Telegram is a popular platform that offers huge opportunities for attracting traffic and leads. As of January 2025, Telegram messenger has over 950 million monthly active users.

Since its launch, Telegram has shown a steady growth of its user base, which is reflected in the table based on Statista data:

In India, approximately 45% of the population actively uses Telegram, making it the leading country for this messenger and highlighting its remarkable global popularity.

 

Types of advertising

Telegram is not just a messenger - it's a platform with vast advertising potential. Here, you can not only find your target audience, but also interact with them effectively thanks to high user engagement. Below, we’ll explore the main types of advertising available on Telegram.

1. Official Telegram Ads

Telegram offers its own advertising platform — Telegram Ad Platform. This tool allows you to place text adverts in large public channels with an audience of 1,000+ subscribers.

How it works:

• Create a text ad up to 160 characters.

• Your ad is shown in themed channels that match your target audience's interests.

Pros:

• Easy scalability: ads can reach millions globally, and campaigns can be quickly adapted for greater reach.

• High audience relevance: Telegram selects the channels where your adverts are most interesting to users, increasing the chances of a response.

Cons:

• Emoji limitations in ads.

• Only one direct link is allowed (no redirects or shorteners).

• High minimum budget: often starting at €250, depending on the reseller, although some platforms don’t require a minimum budget.

• The promoted channel should be active, with regular content updates.

Detailed requirements can be found on the official platform website under the “Guidelines” section.

Tip: if you're planning campaigns with large budgets, the Telegram Ad Platform can be an effective tool for reaching and engaging your audience.

2. Advertising in thematic channels

One of the most popular ways to promote on Telegram remains buying ads in large themed channels.

How it works:

• You negotiate with the owner of the channel to place an advertising post.

• The format of the post: text, images, video, links.

Pros:

• Flexibility in choosing the format of the advert.

• Ability to target the audience by interests (finance, trading, investments).

Cons:

• Risk of getting on channels with a fake audience.

Tip: before cooperating, check the channel statistics through services like Telemetr. Look for channels where the main audience is traders and people interested in financial markets.

3. Seeding via ad exchanges

To optimize time and minimize risks, you can use ad exchanges such as: Telega.in, Epicstars.com, Teletarget.com, Gooroo.works, Tagio.pro or others.

How it works:

• Register on the platform and select relevant channels from the catalog.

• The exchange ensures secure transactions and provides placement statistics.

Pros:

• Transparent analytics.

• Easy channel search.

Cons:

• Exchange commission.

• Some exchanges are limited in the selection of niche channels.

Tip: use exchanges to test different formats and search the best channels to post on.

4. Using bots

Telegram bots are an effective tool for interacting with your audience and automating processes.

They can be used in various formats:

• In private messages. Bots can send users advertising information with active links. However, this method is often perceived as spam, reducing its effectiveness and potentially irritating users.

• In chats. Advertising messages are placed in the bot's welcome text, which is displayed to users when they enter the chat room. The format is limited: only short and concise text is suitable.

• Directly in the bot. This method is successfully used, for example, in chat rooms to search for trading signals, market analytics or daily financial news. The user gets access to valuable information only after subscribing to the offered channel, which increases engagement and helps to attract the target audience.

Pros:

• High engagement.

• Ability to personalise messages.

Cons:

• Requires bot development and additional configuration.

 

Tip: Create a bot that offers users promo codes or educational trading materials to effectively attract leads. To create such a bot, you can use SendPulse or similar platforms that support the development of chatbots for Telegram.

5. Advertising in chats

Group chats on Telegram are an excellent platform for interacting with your audience and forming an active community around a brand or product. 

Pros:

• Feedback. The ability to communicate directly with users, get their opinions and questions.

• Engagement. Building loyalty through active participation in discussions.

• Community development. Creating a platform where participants can share experiences, tips and ideas.

Cons:

• Requires constant attention. Moderation and answering questions takes time.

• Risk of negativity. Open chats can attract not only interested users, but also haters or spammers.

Tip: to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising, use test placements and analyse the results: the number of conversions, questions and comments.

6. Native ads in Telegram mini-apps

Telegram mini-apps are in-built services that work right inside the messenger. They allow users to make purchases, order services or interact with interactive content without leaving the platform.

How it works:

• You integrate an advert into the interface of the mini-app. It can be a banner, a pop-up notification or an offer within a script.

• Users see the adverts when they interact with the mini-app, for example when using trading calculators, games or educational tools.

Pros:

• Integration into the user experience. Ads are not perceived as something intrusive.

• High engagement. Users already interacting with mini-apps are more likely to respond to ads.

• Wide range of creatives. Different formats can be used, from graphics to animations.

Cons:

• Limited audience. Ads are visible only to users of a specific mini-app.

• Technical complexity. Integration customisation is required.

Tip: use mini-apps that align with your target audience's interests. For traders, consider profit calculators, educational quizzes, or trading checklists with native ad placements. Natively embed promotional offers so that they look like part of the main functionality.

Conclusion

Telegram offers a huge potential for lead generation. It's important not to forget that mass messaging on Telegram is prohibited and can lead to your account being blocked. Focus instead on legal and effective ways of promotion.

Use themed channels, advertising platforms, bots and viral content to stand out among your competitors. Most importantly, offer high-quality, relevant content that will appeal to your audience.

Experiment with different advertising formats, analyze results, and scale the strategies that work best for your campaigns.