How to Promote a Telegram Channel in 2024

Date: 2024-08-22 | Time of reading: 9 minutes (1781 words)

The Telegram messenger is one of the most downloaded in the world today. Every month, it gains 700 million new users who not only communicate through the service but also receive information (news, useful content).

In 2015, Telegram introduced channels, which became an alternative to traditional media and gained influence globally. Statistics show that in 2023, the audience for this type of content publication and chats in Russia alone reached 2.47 billion people. Therefore, Telegram is an essential tool for businesses: brands use it to announce new products, build marketing communications through various activities such as polls, contests, advertisements, news, and more.

In this article, we will explore how to create a Telegram channel, set it up, and gain subscribers using both free and paid methods.

How to create a telegram channel

First, decide what type of channel suits you best. There are:

Public channels, which any user can join;
Private channels, accessible via an invite link.

When creating your channel, specify the type you need; you can easily change it later in the settings. Public channels are usually chosen to increase visibility and sales, while private channels can have a paid entry. This depends on your business goals and objectives.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Telegram Channel

Using an Android device as an example (the steps are similar and intuitive on iOS devices and the desktop version):

1. Press the pencil icon, which brings up options. Select "New Channel," confirm, and proceed to the next step.

2. Enter a name and description (up to 255 characters) to demonstrate what your Telegram channel is about. You can edit these later.

Note! If the channel is public, choose a name that is easy to find in search.

At this stage, add an avatar. This is an image that reflects the essence of the channel and stands out in the chat list.

3. Choose the type — private or public Telegram channel. For the private option, the messenger will automatically suggest a link. For the public option, you will need to create your own link. The system will check for duplicates immediately. While names can be repeated, the Telegram channel link must be unique and contain 5 to 32 Latin characters or digits.

Next, you can enable or disable the setting that prevents copying, saving, and forwarding content. This is particularly relevant if you are publishing paid information.

4. Add people from your contact list. You can skip this step and do it later.

5. Done! Write a post (and pin it if needed) so that the first subscribers to your Telegram channel understand what interesting content they will find and don't think it's spam.

Telegram channel settings

How to add comments to a telegram channel

Click on the avatar or the three dots in the desktop version. Find "Channel Settings" and create a separate group that automatically connects to the channel. Click on the avatar or the three dots in the desktop version. Find "Channel Settings" and create a separate discussion that automatically connects to the channel.

All comments will be displayed in this group. You can unlink or delete it at any time (in which case, all user messages will disappear).

Comments are an important function for communication between a business and its consumers. Through them, the brand receives feedback, monitors audience reactions, and increases loyalty and engagement — Telegram channel statistics are tracked based on various parameters, which become available once you reach 50 subscribers. Lead generation is also possible if users leave requests for your services or products in the channel comments.

Reactions

Reactions are automatically enabled with a maximum of 11 emojis per post. You can set limitations or disable reactions entirely. Custom emojis can also be added.

Adding Administrators

To manage the channel collaboratively, you can grant access to other people. Administrator rights are set in the settings, allowing or restricting the ability to change the channel profile, manage posts, stories, and broadcasts, add subscribers, and assign other administrators.

Design

This feature is only available to channels that have received enough votes from Premium subscribers. Therefore, at the initial stage, the standard design remains.

How to promote a Telegram channel

Although messengers are incorporating social media elements like stories and reactions, they still don’t have a publication feed where the audience can randomly see posts. Therefore, promoting a Telegram channel is a distinct task for creators. The methods are divided into paid and free options.

