How to Sell on Telegram: A Step-by-Step Guide
Telegram is a robust messaging app with over 800 million active monthly users. With so many loyal customers following channels and participating in interest groups, the platform is a ready channel for businesses, marketers, thought leaders and influencers seeking to sell ideologies, products, and services. The most successful users know how to sell on Telegram by leveraging the platform's tools and resources, from ads, subscriptions, or direct sales.
Here is an exhaustive guide on how to make the most out of this effective messaging app to increase your market share, grow your brand, convert and retain leads, and increase your profits.
Part 1. Why Sell on Telegram?
According to Statista, Telegram is the third most downloaded messaging app, with over 800 million users worldwide and 5 million premium subscribers. As of 2023, this makes up 8.7% of the app's global reach. The company recorded $11.66 million in profits between January and February 2024 and has made over $4 billion since its launch.
With Telegram permitting users to have up to 200,000 group members, it is one of the few that have such capabilities. You can also upload multiple 2GB files (4GB if you are on premium), automation bots, chat amplification tools, and multiple monetization strategies.
Knowing how to sell on Telegram using these strategies, tools, and resources is essential for businesses on the platform.
Part 2. What Types of Products or Services are Suitable for Selling on Telegram?
Contrary to popular belief, Telegram has users selling legitimate goods and services. The most profitable are Chinese goods, with a $12,000 sales volume, followed by digital equipment at over $5,500. Other categories of products and services include:
- Consumer loans: Telegram has legit lending companies and entities, from peer-to-peer platforms leveraging AI to facilitate loans to traditional lending institutions like banks.
- Apparel and shoes: You can purchase original branded merchandise and street fashion from channels and groups selling clothing and shoes.
- Sports: Another lucrative sales area on the Telegram platform is sports, from tickets, betting sites, and sporting goods.
- Education: Students and educators leverage the platform's tools to sell study e-books, educational videos, lectures, tutorials, coursework, and school group discussions.
- Hypermarkets: The platform has budding hypermarket groups where members can buy all types of goods and services and get shipments from anywhere in the world.
- Cosmetics and beauty: There are groups dedicated to selling skincare products, hair products, makeup, fragrances, and personal care products.
- Health services and products: Telegram has health and medicine channels and groups with room for more providing healthcare services to followers and group members.
- Household goods: You can also sell furniture, appliances, decorative pieces, electronics, kitchenware, home textiles, carpets, and curtains.
Part 3. How to Sell on Telegram and Boost Sales?
Here are some detailed steps or methods on how to sell and boost sales on Telegram.
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Create a Telegram Channel | Build a Complete Sales Process Using Code. |
| 2. Create a Telegram Group | Showcase Your Products or Services Without Code. |
| 3. Promote Your Telegram Channel & Group | Used to increase the exposure of your products or services. |
| 4. Use Telegram Ads | The simplest way to boost sales. |
| 5. Set Up a Telegram Business Account | Optional, but effective for selling on Telegram. |
| 6. Analysis and optimization | Used to adjust sales strategies. |
1Create a Telegram Channel
Sellers need a Telegram Channel to sell their products or services. It is their access ticket for uploading products or services to sell on the platform.
- Step 1.Create a Channel
- Open the Telegram app, click on the three-dotted icon in the top-left corner for desktop and the message icon for phone users.
- A drop-down menu will emerge. Select the 'New Channel' option.
- A pop-up will appear to add the channel's name, profile picture, and description. Sellers should ensure everything resonates with the product and service they want to sell.
- Step 2.Upload Products or Service
- Once the channel is set, sellers can add their products or services to the channel. Insert high-quality images of products or a captivating description of services.
- Step 3.Include Payment Options
- Before setting up payments, you need to create a Telegram bot. You can click here to see: how to create a Telegram bot (Step by Step).
- Type "BotFather" on the search bar - Send the /mybots command to BotFather - Choose the bot and select Payments - Select a payment provider - Select 'live' to receive payments directly from clients.
