Telegram has long been a popular messaging app, with many people comparing it to a social network. Here, you can chat with friends and family, make video calls, read news from channels, and chat with colleagues or classmates.
In 2021, Telegram entered the top 5 most popular instant messengers in the world. According to a study by Sensor Tower, over 100 million users installed the app in the first quarter of 2021. In 2022, Telegram overtook WhatsApp. The Moscow Times reported that Telegram is the leader in terms of traffic, with 15 times more than WhatsApp.
Advertising on Telegram
Telegram channel owners make money not only from affiliate links but also from selling advertising. There are hundreds of thousands of channels that regularly publish ads for various services, products, and other channels. And when we say "hundreds of thousands," we are not exaggerating.
You can find SEO channels advertising each other on their channels. And you can see entertainment channels selling ads to loan bots, crypto channels promoting crypto exchanges, and so much more.
The team at Partnerkin talked to some of the owners of Telegram channels and asked them some questions about how much they earn, how often ads are bought from them, and what determines the cost of an ad. Below are the answers we received from the Telegram channel owners, that we believe could be inspiring for those looking at starting or monetizing their Telegram channels and also could give insight to those looking at advertising their businesses through Telegram channels.
“The best months brought up to $13 000, in the worst months I received $5 000 - $7 000,” Alexey, owner of the FinanceHeadlines channel.
What is the theme of your channel? How many subscribers?
For the last 2 years, I have been exclusively dealing with channels on financial topics. The main channels are "FinanceMap" and "Financial Headlines," with each having between 30 000 and 40 000 subscribers. In general, I have had many different channels in different niches, but I decided to focus on one topic that I liked – which was Finance. The first channels were created at the end of 2016.
How much, on average, does the channel bring in per month? Are ads bought regularly or periodically?
No, there is never a loss. Even during holidays, you can earn money because people are always buying ads. The channel is not very expensive to maintain, and it is effortless to attract advertisers at this point. The best months brought in up to $13 000; in the worst months, I received $5 000 - $7 500. A lot depends on the season, as well as how much you reinvest in development and how you sell advertising.
How much does one ad post cost? Did you set the price based on the audience's interest, engagement, and so on?
Advertising costs from $200 to $400; it all depends on the conditions and the time in the top or feed of the channel, plus I sell some additional options.
It is customary to calculate the price based on CPM (cost per 1 000 views), but in the financial field, almost no one uses this concept. Everyone sets the price at which they value their audience. I set the price based on the market average.
How do advertisers find you?
Most clients are those who have already subscribed to the channel. My managers and I rarely initiate communication. If there is a free slot, we can reach out to regular buyers who are happy to take hot slots. Some clients come from advertising networks, such as Telega.in and Seads.me.
I advise maintaining good relationships with the managers of these networks; they can often recommend your channels to customers.
Do you monitor the effectiveness of advertising? Are you interested in the client’s results?
Yes, we usually check; we are interested in feedback and try to make customers happy. Before placing an ad, if we see that it is unlikely to convert, we warn about a possible bad result. We can offer options on how to change the post or give advice because I don't want to receive negative feedback.
Has a client ever been dissatisfied with the result? Did they ask for a refund?
Those who choose to advertise with us, generally understand everything about ad performance. However, if the outcome is entirely unsuccessful, I offer the client discounts on the next placement or improve the conditions for free. I prefer everyone to be happy.
What won't you advertise on your channel?
I will not advertise clickbait, erotica, scams, or anything else that's not related to the finance niche. Advertising should be thematic so as not to annoy the subscribers. Since my subscribers are mostly affluent people, some advertisers often ask me to advertise escort agencies, but I refuse.
What advice can you give to those planning to start their own channel?
I recommend not making hasty decisions about the channel's future monetization. Choose a topic in which you feel confident and carefully select spots for ad placements, particularly in financial topics, where there are numerous bot channels.
