What is Telegram and How to Use it For Your Business

Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app that focuses on speed and security. It is one of the popular choices amongst many other WhatsApp alternatives. Founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai in 2013, it is reported that the messaging app has 700 million monthly active users as of 2022 ^[1].  

In this article, we’ll be exploring the basics and necessities of what you need to do to create as well as how to use your Telegram account.  

Why use Telegram Business Account?

Let’s start with the question: Should you use Telegram as a business owner or affiliate, and why? One of its key advantages is that Telegram is quick and can handle big groups of people. It can handle groups with up to 200,000 members and process up to 20,000 messages per second. Because of this, it is a preferred option for businesses, communities and organisations that requires effective communication with large numbers of people.  

Furthermore, the app is also known for its fast and secure messaging capabilities. One of the main reasons you should consider using Telegram for business is its speed and readability. Messages are delivered directly from one device to another through the app’s decentralised infrastructure instead of going through a centralised server. As a result, messages can be delivered more quickly and securely.  

Additionally, Telegram has the highest organic reach of any network. No algorithm determines whether or not a user will see your post in their feed. You can be sure that anyone who uses Telegram and joins your group or channel will see whatever you broadcast. But how does it reach out to more people than subscribers? This is due to search engines indexing public channel content, which is accessible online without a Telegram account. For example, t.me/s/FinancialTimes.  

Telegram also offers a variety of additional features in addition to messaging, such as the capacity to create group chats with up to 200,000 participants, allowing sharing of media files of any type and size (of up to 2 GB as compared to 16 GB on WhatsApp) and uses bots to automate tasks.  

So, should you be using a Telegram business account? Yes, if you’re a small business owner, you should consider using a Telegram Business Account. The Telegram Business Account offers a comprehensive set of tools to aid you in expanding your business. One such feature is its provision of free, unlimited storage within the Telegram Cloud. This enables business owners to upload substantial files and media, up to 2GB in size, while benefiting from unrestricted storage access in the Telegram Cloud without incurring any costs. 

Now that you’ve understood and hopefully made up your mind about incorporating Telegram as part of your business, let’s move on to some basics to help you get started.  

How to Use Telegram? 

In order to use Telegram, you first have to install the Telegram app on your mobile device. Here’s a quick guide on how you can install the app on your iPhone and Android:  

1. Open Google Play Store on your android device or App Store for Apple.  

2. Search for Telegram in the search bar. This is what the Telegram app icon looks like  

3. Tap on “Install” or “Get App” once you find the app.  

The app is available for iOS, Android, and desktop devices. But remember that to use Telegram on the web, you must first have a Telegram account. Telegram does not allow you to create an account through the web. Here are some basic steps to use the app:  

1. Download and install the Telegram app on your device.  

2. Open the app and create an account by entering your phone number and the following prompts. You will then need to verify your phone number through a code sent via SMS.  

3. Once your account is set up, you can start using the app to send messages to your contact. Simply select a contact or start a new chat and type your message in the text field to send a message.  

Telegram provides a number of additional features in addition to basic messaging that you can use. As mentioned earlier, you can share media files, start group chats, and automate tasks with bots, among other things. To do so, tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the app and choose the desired option to access these features.  

How to Create a Telegram Account  

Creating a Telegram account is simple and only takes a few minutes. Here is a step-by-step guide: 

1. Make sure you have the Telegram app installed on your mobile device.  

2. Open the app and select the “Create Account” button. 

3. Enter your phone number and select “Next”. Telegram will send a verification code to your phone via SMS.  

4. Enter the verification code and select “Next”. 

5. Choose a username for your account. This will be the name other users will see when you message them.  

6. Set up a profile photo and name (optional). 

7. Review and accept the terms of service.  

That’s it! Your Telegram account is now successfully set up and ready to use. You can start messaging your contacts and exploring the app. 

How to Set Up Your Telegram Business Account? 

While setting up a Telegram Business Account is quite similar to creating a personal account, there are a few additional steps and features to be aware of.  

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to help you set up your Telegram Business Account: 

1. Start by opening the Telegram App.  

2. Tap on “Settings”.  

3. Fill in your full name, advertising slogan, website address, company logo, and contact details.  

4. Make sure your phone number is correct and choose a username. 

5. Adjust business settings like how you’ll get paid, privacy preferences, and languages.  

6. Create automatic and friendly welcome messages. 

How to create a Telegram Bot for Telegram Business Account? 

Creating a Telegram bot for your business can help automate tasks, enhance user engagement, and offer innovative services to your customers.  

Follow this easy-to-understand guide to set up a bot for your Telegram business account: 

1. Initiate BotFather Chat: Open Telegram and start a chat with ‘BotFather’. 

2. Create Your Bot: Send the message /newbot to BotFather, choose a bot name and username (which should end with “bot”), and obtain your special HTTP API token. 

3. Optional Commands: Use /setcommands with BotFather to add custom commands. 

4. Personalise Bot Profile: Customize it using commands like /setdescription or /setuserpic. 

5. Code & Integrate: Utilise the API token and Telegram’s Bot API to program your bot. 

6. Deploy & Test: Host your bot and test it by sending /start. 

7. Link to Business Account: Include the bot as an admin in your business Telegram group or channel. 

How to Create a Telegram Channel  

1. Open the Telegram app on your device and tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the app.  

2. Select the “New Channel” option.  

3. Enter a name and description for your channel. You can also set a profile picture and choose whether the channel will be public or private.  

4. Tap on the “Create” button to create your channel.  

After creating your channel, you can start communicating with it by choosing it from the chat list and entering your message in the text box. Any member may view and comment on messages, but only channel administrators are able to post them. 

Remember that channels are not intended for private conversations between users, but rather for broadcasting messages to large audiences. You can start a regular chat or a “Secret Chat” with end-to-end encryption if you want to talk to someone privately. 

How to Create a Telegram Group 

1. Open the Telegram app on your device and tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the app.  

2. Select the “New Group” option.  

3. Select the contacts you want to add to the group. You can also add people to the group later on by selecting the group from the chat list and tapping on the “Add Member” button.  

4. Tap on the “Create” button to create the group. 

5. Enter a name and set a profile picture for the group (optional). 

After you’ve created your group, you can start chatting with all participants by choosing the group from the chat list and entering your message in the text field. Group members can also invite their personal contacts to the conversation and participate. 

Remember that groups can have up to 200,000 members. Instead, you can start a Telegram channel if you want to reach a wider audience. Channels do not support conversations between individual users; instead, they are for broadcasting messages to large audiences. 

Telegram on your Browser 

All popular browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox, are compatible with Telegram Web. Since it is platform-centric, any current operating system can access it. 

You need access to a running Telegram session on your computer or phone. If not, you are unable to access Telegram online. 

1. Open Telegram Web on your desktop https://web.telegram.org.  

2. Select your country from the login screen that appears.  

3. Enter your phone number and click on the “Next” button.  

4. A confirmation popup will appear on the screen to confirm if the phone number you keyed in is correct or not.  

5. Click “Ok” if the number is correct.  

6. You will receive a code on your phone, which you will need to enter.  

7. Proceed by clicking “Next”.  

8. You’ll be successfully logged in to your account! 

That’s everything you need to know covered and a complete set of guides on how to set up Telegram for your business. If you’re looking for more educational materials or you want to learn more on how to grow your business, be sure to check out Vantage Partner’s blog and give us a follow on our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Telegram so you don’t miss out! 

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