
Are Telegram Ads Appropriate for Everyone?
Telegram’s monthly active users now make up more than 11% of the global population. People use the app daily to discover news, follow niche communities, trade crypto, and even interact with brands. The question is, should your business invest in Telegram Ads?
In this article, we'll break down Telegram Ads step by step: how the platform operates, key advantages and drawbacks, and when it performs best — all backed by up-to-date statistics.
- Understanding Telegram Ads
- Strengths of Telegram Advertising
- Weaknesses & Challenges
- When Telegram Ads Work Best
- Best Practices for Success
- Alternatives & Complementary Tactics
- Wrapping Up
Understanding Telegram Ads
Telegram Ads are concise sponsored posts of up to 160 characters (including spaces), enhanced with emojis, images, or videos. Each ad includes a call-to-action button that drives traffic directly to your profile, channel, bot, or mini app. To get started, you need to register a Telegram Ads account.
Targeting Capabilities
Users can encounter Telegram Ads in three key placements:
- Channels. When people scroll through public and private channels, ads appear at the bottom of the feed. For example, if your audience often checks the official Bitcoin channel, you can place your ad there so it’s seen by the right people.
Telegram ad in the Bitcoin channel
- Bots. There are over 10 million bots that people use every day. Ads placed in bots allow you to reach users while they’re already engaged with tools, games, or services.
Telegram ad in the Major bot
- Telegram Search. Your channel or bot can show up right in the search results when users enter specific keywords.
Telegram ad in Search
In short, the platform positions itself as privacy-conscious, so targeting is built around where your ad shows (specific channels, bots, or search results) rather than who a person is.
Pricing Model
Telegram Ads operate on a CPM model: advertisers pay for every 1,000 impressions their ad receives, not for clicks. The minimum bid is currently 0.1 TON (~ €0.28), though competition for premium placements, such as large, high-traffic channels, can push the cost higher.
A quick look inside the Telegram Ads account:
Telegram Ads account
We recommend starting with the minimum bid to test performance. This helps you manage cost effectively and avoid overspending early on.
Requirements Before Advertising
Your ad destination and content need to be compliant with the platform’s rules and ready to convert visitors into followers. Before launching campaigns, it’s crucial to account for several basics:
- Set your channel’s name, title, description, and profile picture before going live. If you change them later, your ads may be paused for re-moderation.
- If you guide users to your channel, it should be filled with valuable content that encourages them to follow, stay engaged, and trust your brand. Fresh posts, useful insights, and consistent updates make your channel a place people want to return to.
- Bots should deliver real value to users and provide a smooth experience that matches Bot Platform’s standards.
- Before writing your ad copy, review Telegram’s editorial requirements to avoid common mistakes. For example, ads containing superlatives like “best” or “highest” will not pass moderation.
- The language of your ad must match the language of the targeted channel as well as the destination it directs users to.
The better your destination and ads are set up, the quicker your ad will get approved and the more effective your campaigns will be.
Strengths of Telegram Advertising
Here is what makes Telegram different from other advertising platforms:
Global Reach With Strong Adoption in Certain Regions
Today, the app counts 1 billion monthly active users and continues to grow by around 2.5 million new sign-ups daily. That scale has made it the third most popular messenger globally. While its reach spans the world, adoption is particularly strong in Asia, Latin America, and the MENA region.
Telegram users by country (in millions)
High Engagement in Niche Communities
Another strength is engagement. While the app started out as a simple messenger — and for 59% of users now it’s still their go-to communication tool — it has since grown into much more. According to statistics, around 80% of users now turn to Telegram as a source for the latest news.
Why people use Telegram
Users generate over 1 trillion channel views every month, and more than half of them follow up to ten channels regularly.
How many Telegram channels users check regularly
Telegram also stands out in the professional and tech-savvy segments. Statistics show that around 21% of users work in IT and internet-related industries, 12% in marketing and PR, and 4% in finance. These are highly connected, early-adopting audiences — exactly the kind of users who gather in niche communities around topics like crypto, SaaS, fintech, or gaming.
Lower CPM Compared to Some Mainstream Ad Platforms
With Telegram Ads, you can generate thousands of ad impressions for just a few cents. In comparison, the same visibility on Facebook averages $13.03 CPM, while Instagram comes in at about $12.33 CPM. That’s over 30 times more expensive.
User-Friendly Ad Format
It’s no surprise that more and more people are installing ad blockers — they’re tired of disruptive promotions cluttering their screens. A HubSpot survey found that the majority of users block ads because they find them annoying and intrusive.