Want to understand how messenger marketing works? Then we invite you to check out our article How Messenger Marketing Works: Benefits and Strategies

How to gain subscribers on a Telegram channel: free methods

Method	Description
Traffic from other platforms	Your content on YouTube, Instagram, or your website can drive traffic to your Telegram channel. To do this, you need to engage your audience with unique content and/or offer bonuses for joining. Place a link to your channel on all social media platforms and invite followers from there. Email newsletters announcing the new channel can also include a link in the email signature*.
Directories	Listing your channel on special directory sites makes it easier for users to find it by specific topics and for advertisers (if you plan to monetize through integrations). Telegram channel exchanges are conditionally free: to gain visibility and rank higher in the directory, you'll need to pay. Examples of directories: telega.in, Teletarget.com, Perfluence.net, Epicstars.com.
Cross-promotion	To do this, find channels with a similar audience and negotiate with the authors for mutual promotions. This results in a mutually beneficial exchange of subscribers. However, this method may not be suitable for newly established channels, as they might not have much to offer in return. With a small number of subscribers, the partner may not see a significant increase in audience, but it's still a good step towards growth.
Unique content	If you provide interesting and unique information, people will share it, which will help promote your channel. Avoid copying what others are doing. Create your own format and presentation to stand out.
Barter with channels and bloggers	An option where instead of paying, you offer your brand's product or service in exchange for advertising your Telegram channel on a blogger's platform or another channel. Not everyone, especially well-established and large bloggers who rely on their blog for income, will agree to this. However, micro-influencers often accept such deals, and their audience trust can be higher due to the more personal nature of their blogs.
Collaboration	Unlike bartering, in this case, you don’t share your products or services; instead, you create something collaboratively. For example, you could run a promotion that benefits the audiences of both channels or a contest where participants need to subscribe to the Telegram channels of the organizing brands. Collaborations also include joint events and webinars.
Guest blogging	This involves publishing articles on other brands' or authors' platforms, as well as on open platforms, where you can include links to your channel. To engage the audience, you need to create content that grabs attention and is either unique or highly useful.
Custom stickers	Create a creative sticker pack that people will want to use in their conversations. It should be a well-designed set of stickers. If people start using it, it will increase your channel’s recognition.
Offline events	You can add a QR code linking to your resource in presentations for events where a brand representative or the expert themselves is a speaker.
Hashtags	At the end of May 2024, global hashtags were introduced in the messenger. Now, if you tag your posts correctly, they will appear in public hashtag searches.

How to gain subscribers for a Telegram channel: paid methods

Method	Description
Advertising in other channels and with bloggers	A simple and straightforward method that depends on your budget and creativity. Reach out to channel owners or bloggers (not necessarily from Telegram) to arrange a post or storytelling about your channel.
Advertising on Telegram	A small text message (up to 160 characters) without images may be used. The ad is placed on selected thematic channels without the need for admin approval. The format is native, but there are many restrictions and relatively high costs.
Promotion through media outlets	This approach is useful for channels promoting offline businesses in a specific region (local media is ideal) or online services and products with a broad audience. Arrange for a publication about your channel with journalists from publications and news sources. This could be a note, interview, or even a video about your business and channel.
Podcasts	Such a dedicated content project can also grow your channel's audience. Creating a podcast requires an investment of time and money, so starting one solely to promote your Telegram channel might not be the best idea. However, if you already have a podcast or are planning to launch one, integrate your channel's promotion into it.
Offline marketing	QR codes on flyers and banners are also an additional way to increase your channel's subscribers. It’s important to motivate people to subscribe with interesting information or a bonus (such as free material).

Summary

Telegram channels are a popular source of information for audiences and are used for brand promotion. There are private and public channels, with the type chosen during creation and adjusted according to business goals such as increasing virality, trust, loyalty, and sales. It is important to come up with a clear and engaging channel name, description, and avatar that stands out. Communication with the audience is facilitated through comments and emoji reactions.

Free methods to promote a Telegram channel: attract audiences from other platforms, use email newsletters, arrange collaborations, offer barter placements and cross-promotions, write articles on other blogs, and create unique content and creative stickers. Paid methods include advertising with bloggers, in other channels, through Telegram Ads, media publications, and QR codes on offline platforms.

* Meta's product, recognized as an extremist organization in Russia.