So, previously, we said Telegram promised that it’ll be ad-free.
Well, apparently not.
Telegram has an estimated 550 million monthly active users, and only idiots would say no to such a money-making opportunity.
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And no matter whether you like or hate billionaires, you’ve got to admit that they are no idiots, such as Telegram’s founder Russian billionaire Pavel Durov.
Well, of course, the app had attempted to raise money with its cryptocurrency operation but failed; which was why they turned to ads.
For Big Advertisers Only
Now, I know what you’re thinking: That’s good, right?!
After all, for businesses trying to reach the younger generation, putting sponsored messages on Telegram seems like a really good idea.
Well, it would’ve all been good, except you’ll need to have 2 million euros to start advertising on Telegram’s ad platform, according to The Next Web.
That’s about S$3.1 million.
1 million Euros (or about S$1.5 million) is a refundable deposit.
What Do You Get For Your 2 Million Euros
Now, if you’re paying a premium, you’ll be expecting premium stuff back, right?
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Well, it all depends on what you define as “premium”.
If you’re hoping for data profiles that allows you to target consumers, just like how Facebook and Google does it, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
The only parameters that you can target are:
- The language
- Topics
- Target channels
The advertisements also won’t show up on private chats or groups, but only on large channels with more than 1,000 subscribers.
This is because there are already forms of advertising on these channels, Durov said in his Telegram message.
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So, say, you’re a new burger shop that’s set up in Singapore; to advertise, you’ll have to go for channels like Goody Feed, SGfoodies or food-related channels that you know are located here.
The advertisements seem to work on a CPM basis (cost per 1,000 impressions), which is 2 euros, according to the Telegram ads platform.
Advertisers are welcome to try out the platform but will only get access to dedicated support after putting funds into their accounts.
The Kicker
If you think that’s all, think again.
Now, imagine you pay 2 million Euros to advertise on Telegram, only to realise that no one, or, at least, only a minimal amount, sees your advertisements.
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While unlikely, that could be a possibility because Pavel Durov and his team at Telegram are now working on a “low-cost subscription plan” that users can get “to stop seeing advertisements on official Telegram channels anymore”.
This money, he said, will be going into the app and help the company “break-even”.
Channel authors will also have the option to turn off official advertising for all users in the channel.
Durov, in his Telegram message, proclaimed that Telegram is, first and foremost, for users and content authors, and revealed that the team is now looking for more ways to cope with the costs of running the app service.
In other words, more changes could be coming to Telegram.
What do you think?
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Read Also:
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- Everything About Telegram & Its History (& The ‘Danger’ of Using It)
- You Can Now Use PayLah! From Telegram With a Bot Developed by DBS
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Feature Image: Allmy / Shutterstock.com
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