Why people use ad blockers
Telegram’s approach helps solve this. Because ads are non-intrusive, text-first, and tightly integrated into channels people already follow, they don’t feel like interruptions. Instead, they come across as recommendations within trusted communities.
Ready to Make Telegram Work for You?
Weaknesses & Challenges
Telegram has many strengths, but it also comes with challenges:
- Low penetration in certain markets. Telegram is a global platform, but its user base isn’t spread evenly. For example, in Japan, people still prefer other apps like LINE or WhatsApp.
- Limited targeting and segmentation tools. Telegram doesn’t collect personal user data the way platforms like Facebook or Google do. That’s why advertisers won’t find the same granular options like age, income, or browsing behavior. To connect with the right audience, focus on creative strategy, smart channel and bot choices, and consistent testing.
- Dependence on channel audience quality. Some channels may look big on the surface but have inflated subscriber counts or weak engagement. Such low-quality placements can increase campaign cost without delivering results. Use TGStat to analyze growth, audience activity, and post reach. If you see sudden spikes in followers without clear reasons, that’s often a sign of fake or purchased account activity.
TGStat
Even with some limitations, Telegram can drive results that outperform most other platforms when approached with a clear strategy and strong use of its advantages.
When Telegram Ads Work Best
Reaching Engaged Niche Communities (Crypto, Tech, Finance, Gaming)
Telegram is a network of engaged communities built around specific interests. Below are some of the channel categories on the platform:
Channel categories. TGStat
Crypto, SaaS, fintech, and gaming audiences are particularly strong here, and they rely on the app for daily updates, discussions, and insider insights. If your product or service primarily targets users with these interests, Telegram is a strong fit. Instead of fighting for space in a noisy feed, you will reach people inside communities that genuinely care about your niche.
Scaling Your Brand Across Borders
Looking to scale internationally? Telegram is a channel with serious potential to reach engaged audiences in both emerging and established markets. Take the U.S., for example: the app was installed 38.2 million times in 2024, and around 30% of American users spend one to five hours each week on Telegram.
Building Awareness and Loyal Communities
For brands just starting out, Telegram Ads make it possible to get noticed, grow an audience, and foster real connections. Take a look at how we have helped Tonhub drive awareness, build trust, and encourage deeper interaction from their community.
At the end of the day, any brand can succeed on Telegram. The key is to give the audience something truly useful or meaningful, rather than simply pushing promotional content.
Best Practices for Success
Audience Research
Start by understanding where your audience actually spends time. Tools like TGStat, Telemetrio, FindMini.app, and Telegram Apps Center will help you identify the right placements and evaluate channel statistics. Begin broad to gather data, then double down on the channels and bots that deliver the best results.
Ad Creative & Copy
Your ad has only 160 characters — make them count. Keep your message clear, concise, and benefit-driven. Avoid spammy claims or exaggerations, since those will get flagged in moderation. Instead, match your tone and style to the audience of the channel or bot to feel more natural.
Destination Optimization
A strong ad won’t work if the destination disappoints. Make sure your channel or bot looks active and valuable before you launch campaigns. Post fresh, engaging content so that new visitors see value right away.
Tracking & Optimization
Add UTM tags to track performance. Analyze key metrics like CTR, CPC, and conversions in your ad account to understand what’s delivering results. Don’t stop at one version — run A/B tests with different creatives and placements to see which combinations drive the strongest engagement.
Alternatives & Complementary Tactics
Beyond Ads, Telegram also offers opportunities through influencers and its fast-growing mini app ecosystem.
Telegram Influencer Marketing allows you to promote your brand authentically to engaged communities. People often trust influencers more than traditional ads, and on Telegram that trust runs deep — in fact, statistics reveal that 73% of users rely on specific public authors. Partnering with these voices can give your brand instant credibility and direct access to audiences that are eager to engage.
Telegram mini apps are lightweight, integrated applications that more than 500 million people use every month. Ads within mini apps integrate seamlessly into the user experience and feel like a natural part of the flow rather than a disruption. With an average click-through rate of about 5%, Telegram Mini App Ads stand out as one of the most effective ways to drive real engagement and meaningful results.
Wrapping Up
Like any platform, Telegram has strengths and challenges. But if you make use of its unique advantages and manage your ad account strategically, it can be one of the most effective channels for building awareness, loyalty, and growth. Begin with a small investment, refine based on data, and scale with confidence.