How to Monetize Channels in Telegram and How Much Authors Earn

Telegram, undoubtedly, is one of the most monetizable messengers among various communication platforms. Since its creation in 2013, it continues to win the hearts of millions of users worldwide. However, what makes Telegram particularly attractive to content creators and entrepreneurs is its potential for generating income.

There are many ways to monetize on Telegram; however, to start earning on your channel, you need to understand that it's not that simple. A Telegram channel is a real business, requiring your efforts, time, and, of course, money.

Telegram statistics in 2023

• According to official data, Telegram has 700 million active users per month, and by 2024, it is projected to have more than 1 billion users.
• Telegram is among the top 5 downloaded applications worldwide.
• Telegram is the 8th most popular social platform in the world as of 2023.
• As of 2023, 58.6% of Telegram users are male, and 41.4% are female.

The most popular topics on Telegram are:

1. News
2. Entertainment
3. Politics

How much do Telegram channels earn?

The earnings of Telegram channels can vary significantly and depend on numerous factors. There is no single formula for determining a channel's income because it depends on many key factors.

Some channels may earn around $50 dollars per month, while successful and large channels have the potential to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars monthly.

CPM and topic:

The cost of advertising in a Telegram channel is calculated based on CPM, which stands for cost per mile (price per thousand views). The CPM price varies significantly depending on the topic.

Average CPM rates are as follows:

• $2– humor, erotica, cooking, entertainment
• $4 – beauty, politics
• $6 – IT, news
• $12 – marketing and PR, business and finance, real estate

The rate may vary from country to country

It's important to consider that the topic not only affects the price of advertising when selling it but also when buying it. This means that promoting a channel about cats and memes is much cheaper than promoting a marketing channel, but the monetary return will also be significantly different. If you advertise marketing channels in humor-themed channels, advertisers will be aware of it, and the advertising price will sharply decrease.

Additionally, the channel's ownership has a significant impact on the advertising price. If the channel is owned by an authority in their niche (a popular politician, marketer, influencer, etc.), the advertising price will be much higher. If you are not a politician but run a popular political channel, the advertising price will still be lower than that of an authoritative author.

Why are Telegram subscribers so expensive?

In Telegram, the audience is one of the most expensive ones. On the one hand, this can deter many creators from starting their own Telegram channels, but on the other hand, it provides an opportunity to earn significant money. Here are several reasons explaining this approach:

1. Absence of Recommendation Feeds: Unlike many other social networks, Telegram lacks an automatically generated recommendation feed that could attract a new audience. This means that channels and bots have to promote themselves independently, which can require significant effort and resources.

2. Confidence in Results: Advertisers on Telegram can more accurately assess the expected results of their advertising campaigns. They have clearer data on how many views and interactions their ads can receive, making advertising spaces more predictable and, consequently, more expensive.

3. Quality Audience: Statistics show that Telegram users tend to be more financially capable and affluent compared to users on other social networks. This makes Telegram a more attractive platform for advertisers who value access to a wealthier user base.

Ways to earn on a Telegram channel

Advertising:

Placement of advertising posts: The primary way to earn money on Telegram channels and bots. You can offer to place advertisements in your channel through direct collaboration, advertising agencies, or exchanges. Typically, this involves creating a special advertising post with information about the product or service, links, and the advertiser's contact information.

Payment for views: Some advertisers may offer payment based on the number of views and interactions with the advertising content (such as clicks on links or actions like registration or purchase). However, it's better to approach such options with caution or combine them with a discount on placement. It's also worth noting that in large channels where advertising costs a significant amount, advertisers are often not other channels but rather companies, brands, and various events.

The price of advertising also depends on the format.
There are several standard formats:

1/24 - one hour at the top and 24 hours in the feed
2/48 - two hours at the top and 48 in the feed
3/72 - three hours at the top and 72 in the feed
No Deletion - the most expensive option. You can negotiate any number of hours at the top and not delete the advertising post.
Native Post - also one of the most expensive options. The post doesn't directly call for action but may include a positive review of the advertiser or a hyperlink in the text. Native posts usually remain in the feed permanently, making them one of the most expensive options. Often, large channels themselves offer to write a native post according to your description, further increasing the advertising price.
Repost - the cheapest advertising option. You simply repost a post from another channel without specific calls to action. It can be deleted after some time or remain permanently and generate the least results.

Selling your own products and services: If you have your own business or products related to the theme of your channel, you can sell them directly in the channel. This can include products with descriptions, prices, and ordering methods. If you offer services such as consultations, massages, design, educational courses, and others, you can advertise them in the channel and set prices for them.

Paid subscriptions: Paid subscriptions allow you to create exclusive content accessible only to subscribers who pay a monthly or annual subscription fee. To do this, you need to enable the corresponding feature in your channel's settings. In most cases, in such situations, two channels are created: a free one with basic information and a paid one with exclusive content. This can include access to an influencer's premium content, special sections, closed chats, or other unique benefits.

Selling information products: You can create and sell information products such as e-books, online courses, video lessons, and templates. Promote them in your channel and provide payment and delivery methods.

Running contests and promotions: Running contests and promotions in your channel with prizes from sponsors. This can attract a larger audience and companies willing to pay for advertising within the promotion.

Sponsorship and donations: Provide your audience with the opportunity to financially support your channel through donations. You can use donation platforms or paid subscriptions like Patreon or Boosty.

