There has been a lot of talk in recent months about Whatsapp for Business, but there is another instant messaging app that is gaining momentum: Telegram.
The app was created in 2013 by Pavel Durov, a Russian entrepreneur and computer scientist born in 1984. Telegram focuses on privacy and complete gratuity; in fact, the app is non-profit. Durov has always maintained that his company will not make money through user metadata. The only forms of monetization may be voluntary donations or additional paid features. Telegram introduced end-to-end encryption before Whatsapp and mobile desktop synchronization. Plus it boasts bots, channels and stickers.
The app can be used on all mobile and desktop devices at the same time and individually.
Telegram is growing rapidly so much so that, as announced on March 18 on the official blog, it recently reached 200 million monthly active users and has 15 billion messages sent daily. The app is going through a real boom not only among digital experts but also companies are beginning to discover the potential of this tool and adopt it in their marketing strategies.
Channels and Bots two valuable features
Before moving on to analyze the use of Telegram in a business strategy, let us first clarify the two unique and specific features of the app: channels and bots.
- Channels: These are one-way public user groups, that is, only administrators can post while members can only enjoy the content. The pool is very large; in fact, channels have an unlimited number of users. They come with a username and anyone can find them using search in Telegram and join. Unlike groups on Whatsapp, new members can view the entire history of the channel when they join.
- Bots: technically they are automated contacts that can perform numerous actions for us simply from within the conversation. They are differentiated between standalone bots and inline bots. The former are developed by third parties and can be inserted either from mobile or desktop directly into a chat window. Just a click on the link and the bot will be automatically inserted between our conversations and available.
- Inline bots, on the other hand, are internal and work even more simply-just type in any conversation "@nomedelbot parameter," either from Telegram Web or Telegram Desktop, without the need to add them beforehand.
Telegram for Business, how to integrate it into a business strategy
We have finally come to the crux of the matter: how Telegram can be a valuable ally within a communication strategy. Telegram unlike Whatsapp for business has not positioned itself as a channel where companies can contact users. Thanks to its special features, the application offers the possibility to improve both internal and external communication.
Internal communication
Regarding internal communication, it is possible to simplify the communication and information flow of a team by simply creating groups and enabling the application on both smartphones and desktops of all staff. Each person will be able to set up an @username so as to simplify the mention of the recipient of each message. Let's not forget that you can send files of all kinds: text messages, videos, images, currently recorded audio files or files up to 1.5 gigs. You can use #s to categorize and simplify searching for certain topics so you can find them again later.
Regarding external communication Telegram can be used in two distinct and both functional ways: micro community and costumer care.
Micro Community
Thanks to channels, one can go out and create a target community with which to create a privileged communicative relationship. As anticipated, channels are one-way, so the communication is one to many (like TV or radio) but addressed to a really interested target and not a generalist. In fact, those who decide to subscribe to a Telegram channel are highly motivated and interested in the topic.
Being subscribed to a channel works like being subscribed to a newsletter, but more personal, direct, and at your will. It works like a small blog always within reach of your smartphone. It's all about sending communications and news via messaging, so it's more direct and immediate. Just think how much faster we read messages compared to emails.
As mentioned users will not be able to comment directly but thanks to special bots they will be able to interact.
Administrators can decide whether to moderate comments (@lcommentsBot), create votes and polls (@vote) or allow users to leave a "reaction" to content (@like). Thanks to bots like @ChannelHelp, one can schedule posts and create attractive ones with gifs, infographics, photos followed by text. You also have the ability to spin content from other channels or shared in groups, remembering, however, to always maintain consistency with your business and industry. In this case you can also create small moments dedicated to entertainment, thanks to bots dedicated to thematic quizzes or online games.
Costumer care
Let's move on to customer care, a practice now widely used and appreciated through social media. Thanks to Telegram, you can provide real-time costumer care for your users either through a live chat or by setting up a support bot. It is also possible to create groups of up to 20,000 members and allow users to sign up through links without sharing their personal contact information, such as phone number, unless desired. It is also possible to switch from the group to an individual chat without having to exchange data. In dedicated support groups or channels, it is possible to create FAQs about the company's services and issues. This can be used to help users with common doubts about purchasing a product or at the preliminary stage to help them understand which service is best suited to their needs.
As we have seen what may seem on the surface to be a simple instant messaging app instead hides enormous potential at the communication level.
Telegram offers the possibility for companies to build a solid and lasting relationship with their users, focusing on specific direct marketing actions, designed specifically for their niche and in a timely and smart way.