WhatsApp has just updated its conversation-based pricing for businesses on June 1. For most companies that are using WhatsApp for newsletters, bulk messaging, and push campaigns, prices just went up! In that case, Telegram could be an alternative for you. Bulk messages on Telegram are free, and there are dedicated business solutions as well.
Regardless if you're sending out regular business updates, special deals, or targeted marketing campaigns: messaging apps show the best conversion rates for bulk messages. Open rates are over 90%, and click-through rates are ten times as high as with e-mails.
With WhatsApp being the most popular messaging app in the world, it's obviously also a first choice for businesses when looking for a channel where they can easily reach a large number of customers. Since re-introducing conversational messages for businesses, WhatsApp has made it faster, easier, and more effective for companies to send push messages through their WhatsApp Business Platform.
However, since June 1 2023, WhatsApp has updated its messaging prices. For most countries, prices for bulk messages, such as newsletters, deals, and marketing campaigns have since gone up. If you're therefore looking for a convenient (and cheaper!) alternative, check out Telegram! Here, business actually don't have to pay for their push messages.
In the following, we'll explain how bulk messages work on Telegram, why the app has advantages over WhatsApp, and what business solutions Telegram offers.
How do bulk messages work on Telegram?
There are essentially four ways to send one-to-many messages on Telegram.
- Telegram groups
- Telegram channels
- RSS feed
- Third-party provider
1. Sending bulk messages in Telegram groups
Telegram groups are easy to set up on Telegram, and you can add up to 200,000 members. Groups are designed for exchange and engagement, so users can interact with one another, and businesses can share their information or offers with customers.
So, if you to combine customer interaction with bulk messaging, groups can be a good option for you.
2. Telegram channels for broadcast messages
Unlike the more conversational groups, Telegram channels only allow one-way communication from businesses to users. You can also set up multiple administrators to manage a channel. While less interactive, channels do allow you to personalize your messages and integrate bots.
Companies typically prefer channels for their bulk messages, as you can personalize campaigns and use automation.
3. RSS feed
RSS feeds on Telegram can be an interesting option for media companies. With this set-up, you don't send a classic newsletter on Telegram, but rather an automated message to subscribers when you publish new content.
However, these messages are not personalized and are therefore less suitable for marketing purposes, especially if the focus is on an individual customer experience.
4. Third-party provider
Businesses can also use a software from a third-party provider to send out bulk messages on Telegram. Similar to the WhatsApp Business Solution Providers, companies can use a pre-built software that gives them access to the Telegram API.
With a professional Telegram solution, you get access to the bulk messaging features, you can easily set up bots, and also connect your CRM systems. Plus, if you choose a trustworthy partner, you'll be able to use Telegram in compliance with data privacy regulations.
Why use Telegram instead of WhatsApp?
With 700 million users, Telegram might not have the same reach as WhatsApp with its two billion global users, but it's becoming more popular. In 2022, Telegram was the fastest growing messaging app in the world. Some users actually prefer Telegram over WhatsApp due to its privacy and fun messaging options and because it offers more possibilities for setting up groups and chatbots.
There's also a fairly large user base that is active on Telegram, but doesn't use WhatsApp. So, even if you don't want to use Telegram as your main (or only) messaging channel, it can still be very interesting for businesses to have a presence on Telegram because, just like with Apple Messages for Business, you'll reach a different user base than with WhatsApp.
Also keep in mind that your business is easier to find on Telegram than on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp Business Directory is not yet available globally. On Telegram, however, users can simply find businesses through the search function, and immediately subscribe to their channel. This makes user acquisition a lot easier on Telegram than on WhatsApp.
And, of course, while businesses have to pay for messages on WhatsApp, Telegram doesn't charge businesses for bulk messaging.
Engage with all your customers in one place.
Three companies that use Telegram bulk messages successfully
Many businesses are already using Telegram's bulk messaging feature successfully.
The online betting company, Dafabet India, for instance, uses a Telegram channel for sweepstakes. Subscribers get the chance to participate in a quiz and win a prize.
Once users join Dafabet's Telegram channel, they can participate in the quiz.
As Dafabet cross-promotes Instagram and Telegram, the brand gains more subscribers for both channels. In addition, Dafabet can easily see which users participate in what sweepstakes, and target future marketing campaigns even more precisely around that data.
Another example of a company using Telegram broadcasts is the European travel brand HolidayPirates. The company sends out regular travel deals to their subscribers on Telegram.
Whenever they have a new deal, they post it on their channel. For the brand's price-conscious target group, this is a great service. And, it can show great conversion rates!
For the European e-commerce company SportSpar, Telegram actually converts better than WhatsApp. They use the Telegram bulk messages to send out regular deals for discounted sports clothes and achieve impressive results.
What about data privacy?
Telegram likes to stress their focus on security. You should keep in mind, though, that data privacy laws and secure messaging are not the same thing.
WhatsApp for example uses end-to-end encryption as a standard way of securing the chats. In Telegram, there's also end-to-end encryption, but you have to actively choose it, it's not the standard set-up. And if you do, you typically have less options in the chat, for example when sending media.
In that sense, WhatsApp might actually be more secure than Telegram, especially for users who don't realize that the standard chat settings on Telegram are not as secure as they might think. When it comes to data privacy, however, neither messaging app offers a 100% privacy-compliant business solution.
In fact, data protection experts repeatedly criticize Telegram when it comes to data security.
- Synchronizing contacts (without their prior explicit consent) can also be an issue on Telegram, as many people choose to synch their contacts when setting up the app. While you can change this in your settings at any point and choose not to synch your contacts, from a business perspective, this will also make it harder to see which customers are on Telegram.
- There's no transparent communication on how Telegram is handling user data.
- Telegram's servers are located globally, so there's no guarantee they're compliant with data regulations in the European Union, the UK, India, or the US.
Business solution for Telegram bulk messaging
If you want to ensure data privacy and benefit from scalable options like CRM integration, an easy bot builder, and analytics for your marketing campaigns, a professional business solution for Telegram, such as Sinch Engage, is the way to go!
Sinch Engage is a ready-to-go messaging platform specifically designed for businesses. There's no complicated IT training required, you just set up your profile, connect the messaging apps you want to use, and go. With Sinch Engage, you'll get access to the most relevant messaging apps: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Messaging, Viber, and Apple Messages for Business. You can use one, some, or all of them, depending on your company's specific needs.
With our Campaigns tool, you can easily set up marketing campaigns for Telegram (and other messaging apps), use highly personalized targeting, and analyze your data after each campaign as well. We even have a GPT integration for optimizing your message templates! And just like on the platform, the actual Telegram broadcasts are free of charge on Sinch Engage.
Sinch Engage also provides an intuitive drag-and-drop chatbot builder and pre-designed templates, so you can go live with a chatbot in minutes on any messaging app. And, we guarantee 100% data privacy and the highest security standards.
Get more out of messaging apps for your business, with Sinch Engage, your all-in-one messaging platform for marketing, sales, and customer service.