For purchasing ad spots to promote your channel in other channels and groups, I advise consulting with different channel admins or hiring a media buyer for the first time. It is important to make friends with other admins; they can share clients with you and add you to different admin chats, through which you can make additional sales. You can often get significant discounts on placements for yourself, by maintaining a good relationship with channel owners,
"Right now it's not the season, so the income is $2 000 - $3 000. However, advertisers buy ads all the time", says the owner of the Al Kryptone channel.
What is the theme of your channel? How many subscribers?
I've been running a cryptocurrency-related channel for a year. It has over 26 000 subscribers.
How much, on average, does the channel bring in per month? Are ads bought regularly or periodically?
Right now it's not the season, so the income is between $2 000 and $3 000. However, advertisers buy ads all the time.
How much does one ad post cost? Did you set the price based on the audience's interest, engagement, and so on?
One post costs $200; this is the price based on the analysis of advertising effectiveness and audience interest.
How do advertisers find you?
Advertisers find me by themselves; I don’t look for anyone. I think that if the channel is good and the advertising on it is effective, then people will find it themselves.
Do you monitor the effectiveness of advertising? Are you interested in the client’s results?
Yes, I follow the activity. I have a serious audience that’s interested in my content since I educate them, and this is good for the click-through rates.
Has a client ever been dissatisfied with the result? Did he ask for a refund?
No, this has never happened.
What exactly will you not advertise on your channel?
I do not advertise scams and other rubbish.
What advice can you give to those who are planning to start their own channel?
The main thing is not to be lazy and to always keep working. Be ready to keep the channel alive and constantly work on it, because if you don’t, then there will be no earnings.
"The channel brings in up to $1 500 per month. I do three ads a week, but during the summer I had four — there was an influx of ads. They book weeks in advance," says Jamilya Kotlyarova, owner of the Digital Broccoli channel.
What is the theme of your channel? How many subscribers do you have?
My channel is about freelance work: finding orders, working with clients, and building a brand as a specialist. I have over 25 000 subscribers, and I've been running it since 2017.
How much does the channel bring in on average per month? Are ads bought regularly or periodically?
This year, advertising revenue has grown to $1 500 per month during the summer, in addition to income from courses and consultations that I sell through the channel. Other clients also find me through the channel; for example, in the spring, I was often invited to hold a webinar about foreign freelancers.
Ads are bought regularly, and I try to post no more than three per week. On average, they are booked one to two weeks in advance. There probably wasn't any profit at the beginning, but now I always have at least a few posts bought or I sell my courses.
How much does one ad post cost? Did you set the price based on audience analysis, interests, engagement, etc.?
They cost from $75 to $100, depending on the product. I advertise channels at a cheaper rate and courses at a more expensive rate.
I set the price based on the number of views and the quality of the audience. I know that the most enthusiastic and serious people who are interested in work and career development subscribe to me.
How do advertisers find you?
I tried using advertising networks as brokers before, but I didn't like them. Conducting transactions through the networks is inconvenient and unprofitable, so now everyone has to contact me for ads by themselves.
I used to use admin chats, but more often I bought them myself and did not expose my channel. If the channel is large and good, it usually does not need brokers - sometimes I don’t even have available spots for the next two to three weeks to place ads. If my channel manager was also looking for advertisers, then regular advertisers would not receive the desired dates.
Do you monitor the effectiveness of advertising? Are you interested in the client’s results?
Most of the time, I don't monitor because there is simply no time. I think that if they come back to me for more ads, then everything must be okay. Usually, about half of the advertisers come back, and they are often large players who purchase ads in many channels with similar topics.
Has a client ever been dissatisfied with the result? Did they ask for a refund?
This has never happened before, but it has happened with other channels. Usually, they agree to a free replacement. If the same thing happened to me, I would also just repost for free.
What types of products or services will you not advertise on your channel?
I will not advertise for betting, forex, or anything that promises instant and quick earnings because it is generally a scam. I also often refuse to work with those who place too much emphasis on fitness products for "mothers on maternity leave" and online courses for "students."