- Finish the process by launching the bot.
These steps might be challenging for some seller because they require familiarity with coding languages like Python and pip. If you're not well-versed in coding or prefer a less complex way to sell on Telegram, you can check out the second method below, which doesn't require any coding.
2Create a Telegram Group
In addition to the aforementioned Telegram channels, Telegram groups are also a good option for showcasing products or services. Although they do not support uploading products or services, they provide an interactive platform where sellers can showcase their products or services through direct communication with customers.
Here are the steps to create a Telegram group: Click the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the Telegram app - Select "New Group" - Enter the group name - Click "Next" to complete the creation.
If the volume of customer inquiries in a Telegram group becomes too large, sellers may find it difficult to manage. However, one advantage of Telegram groups is the ability to add bots, so sellers don't have to handle all the repetitive tasks.
With ChatInsight, an AI chatbot platform, you can easily conduct sales in Telegram groups. ChatInsight can recognize over 60 languages and provides human-like interactions, offering precise responses to customers instead of the broad answers typical of some other AI tools.
ChatInsight allows sellers to compile their products or services into a document and upload it, creating a custom bot without any coding. Sellers can pin the ChatInsight bot link at the top of the Telegram group, enabling customers to automatically start a conversation by clicking the link.
Additionally, ChatInsight currently offers a free and fully functional version, allowing sellers to create up to 5 bots at no cost.
3Promote Your Telegram Channel and Group
Creating channels and groups is the first step to starting sales on Telegram. Next, we will explore some effective methods to boost sales on Telegram. The first thing to do is promote your Telegram channels and groups.
Join Telegram Groups in Your Niche
With over 800 million users, there are plenty of people looking for products and services in your niche in groups and channels similar to yours. Join these groups. Ensure they allow member advertising. You can also strike a deal with the group owner or administrators to advertise your products and services.
Share Your Telegram Channel Link on Other Social Media Platforms
You are not limited to advertising your goods or services on the Telegram app alone. Share your link on your other social media accounts to drive traffic to your Telegram channel or group.
Create Valuable Content in Your Channel or Group
Another effective way on how to sell on Telegram is by projecting value. Show thought leadership in your niche. Inform and inspire your audience by offering helpful information, solutions, and innovative thoughts about your product or service.
Host Giveaways or Promotional Events
Capture your audience's attention with giveaways and promotional events. These could be quizzes to test loyalty, fun games to boost engagement, or celebratory activities to mark milestones. Be creative in rolling out these contests and discounts.
Encourage Users to Share Links
Increase your link-sharing volume by encouraging your group members and channel followers to share your link on their social media platforms to grow your reach.
4Use Telegram Ads
Telegram has an ad platform for creating advertisements using free bots from the platform. The promotional messages get sent to selected groups and channels with over 1000 subscribers. Advertising on Telegram is an effective and quick way to boost sales.
Every month, 950 million users generate 1 trillion views in Telegram ads. Thanks to the platform's niche-based groups and channels, the ads reach your target audience without requiring you to input user information.
Telegram ads are easy to launch and take many formats, from texts with a maximum of 160 characters to images, voice messages, and links. Here are the steps to follow to create an account:
- Step 1.You need to input your phone number on the Telegram ads platform to get a prompt into your account and start creating the platform.
- Step 2.Next, choose the account you want to launch your ad.
- Step 3.Fill in the ad title, description, URL you want to promote, and links to the channels the ad will run.
- Step 4.You can redirect the link to your channel or the product or service. Ensure that the duration of the advertisement aligns with your budget.
Telegram allows you to pay in TON, a cryptocurrency usable on the platform. The ads effectively increase sales revenue because they directly target users interested in your products or services.
5Set Up a Telegram Business Account
Sellers don't need a business account to sell on Telegram. Nevertheless, a business account is beneficial to conduct sales. Aside from having a professional presence, Telegram business accounts also come with tools that automate responses, allow for customer segmentation, streamline customer service operations, and enable broadcasting. Regular telegram accounts don't have these features.
