What is the Telegram Messenger App and How Can You Use It for Your Business?

Telegram is much more than your average messaging service. The cloud-based app takes instant messaging and private communications to the next level.

Telegram’s growth to more than 100 million monthly active users is fueled by its ease of set-up, intuitive interface, rich feature set and security. Small businesses can use the Telegram platform to manage their communications, but also leverage its audience as a new frontier in marketing.

What Exactly is the Telegram Messenger App?

Imagine the ease of text messaging and the power of email. Now add the ability to access it anywhere, on any device, sending any file type, all secure and totally free.

As a cross-platform messenger, Telegram combines the features of WhatsApp and Snapchat while holding the marketing potential of Facebook.

Let’s take a look at the fundamentals of Telegram and some of its features:

Platforms

Telegram supports every platform across mobile and desktop; with a native app.

Mobile versions for smartphones and tablets include Apple’s iOS, Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Ubuntu Touch.

The desktop versions follow suit with macOS, Windows and Linux.

No matter the device type, users are able to send text-based messages, photos, audio, video and any other file type; including: doc, zip, mp3 and more — up to 1.5 GB each.

Power

In addition to sending any type of file, Telegram is focused on speed. Messages sync seamlessly throughout all channels — to every user — simultaneously.  This seems even more impressive when you consider its ability to share to groups of 5,000 or broadcast to an unlimited number of persons in a channel.

Groups

Small businesses may find Telegram’s Group features helpful. The two categories — Groups and Supergroups — allow sharing between 200 and 5,000 members respectively.

Groups are able to share and collaborate with unified powers of access and history. Each member can pin important messages, broadcast special announcements and add members to the group.

Secret Chat

Creating a secret chat is a two-click process. This feature enables an end-to-end encryption for highly secure messaging.

The platform’s developers claim no one can decipher the message but you and your intended recipient. Once you delete the message, it automatically deletes on the other side.

Self-Destruct

Individual users and groups are able to send messages with a timed destruct feature. This feature might especially appeal to small businesses sending time-sensitive and mission critical messages, but ones they would sooner weren’t archived or accidentally shared outside the company.

Security

Telegram supports a double-layered encryption. Server-client encryption is used in cloud chats, while the Secret Chats use an additional client-client layer.

Telegram is so confident in their security that they offer a $300,000 reward for anyone able to hack into their system.

Cloud-Based

Accessibility is a key feature of Telegram. Its cloud-based system allows you to access messages from any device and any location no matter where they originated.

If you start drafting a message on your phone, you can easily pick up and continue from your desktop. This feature will undoubtedly come in handy in small business environments.

How Can You Use Telegram for Your Business?

From the small business perspective, Telegram can be considered a new frontier.

Telegram has more than 100 million users and the competition is low in terms of companies that are leveraging its power.

What’s more, with a vast user base, it’s safe to assume that some of your current clients and definitely your perspective clients are probably using Telegram or have heard of the app. Users are currently sending and receiving more than 15 billion messages per-day.

The main advantage that Telegram offers small businesses seems to be in the area of communication — with clients, team members, partners, etc. As opposed to traditional social media and even some text messaging used to market to multiple recipients, Telegram creates a direct two-way exchange with your recipients.

Business to Customer

Interactions with customers become an individualized experience. Everything from general inquiries to specific requests such as order status and detailed support can all be handled with Telegram.

Messages to your clients are relevant and timely, creating valued relationships that lead to greater satisfaction.

Business to Business

Your business can leverage the power of Telegram to communicate with your partners and vendors. The platform seems easy to use and secure making it well suited to businesses. In fact, some have predicted Telegram will take over email as the main form of business communication. (Of course, that remains to be seen.)

Bots

Another power of Telegram is in its automation. With the use of its bots, you are able to systemize your core processes and allow the system’s robots to handle a variety of IFTTT (If This Then That) tasks for you.

Conclusion

Although Telegram isn’t designed as a true marketing tool, it does create opportunities to interact with your audience and remain relevant in their world, online and off.

By making your company available on Telegram you are opening up a new channel of communication. A link or tag on your website or social media channels will show your users you are available.

To decide whether the service might be a good addition to your business, read Telegram’s FAQ page for more information.

Images: Telegram.org

This article, "What is the Telegram Messenger App and How Can You Use It for Your Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends