Telegram Marketing
Crypto Marketing
Mini apps are turning Telegram into more than just a messenger: users can now shop, play games, book services, and more without leaving the platform. With an average CTR of 5%, ads in these apps are already outperforming many traditional social media platforms.
In this article, we’ll break down how Telegram mini apps ads work, share best practices, and look ahead at what’s next for this fast-growing ad channel.
- What Are Telegram Mini Apps?
- Why Advertise in Telegram Mini Apps?
- How Advertising Works in Telegram Mini Apps
- Best Practices for Publishers & Advertisers
- Challenges & Considerations
- Future of Advertising in Telegram Mini Apps
- Wrapping Up
What Are Telegram Mini Apps?
Telegram mini apps (TMAs) are lightweight web apps that function entirely inside the platform and let people access a wide range of services like shopping, gaming, education, crypto trading, ticket booking, and more.
Examples of such apps include:
- Games: Fun, interactive experiences like clickers, puzzles, quizzes, card games.
- E-commerce: Storefronts that allow users browse, select, and purchase products directly within the app.
- Loyalty programs: Reward-based apps where people earn points, track their progress, and unlock special perks or offers.
- Finance & investments: Everything from managing a crypto wallet to checking stocks, applying for loans, or tracking personal finances.
- Customer support: Quick and easy help through live chats powered by either AI or real support agents.
- Booking & on-demand services: Tools for ordering taxis, reserving tables or venues, scheduling appointments, and more.
- Productivity tools: Handy utilities such as to-do lists, calendars, note-taking apps, and reminders.
Storm Trade
How do mini apps differ from bots? While bots usually rely on simple text commands and button-based menus, TMAs deliver full, interactive interfaces built with web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They’re powerful enough to replicate the experience of a standalone website or mobile app — without ever leaving Telegram.
Why Advertise in Telegram Mini Apps?
Over 500 million people interact with mini apps every month, which highlights their potential as a high-impact advertising and monetization channel.
How advertisers can benefit from TMA ads:
- Large advertising reach. With over 1 billion MAU, Telegram ranks as the 7th most popular social media platform worldwide — ahead of well-known names like Reddit and X.
- Highly engaged audience. On average, a Telegram user opens the app 21 times each day and spends over 40 minutes engaging with channels, bots and mini apps. Facebook, in contrast, sees about 36 minutes of daily activity per person.
- Native ad placements. Mini app ads appear at natural breakpoints or in ways that complement the user experience. Take task ads, for instance: they encourage simple actions by offering incentives like points, tokens, or exclusive features.
- Seamless experience inside Telegram. These ads don’t interrupt the userjourney. Instead, they feel like a natural extension of the app’s content. This results in higher completion rates for actions like sign-ups, purchases, or video views.
- Precise targeting. You can choose exactly who sees your ads by filtering for region, language, device, Telegram wallet holders, and Premium subscribers.
While mainstream social media platforms are saturated with ads, Telegram mini app advertising is still in its early stages. This means lower ad costs, less competition, and stronger engagement rates. It’s a great time to grow your brand and take the lead in your niche before the competition heats up.
At the same time, TMA ads also create new growth and monetization opportunities for developers. If you're running a mini app and want to unlock new revenue streams, here are the key reasons to consider ad integration:
- A new monetization channel. Developers can generate revenue without depending solely on premium features or subscriptions. This also allows them to earn income while keeping the core app experience available to a diverse community.
- Better retention and user LTV. Value-driven ads with rewards or exclusive unlocks not only support monetization but also enhance the overall experience. It encourages longer sessions, frequent returns, and stronger brand loyalty.
- User insights through ad engagement. Ad interaction data provides valuable insight into user behavior and what drives interest or drop-off. This data can help shape future product updates and refine in-app UX.
Looking for more ideas to grow your TMA? Check out our blog post and discover 10 effective tips to promote mini apps.
Thus, Telegram mini app ads combine native reach, strong engagement, and smooth integration to help brands connect with people in the spaces they use regularly. For developers, it’s a balanced way to earn income while preserving the quality and usability of their mini apps.
How Advertising Works in Telegram Mini Apps
TMAs support a variety of ad formats tailored to different goals — from boosting brand awareness to driving specific actions. Campaigns can be run on a CPM basis for reach or a CPC model for action-focused results.
