When we talk about digital marketing, the first thing that comes to mind is social media, search advertising, targeting on Instagram. But the world is changing, and marketers are increasingly paying attention to what was previously considered just a convenient way of communication. We are talking about messengers.
Today, Telegram and WhatsApp have not only replaced SMS, but have also become full-fledged advertising channels. Their audience is active, trusts the content and will almost always respond to a message. Especially if it does not look like advertising, but as part of live, native communication.
Why messengers are a new marketing frontier
- According to Datareportal (2024), the number of messenger users has reached 3.5 billion people worldwide.
- On average, a user spends 38 minutes a day in a messenger — more than Twitter and Pinterest combined.
Let’s mull over the statistics: the average open rate of messages in messengers reaches 85%. This is space compared to email newsletters, where this figure fluctuates around 20%. People read what comes to a personal chat – it psychologically feels like a personal message. In addition, there is no algorithmic feed in messengers: the message will not get lost in the chaos of content, as happens in social networks.
There is another aspect. Messengers are a space without distracting noise. There are no endless stories, ads on the edges of the screen and TikToks in the background. Attention is focused on a specific message. That is why advertising in such conditions is perceived differently – it is closer, more noticeable and inspires more trust.
Telegram as a platform for promotion
If we talk about messengers, Telegram is confidently breaking ahead. As of 2025, it ranks forth in the world in terms of downloads among all applications, and has long been a leader in the CIS countries. Its audience is young, active, loves to read and is not afraid to interact with brands. And this is where advertising opportunities are especially interesting.
Telegram offers two directions of promotion. The first is official advertising through Telegram Ads. The second is direct placement in channels through their administrators. Both formats have their advantages and nuances. Official advertising is safe, transparent and allows you to customize targeting, but the ad format is still limited. The second model is more flexible. You can agree on native integration, choose a format, make it match the channel style. But here you will have to monitor the effectiveness yourself and select sites manually.
It is important to understand: if you want to buy Telegram ads, simply chasing the number of subscribers does not make sense. A channel with 10 thousand subscribers and good engagement (for example, 20% views per post) will give more effect than a million-strong channel with a dead audience. This is the main nuance of Telegram advertising – metrics are calculated differently here.
What you need to consider when launching
The main difficulty of advertising in messengers is analytics. Telegram does not offer deep built-in statistics. Most marketers are forced to use external trackers, UTM tags or collect data manually. Moreover, the real effectiveness of the channel can only be assessed dynamically – by the audience’s reaction, reviews, repeat transitions.
It is also important to consider the format of delivery. In messengers, people are accustomed to a lively, human tone of communication. Advertising written like a press release simply will not work here. Stories, personal recommendations, and insider information work much better. If the advertisement looks like part of real communication, it inspires trust. If it is a direct call to buy, it will most likely be ignored.
A useful example is cooperation with channels where the audience is tied to the author. Such channels are not just news feeds, but a community around a person. Advertising there is perceived as a recommendation from a friend. As a result, users follow the link not because they were “sold”, but because they were advised.
Nuances of Messenger Advertising
Firstly, nativeness is especially important here: users instantly sense falseness and intrusiveness, so template sales texts often cause irritation rather than interest. Secondly, unlike social networks, messengers do not have a developed analytics system, as we said. Another nuance is the limited visual formats: especially in Telegram, where advertising is based mainly on text and links, and not on bright banners. Therefore, it is important to be able to catch people with words. And finally, the main risk is perception. People come to messengers for personal content, and if the advertising is too “industrial”, it will simply be deleted or notifications will be turned off. What awaits us next
Final words
Advertising in messengers is not just a trend, but a logical development of user behavior. We spend more and more time in chats, and this is where a brand should go if it wants to be heard.
Telegram is a unique platform in this sense. It combines freedom, involvement, trust and technology. The ability to buy Telegram channel ads directly, choose the delivery format, experiment with creatives – all this makes the messenger a powerful tool for business. But, as with any channel, success depends on the approach. Mechanical copying of banners will not work here. Only live, human text, a clear understanding of the audience and respect for the communication space. Then the advertising will really work – not as an intrusive message, but as a useful part of the conversation.