If an advertiser sells courses with ideologies like "even these stupid ones could, so you can do it too," they clearly do not respect the audience and sell some kind of garbage. If you sell a course and treat your audience as equals, their level of awareness does not depend on gender, age, or marital status.
What advice can you give to those planning to start their own channel?
Don't spread yourself too thin and write about what you're knowledgeable in (or want to learn about). When people visit your channel, they should immediately understand the subject matter. Write more articles promoting your channel and actively advertise it outside of Telegram. Advertising within channels is currently too expensive.
Don't make big plans for it; just do your job, and it will lead to good results. Things created solely for money quickly fade away. What's born from an idea can produce results you can't even imagine yet. Good luck!
"The price depends on the channel and conditions." "The cheapest price is $10 for a post for a day; the most expensive is $75 for a post without deletion," says Evgeny Korzhikov, the owner of Crazy Marketer and several other Telegram channels.
What is the topic of your channel? How many subscribers do you have?
I have several channels: "Crazy Marketer | Marketing, SMM, Digital, Advertising", "Brain Marketing", "Customer left the chat", and "Article".
The first two are about marketing: "Customer left the chat" features silly job listings, memes about freelancing, and "good" clients; "Article" covers general topics and articles from different websites on a range of topics, from IT and marketing to work and crypto.
On average, how much does your channel earn per month? Do advertisers buy ads regularly or periodically?
I can't give exact numbers, but it's enough to make a living. Advertising is taken relatively often, but there are days when there are no orders at all and the figure for the day is 0. This occurs most often on weekends.
How much does one ad post cost? Did you set the price based on the audience's interest, engagement, and so on?
The price depends on the channel and conditions. The cheapest price is $10 for a post for a day; the most expensive is $75 for a post without deletion.
The price was set based on the average CPM in the subject and demand with returns. If the channel hasn't grown in some time and the reach has dropped, it doesn't make sense to set a high price. It's clear that sometimes I offer discounts; advertising doesn't always go for the full price.
How do advertisers find you?
Often, advertisers contact me themselves, requesting orders from Telegram. I sometimes contact them myself if I see a message in chat groups that someone is seeking for an advertising placement.
Do you monitor the effectiveness of advertising? Are you interested in the client’s results?
Of course, I'm monitoring. I've encountered situations where I placed ads for someone, and the performance was terrible. It happens sometimes out of bad luck.
Therefore, I try to avoid a negative attitude on my part. I give advice on posts, and if I understand that the topic won't go as well as I would like, I can lower the price a little. There are clients who advertise multiple times. So they enjoy everything.
Has a client ever been dissatisfied with the result? Did they ask for a refund?
Unfortunately, it has happened more than once. Sometimes, I offered to place it once again for free; sometimes, I returned part of the amount. It's not always possible to predict which ads will work and which ones won't. But I try to move forward in such cases.
What exactly will you not advertise on your channels?
Betting, hacking services, drugs, 18+, hard-byte news, and scams. I don't want anything to do with these, even though I'm ready to make posts for any amount of money.
What advice can you give to those who are planning to start their own channel?
A lot of information is available for free. Many admins (including me) can offer advice and answer questions. If you come across Telegram experts who only want to sell their courses and provide only general information for free, beware. It's unlikely that they'll teach you anything useful.
If someone promises mountains of gold, a billion dollars per second, and all of this the day after tomorrow without any investment, be cautious. Telegram and channels here are similar to offline businesses, but the payback time may be shorter. I wish I had known when I first started that this isn't just a hobby, but a full-time job.
Conclusion
Running your own Telegram channel can be a profitable business if you are knowledgeable about the subject matter. Based on statistics, original content is more valued than copy-pasting. This is because user engagement and trust are higher, resulting in effective advertising.
However, as you might have noted from the admins, starting a Telegram channel means you must continually work on it, such as creating and developing content, purchasing ads to promote your channel, and engaging with users. Nevertheless, with enough effort put in, the profits will pleasantly surprise you.