Let’s have a look at some of the most popular TMA ad formats:
Static and GIF Banners
These are image-based ads that resemble regular Telegram messages. Static banners deliver a clear message with minimal design effort, while GIF banners add subtle motion to capture more attention. You don’t need to create fancy videos or heavy assets, that’s why the format is perfect for quick campaign launches.
Ad in a mini app (banner)
Video Ads
Video ads make it easy to tell a story in just a few seconds. Typically 6 to 15 seconds long and designed for a vertical 9:16 screen, they’re perfect for showcasing your product, building your brand, or sparking an emotional connection.
Task-Based Ads
Task ads offer rewards like points or bonuses for subscribing to a channel, playing a game, and other simple actions. These ads feel more like in-app achievements than promotions — they encourage interaction while adding real value to the user experience. This also makes it a cost-effective option, as advertisers only pay when the desired task is completed.
Tasks
Who Controls the Ad Inventory: Developer, Telegram, or Third-Party Networks?
Ad inventory in Telegram mini apps is primarily controlled by developers. They decide where and how ads are placed within their apps and can partner with advertisers directly or integrate third-party ad networks for monetization.
Best Practices for Publishers & Advertisers
Here are some practical tips to help you get the most out of your advertising strategy.
For Publishers
1. Place ads where they add value, not friction
Ads should feel like a natural part of the app. Use breakpoints such as after task completion, game levels, or page transitions as moments to introduce banners or rewarded ads. Avoid placing ads where they interrupt key actions or slow down the user flow.
2. Balance monetization with retention
Don’t let short-term revenue hurt long-term user loyalty. The best approach is to offer something valuable in exchange for attention. When ads deliver perks such as rewards or discounts, they add value and naturally draw people into the flow of the app.
3. Use tracking and analytics
Use analytics to track ad engagement. Which placements get the most clicks? At what stage does the drop-off happen? What rewards work best? These insights can help you adjust ad strategy without guesswork and continuously improve both performance and experience.
For Advertisers
1. Tailor creative to Telegram’s user mindset
Telegram attracts a privacy-conscious, efficiency-driven audience that values minimalism and speed. Stick to native-looking visuals and avoid anything overly flashy or intrusive. For task ads, make the reward clear and the action as frictionless as possible.
2. Test different formats
Experiment with different ad formats to see what works best for your product or campaign goal. A/B testing creatives and placements can significantly improve performance over time.
3. Leverage user segmentation and retargeting
Re-engage those who interacted with your ad but didn’t complete the desired action, such as subscribing to a channel or making a purchase. At the same time, avoid showing the same ad to people who have already taken the intended action to reduce ad fatigue and improve campaign efficiency.
Challenges & Considerations
Understanding a few important challenges and limitations early on will help you build more effective, compliant, and user-friendly campaigns.
User Privacy and Data Policies
Telegram is known for its strong stance on privacy. Unlike other social media platforms, there’s no deep behavioral tracking or third-party cookies. This encourages more ethical targeting, but also limits advanced personalization and audience profiling. That’s why it's important to focus on relevant content and context rather than detailed user tracking.
Telegram’s Rules and Ad Policies
Telegram has its own Ad Policies and Guidelines for what can and cannot be promoted. Content must follow platform rules, avoid misleading claims, and steer clear of restricted categories like adult content or financial scams.
Risk of Ad Fatigue
Ads that feel spammy or poorly placed can lead to negative feedback, user drop-off, or app abandonment. That’s why it’s critical to prioritize relevance, thoughtful placement, and genuine value in every ad experience.
Future of Advertising in Telegram Mini Apps
As more people adopt mini apps for everyday tasks and entertainment, we will see new opportunities to reach highly engaged audiences in more scalable ways.
Here is what we expect:
- Personalization and AI-driven creatives. Advertisers will increasingly use AI to deliver dynamic ad content tailored to user behavior, preferences, and activity.
- Growth in e-commerce adoption. Rising demand from e-commerce brands will drive the creation of new ad formats with built-in options for direct purchases, bookings, and orders.
- Smarter audience targeting. Improved data tools will support better audience segmentation, real-time campaign adjustments, and deeper engagement.
To sum up, Telegram mini app ads are just getting started. With smarter tools and rising user demand, now is the time to tap into this fast-growing channel.
Wrapping Up
Is advertising in mini apps worth it for your business? If you're looking for high engagement, lower competition, and a direct line to an active audience, the answer is yes. TMA ads are especially effective for crypto, TMA gaming, and fintech, but the potential extends to any brand aiming to interact with their potential customers in a more dynamic way.
