitive data and confidential information from unauthorized access or interception. This encryption function gives firms peace of mind while discussing proprietary issues, financial transactions, or sensitive customer information.

Large file sharing

In contrast to other messaging apps, Telegram allows its users to share large files of various formats, including documents, images, and videos up to 2GB in size. This feature facilitates seamless communication and is particularly beneficial for industries like design, marketing, and media, where sharing high-quality media files is essential for project management and client communication.

Dedicated business features

In April 2024, Telegram launched Telegram Business, which allows users to transform their regular accounts into business accounts. Businesses can now share their operating hours and location on a map, making it simpler for users to locate them and verify their availability. They can also personalize the start page for new chats, offering details about their products and services, or welcoming customers with custom artworks. The new Quick Replies feature allows for the creation of shortcuts for sending canned responses. Also, businesses can set up an automatic greeting message for users who are contacting them for the first time and an away message when they are closed or on vacation. Also, businesses can now tag and label conversations (e.g., “New Order,” “VIP,” “Support”) to keep chats organized and prioritize tasks. Conversations can be grouped using folders to separate inquiries by category or department.

Support for multiple devices

Telegram supports numerous devices, allowing users to access their accounts and messages at the same time. This functionality is useful for business personnel who need to stay connected and responsive across multiple platforms, such as desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring constant communication and accessibility regardless of the device being used.

Telegram vs WhatsApp: which is better for business

When it comes to choosing a messaging app for business, the decision often comes down to Telegram and WhatsApp. Both platforms have their strengths and can be beneficial for different types of companies. If you value a larger user base and advanced integration features, WhatsApp might be the better choice. However, if you prefer more customization and monetization options, Telegram could be the preferred option.

In the end, the choice between Telegram and WhatsApp should be based on your specific business needs and the preferences of your target audience. It’s always a good idea to evaluate both platforms thoroughly before making a decision.

Is it safe to use Telegram for business?

Since the question above worries a lot of business owners, it deserves an elaborate answer. When considering Telegram for business use, it’s important to note that it can be secure for corporate communication due to its encryption features. Many users have switched to Telegram seeking a less intrusive messaging option following changes to WhatsApp’s privacy policy.

It is vital to understand how Telegram’s encryption works.

• Cloud Chats (default): Standard one-on-one and group chats use client-server/server-client encryption. This means messages are encrypted between your device and Telegram's servers, where they are stored. This allows for seamless multi-device sync, but it is not end-to-end encrypted.
• Secret Chats (optional): These chats use end-to-end encryption, meaning only the sender and recipient can read the messages. They do not sync across devices and offer features like self-destructing messages.
• Voice and Video calls are always end-to-end encrypted.

At the end of the day, businesses should implement best practices and additional security measures to enhance protection. For companies that allow employees to use Telegram, robust enterprise messaging solutions can further secure business communication.

Can one use Telegram to make money?

Another frequent question about Telegram from business-minded people. The platform indeed can serve as an effective channel for revenue generation. With its dynamic and diverse user base, Telegram provides an optimal platform for implementing marketing initiatives that provide hefty financial returns.

Telegram ads are displayed only in large public channels and never appear in your chats, chat lists, or other interfaces. They are not based on user data but depend solely on the channel in which they are seen, directly benefiting channel owners. For those who prefer an ad-free experience, Telegram offers a Premium subscription with dozens of exclusive features.

The introduction of one of the most generous reward systems in social media history has further enhanced Telegram’s potential for monetization. Owners of public channels with at least 1000 subscribers can now receive 50% of the revenue from ads displayed in their channels. These rewards can be withdrawn without any fees or reinvested into Telegram ads, collectible usernames, or Premium giveaways.

With the right strategy and enough commitment, Telegram can indeed serve as an effective channel for revenue generation for individuals and companies in various spheres.

How to set up Telegram business

Setting up a business presence on Telegram involves two key steps: activating the Business features on your account and creating a public channel for broadcasting. Let's go through the process step by step.

1. Open Telegram and go to Settings (Gear icon).
2. Scroll down and tap on “Telegram Business”.
3. Set up your Location and Hours, Start Page, Quick Replies, and automated Greeting/Away Messages. This converts your account into a professional business profile.

How to create Telegram channel

Studies show that over 30% of Telegram users follow at least one Telegram business channel. While companies using Telegram report 20–35% better user retention when combining chatbots with broadcast channels.

1. From the main screen, tap the "New Message" icon (pencil icon) and select "New Channel".
2. Give your channel a recognizable name and profile picture that reflects your brand.
3. Add a concise and engaging description for your business channel and don't forget to add a profile picture. Both of the elements should serve to make the channel easily recognizable and associated with your brand.
4. Choose whether your channel is Public (searchable with a permanent link) or Private (invite-only). For most businesses, Public is the most suitable choice.
5. Invite contacts to subscribe to the channel to gain the initial user base and put the word-of-mouth principle to work. Navigate to your channel and then click the "Invite" option on the right side. Choose your contacts and click "Add".

Done! Use your channel to engage with customers, offer help, and share updates. Also, don't forget to promote the channel on other social media platforms, print materials, and physical stores (if you have any).

Tips on how to use Telegram for business

Whether you are a small business or an established corporation, consider these practical tips on how to make the most of Telegram for your business.

Ensure prompt customer support

Telegram allows businesses to interact with customers in real time. Such nature of the messaging platform leads to customers expecting a quick response. Invest resources into shortening average response time by working out optimal agents' schedules, using bot automation, and processing Telegram inquiries via a dedicated messaging platform, such as Umnico.

Create a consistent content plan

Use the Telegram channel to broadcast messages, updates, promotions, and engaging content to your subscribers. To do this efficiently, plan content ahead, taking into consideration the latest trends, shifting user interests and business goals. While the exact frequency of publishing content depends on the type of business, 2-3 publications per week is generally a safe average number. Also, make some of your Telegram content unique to all other platforms to motivate people to subscribe to the channel.

Engage with polls and quizzes

Don't just broadcast. Use Telegram's interactive poll and quiz features to gather feedback, increase engagement, and learn more about your audience.

Set up automation

Keep in mind that Telegram allows you to create custom bots that can automate various tasks. These bots can handle repetitive inquiries, provide instant responses, and even process orders. Consider setting up a chatbot to enhance the efficiency of customer communication, sending them updates on their orders and requests right away.

Pin important messages

Pin the key message — like a welcome note, a link to your top product, or a current promotion — to the top of your channel so new subscribers see it immediately.

Use Telegram Groups

Telegram can also be a great tool for in-team collaboration. Set up a group in the messenger and invite your team members to discuss projects and work-related issues or, alternatively, plan team-building activities and share funny everyday moments.

Summing things up

All in all, Telegram becomes one of the essential messaging apps for private and business communication globally. A rich set of features, high-end security, and dedicated apps for mobile and desktop devices make Telegram an essential channel for establishing regular and meaningful brand-client interactions.

Telegram integration by Umnico provides an easy way for companies to up their text-based customer communication. It streamlines the work across multiple communication channels into one easy-to-use platform and enhances Telegram’s potential as a business tool. With Umnico, brands can leverage automation and GPT-powered chatbots, gain analytical insights, and monitor each employee’s performance. Every new user is welcome to test the capabilities of Umnico’s Telegram CRM and its other features for free during a trial period.

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