Today I bring you a guide to Telegram, an instant messaging application that, although not as popular as WhatsApp, is becoming more and more known and currently already has 400 million monthly users.
You don’t know how you can use Telegram in your business? It’s endless opportunities! Keep reading and you will understand.
As in any messaging application, you can send and receive instant messages, make voice calls, and send and receive multimedia files. The only thing that still cannot be done with Telegram are video calls, although they have already announced that they will include them at the end of 2020 and are already testing it in its beta version.
But Telegram includes many more features that are making it gain popularity. Specifically, it includes some that can be very useful for your business so, as I did in its day with the WhatsApp Business guide, I am going to explain to you how you can take advantage of this messaging application in your business, company or personal brand.
Telegram features and benefits
There are numerous functionalities and advantages that Telegram has, especially focused on how to use this tool in your business.
1 | Groups and channels
One of the main advantages is found in relation to groups. Telegram offers the possibility of creatinggroups of up to 200,000 people(much more than WhatsApp, where the limit in groups is 256 members) andchannels with no subscriber limit.
The difference between groups and channels is that in groups it is the administrator who adds the participants and in channels it is each user who decides which channel to subscribe to. The channels are one-way, that is, only the administrator can send messages.
In this way, they become a kind of subscriber lists, where users choose the channels of their interest and subscribe to receive information, news and updates. Later I will explain how you can create your own Telegram channel.
2 | Bots
Another advantage of Telegram is the possibility of usingbots. Bots have become a great utility for businesses with a digital presence as they allow automating the responses that are common to many users.
3 | Schedule messages
You can alsoschedule messagesto be sent at a later time. Additionally, you can choose to schedule them to send on a day and at an hour or, in the case of individual chats, schedule them to send when the other person is online.
4 | Take surveys
Telegram also offers us the possibility ofconducting surveys. You can do a survey in your groups or in your channels and see the responses in percentages.
5 | Multi platform
It is amultiplatformapplication , that is, it does not only have a smartphone version but it also has a computer and tablet version, which makes it very comfortable to use. Unlike WhatsApp, which can only be accessed from your computer in its web version, Telegram has its own application for all devices.
6 | Security
One of the things that Telegram has focused on from the beginning issecurity. It offers us the option of creating secret chats that have end-to-end encryption. What do you mean this?
The message is encrypted when it is broadcast and is only decrypted when it reaches its destination, making it impossible for anyone to intercept it along the way.
In these secret chats, you can also activate the option that the messages are deleted after a certain time (the one that you establish) if you want an extra point of security.
Continuing in this line of offering greater security to the user, in Telegram you have the option of creating a profile with analiasand that username is enough for someone to start a conversation with you.
Thus, you do not need to give your phone number if you do not want to. You can also personalize your profile with a photo that you can decide if you want other people to see it or not.
And the last of the options focused on security is the one that offers you the possibility of putting aPIN codethat the application asks you every time it is opened. Thus, your messages will be even more protected.
How to create your Telegram channel
- In the chat window, click on the new message icon that appears at the top right.
- There are three options here:new group,new secret chat,andnew channel. Click on the last one and then click oncreate a channel.
- On the next screen, you must name your channel, add a photo and a description. I recommend that you choose your profile photo well and write a good description since it will be the first information that users looking for your channel will see, so you want it to be as good as possible.
- The next step is to choose privacy,publicorprivate(depending on what you use it for, you will be interested in one thing or the other). On this same screen, you must choose how you want your channel link to be. This link can be used by users to share it with more people interested in your channel.
- Click onnextand you will have your channel created. From now on, the channel will appear on the chat screen just as the groups appear.
Telegram channels can have more than one administrator, so it is ideal if in your business you will be several people who will manage the communications of this application.
Once created, you simply have to appoint administrators to the people on your team and from then on everyone can publish in it. Remember that channels are one-way, so only administrators can post.
As you can see, a Telegram channel can become another showcase for your business where you can make communications on topics of interest to your audience.
In addition, anyone who subscribes will be able to access previous publications, as if it were a social network feed. Ready to learn how we can use Telegram in our marketing strategy and sell more?
How to use Telegram to sell
With all these features, Telegram becomes a great ally of your business and offers you the possibility of implementing marketing strategies that complement the ones you are already using.
Content creation
On the one hand, it allows you tocreate content. I guess by now you will know the importance of creating content of value for your audience, content that educates and helps your potential customers. If not, I recommend that you listen to this podcast in which I talk about my MAC methodology (minimum essential content).
As you have already seen, creating a channel is very simple and you can reach an unlimited number of people with them, so it is ideal for creating interesting content and increasing your audience.
Do you need help in planning?
As in the rest of platforms and networks, I recommend that you always have a well-organized content plan, so that your publications make sense and you can maximize their results.
To do this, I advise you to have aneditorial calendarin which you have all your content ideas and where you organize your publications, so that you increase your productivity, leaving the content of a whole month organized in one day. Use the editorial calendar to organize what type of content you will publish and how often.
In case you need help, these templates to create the editorial calendar will guide you throughout the process.
In addition, as a channel of information, it offers an important advantage if you compare it, for example, with e-mail marketing. When you send a communication on a channel, all subscribers receive that message automatically on their mobile, so it is easy for the reach to be greater than with e-mail marketing campaigns.
Loyalty
On the other hand, it serves as aloyalty method. The benefits are similar to those of social networks: create interesting content that hooks your audience and, above all, put yourself in the shoes of your potential client to find out what interests them and offer it to them.
In this way, you are sure to get a loyal audience that is eager to receive your information and also shares your profile with other people who may also be interested. In addition, you can attract subscribers to your channel by doing, for example, exclusive offers for members.
In addition, by having the option of making the channel public or private, you can also offerexclusive informationto your customers. For example, when you have a new release, you can offer a bonus that includes access to a private Telegram channel in which you publish exclusive content for those who buy the offer.
Customer Support
Lastly, it is a perfect complement to yourcustomer service. Here the bots are the ones that will help you a lot. Create a bot that answers the most common questions from your customers and you will have a large number of responses automated.
10 ways to accelerate the growth of your Telegram channel
- Promote on your other social networks.
- Include the link of your channel in the signature of your emails.
- Use your blogs to provide information about your channel.
- Use the Telegram catalogs that allow you to promote for free.
- Create posts on social platforms like Reddit and promote your channel there.
- Go to paid advertising.
- Use custom stickers to have a more creative channel.
- Make repost of content related to the interests of your audience.
- Create a bot for your channel.
- Pay attention to the frequency of publication and always prioritize quality over quantity.
As you can see, Telegram is a very complete application that can be of great help in your business so I recommend that you try it and see if it may interest you as one more element to use in your marketing strategy.