Telegram Business: A New Frontier in Messaging for Companies
With the unveiling of Telegram Business, the messaging app Telegram is positioning itself as a formidable contender against Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger, specifically catering to the business segment. This fresh suite of features, which includes a tailor-made start page and set business hours, is designed to streamline communication between businesses and their customers.
Businesses can now program preset replies, greeting and away messages, employ chatbots, and organize chats with distinct tags, making customer interaction more efficient and personalized. Additionally, public channels on Telegram that boast over 1,000 followers are set to benefit from ad-revenue sharing, receiving half of the earnings generated from ads displayed within their channels.
The strategic move to monetize the platform aligns with the vision of Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, who envisions the app reaching profitability by 2025. This aligns with the company’s trajectory towards an initial public offering (IPO), as indicated by Durov’s plans.
To leverage Telegram Business, users are required to subscribe to Telegram Premium, the platform’s enhanced feature bundle. With pricing set at .99 monthly for both iOS and Android users, the package is also available in extended plans ranging from three months to a full year. Subscribers have the added advantage of purchasing Premium at a discounted rate directly within the app, bypassing app store commissions.
Since its launch, Telegram Premium has witnessed a remarkable growth in subscribers, soaring from one million in December 2022 to five million by January 2024. This ascending trend underscores the accelerating interest in the app’s premium offerings.
For businesses, Telegram Business promises a user-friendly experience, providing tools that do not require coding knowledge. Companies can showcase their operational hours and location via an interactive map, engage customers with customizable start pages in new chats, and offer “quick replies” to expedite communication.
Moreover, businesses can create warm welcomes with custom greeting messages for new engagements and manage their availability with away messages during off-hours or vacations. The platform also allows for organizing chats with color-coded labels, enabling businesses to categorize conversations for better management.
Interactive chat links can be crafted to prompt specific actions such as order tracking or table reservations, and integration with Telegram bots, whether standalone or from other platforms, adds a layer of automation to customer interactions.
Looking ahead, Telegram plans to enrich Telegram Business with more features, including AI-powered chatbots aimed at business users, as suggested by Durov.
In a market dominated by Meta’s suite of messaging apps and Apple’s Messages for Businesses, Telegram Business introduces a new competitive edge. The company is also diversifying its revenue streams, not just through Premium subscriptions but also through Telegram Ads, recently initiating ad revenue sharing with toncoin on the TON blockchain. This marks a significant step as the company starts its revenue-sharing program, paving the way for new monetization avenues in the messaging app ecosystem.