Here is how you can set up a Telegram business account:
- Step 1.Create a channel in Telegram. You can only open a Telegram business account if you have a channel. Click here to see how to create a Telegram channel. If you already have a channel, skip this step.
- Step 2.Click the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of Telegram - Select "Settings" - Click "Telegram Business" - Choose a subscription and complete the payment as prompted.
- Step 3.Click the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of Telegram - Select "New Account" - Add the business name, description, and image.
- Step 4.Choose whether to make the Telegram business account public or private.
6Analysis and optimization
All Telegram channels and groups have an analytics tool that collects, analyzes, and measures data. The information helps you understand your audience's preferences, behavior, and reception of your marketing strategies. Thus, you can make informed decisions when launching ads and promotions or developing content.
Telegram analytic tools are also essential in optimizing your strategies in the app. Aside from tracking the number of views, new followers, and interaction frequency, these tools provide insights into your subscriber or member demography, including their location. You also get a detailed breakdown of engagement rates, including when your audience is most active.
Learn about your followers' message activity and response satisfaction rates, and track message or ad performance without leaving the platform. Moreover, you can also track sales data and use the information to restrategize your approach to improve sales. Marketing requires frequent modifications. Telegram's real-time data analytics enable you to fine-tune your strategies and maximize performance.
You can track your content performance, optimize communication strategies, keep tabs on public profiles and channels, monitor the performance of your targeted keywords, and launch ad campaigns that yield decent results. Telegram data tools automate many tasks, freeing you from the need to track ad performance or messages manually.
Part 4. A Case Study of Selling on Telegram
Marie created her Telegram channel in June 2022, offering data analyst services. She aimed to establish thought leadership in data analysis. In just a few months, her platform started generating income. She has since opened other Telegram channels in English and Russia, collectively earning her $5,000 per month.
Her first channel has 15,000 followers and brings in about $3000 a month. The channel is monetized and generates revenue through sponsored ads, which cost about $250. She launches about 12 to 15 ads monthly.
Aside from sharing insights and providing data analysis services, Marie also shares her projects relevant to her niche to inspire, educate, and collaborate with her followers. What keeps her business booming? Here are insights on how to sell products on Telegram.
1. Use The App as a Messenger
Marie treats Telegram like a messenger, not a networking tool. Telegram is unlike LinkedIn, where you join to build a network of over 500 followers. Conversely, Telegram is much more intimate. It is a platform that nurtures impactful communities in different niches.
Many people joining the app seek to establish lasting bonds through everyday interactions. The average user does not follow many channels or groups. Your content should be impactful enough to make that follower stay long-term.
2. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity
Telegram users follow quality content. Whether in entertainment, finance, e-commerce, education, or beauty, prioritize adding value in your niche. Avoid regurgitating content from big accounts. Find a unique angle to tackle issues.
Delivery also matters. People like to participate - feel like they are a part of something. Consider making your content interactive. Invite people into the discourse. You can do it through polls and quizzes to encourage participation. Reward active participants to motivate others to join the conversation. As your contributions to the community become widely recognized, your following will naturally grow.
3. Develop a Channel Theme
Maintain consistency in your channel. Let every user on the platform know what you are about. Everything should reflect what you are selling or what your channel is about, from your username to the channel's description, photo, and content.
4. Maintain Consistency
Always have content ready. Your followers engage with you through your content. Therefore, strategically plan and schedule your content. Telegram has bots that streamline and automate content planning. All you have to do is ensure you are releasing quality information. Leverage every tool available to boost your text, images, and video messages. Use emojis, GIFs, and everything in between.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to sell on Telegram, it is time to turn knowledge into action. Use your Telegram channel or group to increase your revenue streams. Use bots like ChatInsight to enter the global market. Let users worldwide experience your value and make a quick buck in the process. Start today.
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