Participation in Telegram affiliate programs: Explore available affiliate programs offering unique conditions. For example, there are unique partnership agreements where artificial intelligence automatically posts advertisements in the channel, and you receive monthly payments.

The choice of an appropriate monetization method depends on your target audience, channel theme, and your own goals. Successful channels often combine several of these methods to maximize revenue. However, the foundation is, of course, selling advertising posts.

Factors affecting the number of advertising requests in your channel:

The amount of advertising and advertisers depends on several important factors:

1. Content quality: The quality of your content influences the number of advertising offers. If your content is attractive and has a large active audience, advertisers may be more interested in placing their ads in your channel.
2. Authorship of the channel or author's reputation: If the channel's author is well-known and has a good reputation, it can attract more advertising offers. Unknown authors may receive fewer offers.
3. Connection to an exchange or agreement with an advertising agency: If your channel is connected to an advertising exchange or you have an agreement with an advertising agency, this can provide a constant flow of advertising offers and better control over the amount of advertising in your channel.
4. Channel's topic: The topic of your channel can significantly impact the number of advertising offers. Channels focused on popular and in-demand topics may attract more advertisers.
5. Channel name and description: Often, advertisers, especially large companies, decide to place ads based on the channel's name, number of subscribers, and channel description. They work through advertising agents and often do not check the content's quality. It's essential for them that the channel aligns with their brand or product, and they may choose channels based solely on these criteria.
6. Repeat customers: If your advertising is effective, especially for large brands, it can be profitable for advertisers to purchase a large amount of advertising monthly. Offer promotions and discounts to repeat customers and don't lose them.
7. Audience engagement: If your audience actively interacts with content and advertising posts, advertisers may be more inclined to place their ads in your channel.
8. Audience region: The geographical location of your audience can influence the number of advertising offers. If your audience is concentrated in regions of interest to advertisers, it can attract more advertising orders.
9. Seasonality and events: Some channels may receive more advertising offers depending on seasonality or current events. For example, channels related to holidays or specific themes may receive more orders during certain periods.

How to increase the cost of advertising

To increase the cost of advertising in your Telegram channel, you need to continuously work on it:

1. Audience growth: Continuously work on growing your audience and increasing the number of subscribers. The more active subscribers you have, the more attractive your channel becomes to advertisers, and the higher the price.
2. Content quality: Keep creating high-quality and engaging content that attracts and retains your subscribers. Combine expertise and entertainment so that each post is valuable to your audience. If a particular post doesn't receive much attention, analyze and learn from it, and then compensate with another quality post. Set a standard for yourself; for example, an average post should garner 100 reposts. If a post gets 50 reposts, replace it with high-quality content that can get 150.
3. Inclusion in collections: Strive to be featured in editorial collections and recommended lists of other channels. This can significantly increase your channel's visibility and, consequently, attract more advertisers. You can also negotiate with other authors and purchase placements in authoritative sources or channel catalogs, as well as engage in mutual promotion.
4. Reinvest in advertising: Reinvest a portion of the money earned from advertising back into promoting your channel. This may include promoting your channel through advertising campaigns on Telegram or other platforms. More advertising for your channel can lead to increased subscribers and higher advertising costs, as well as offsetting organic subscriber attrition, which is present in almost all channels.
5. Analysis and improvements: Regularly analyze the effectiveness of advertising campaigns in your channel. Collect feedback from advertisers and reviews and use them to improve your offerings. The more successful your advertising campaigns are, the more and more often advertisers will be willing to pay for placements in your channel.
6. Collaboration with partners: Consider collaborating with other authors and channels to create joint advertising offers. This can attract more attention and advertising offers.
7. Channel verification: If your channel receives a checkmark and official verification, it automatically enhances your reputation, increases recognition, popularity among advertisers, and the price for advertising.

Analysys

Be sure to analyze your Telegram channel and everything related to it. The analysis is an integral part of a successful monetization and community development strategy. It allows you to better understand your audience, their interests, and which types of content generate the most engagement.

You can determine which posts and advertising materials are most successful and which need improvement. This allows you to focus your efforts on creating more appealing content.

Competitor Analysis is a crucial tool for channel development. It enables you to monitor your competitors' activities, strategies, and successes. This provides you with an advantage and the opportunity to adapt your approaches.

Tools for analysis:

Internal Telegram analytics: The Telegram platform provides various internal tools for channel analysis. You can access data on the number of subscribers, post activity, and audience engagement. These data are particularly useful for assessing the success of internal advertising campaigns.

TGstat is a web service that offers convenient tools for monitoring the statistics of both your own and other Telegram channels. This tool can be extremely useful for channel owners and users interested in channel analysis, such as advertisers and marketers.

Telemetr is an analytics tool for Telegram channels that contributes to the promotion of your platform. It allows for in-depth analysis of your account using a bot, providing information about your subscribers' activity. Additionally, it aids in finding advertising opportunities and offers statistics on your channel's advertising activity and reach.

Popsters provides the ability to analyze the statistics of any Telegram channel for a selected period. You can sort posts by various metrics and ensure that the number of subscribers aligns with real figures.

This tool also offers convenience in uploading and comparing the statistics of multiple channels simultaneously, eliminating the need to manually compile separate figures.

Use these tools in conjunction with Telegram's internal analytics to obtain valuable data about your channel and audience. Analysis will help you develop your channel, increase the cost of advertising, choose the right channels for advertising placement, and achieve greater success on Telegram.