Messaging app Telegram is gearing up to take on Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger with a host of new features aimed not just at consumers, but also at businesses. Officially launched this weekend, Telegram Business boasts a range of tools and capabilities, including a customizable start page, options to set business hours, preset replies, greeting and away messages, chatbots, and tags for chats. In addition, the app is introducing a revenue sharing program for its public channels with a large readership.
- Customized Start Page: Businesses can now customize the start page for empty chats, choosing the text and sticker users see before beginning a conversation.
- Business Hours and Location: To make it easier for customers to engage with businesses, Telegram Business allows them to display hours of operation and location on a map.
- Preset Replies: Similar to WhatsApp, Telegram Business offers “quick replies” that serve as shortcuts for commonly used messages with formatting, links, media, stickers, and files.
- Custom Greeting Messages: Businesses can also set up customized greeting messages for first-time customers and specify how frequently it is shown.
- Away Messages: When a business is closed or the owner is on vacation, they can set up away messages to manage their availability.
- Chat Labels: To help businesses organize their conversations, Telegram Business offers colored labels for different chat folders, such as delivery, claim, orders, VIP, feedback, and more.
- Chat Links: Businesses can create links that will open a chat instantly and take an action, such as tracking an order or reserving a table.
- Telegram Bots: Businesses can add bots to their account, including AI assistants, to help answer messages.
According to Telegram founder Pavel Durov, the company plans to launch AI-powered chatbots for businesses in the future. This could potentially pose competition for Meta’s apps, which currently dominate the market for business communication. Even Apple has only made a small dent in this space with its Apple Messages for Businesses, used by companies like Shopify, Four Seasons, American Express, and more.
To access the Telegram Business features, users will need to subscribe to the paid Premium version of the app, priced at $4.99 per month on iOS and Android. This bundle also includes other upgraded features and can be purchased through the PremiumBot on Android, Desktop, and Mac at a discounted rate. However, there is no additional cost to enable the newly released business capabilities, which can be found under Settings > Telegram Business in the app.
In addition to generating revenue through Premium subscriptions, Telegram makes money through ad revenue and recently announced a revenue-sharing program using toncoin, a token on the TON blockchain. Despite previous experimentation with blockchain technology, the company has recently shifted its focus to monetizing its popular messaging app through different avenues.
Telegram Premium has already surpassed the milestone of one million subscribers and is projected to grow even more rapidly with the launch of Telegram Business. With a user base of over 900 million, the company aims to become profitable by 2025 leading up to a possible IPO in the future.
“Telegram Business is part of our push to make our app more profitable and attractive to businesses, without compromising on the user experience.” – Pavel Durov, Founder of Telegram
