How to Make Money on Telegram in 2023? Best Strategies & Methods [Complete Guide]

The number of Telegram users worldwide is over 700 million and keeps rising. 

That makes Telegram one of the most popular messenger applications and fastest-growing social media platforms, which provides many opportunities to earn money online, including selling advertising space in a channel, conducting online courses, and so on. 

Overall, depending on your niche and chosen strategy, you can earn from $1,000 to $10,000+ per month on this app.

Telegram has millions of users worldwide and offers many advanced features, such as bots and chatbots, that automate many tasks, which makes it a good monetization channel. 

The numbers don’t lie: Telegram is one of the most popular messenger apps in the world, with 700 million users as of January 2023.

Most Popular Global Mobile Messenger Apps as of January 2023, source: Statista 

Why do people use Telegram? 

They appreciate it over other messenger applications for many reasons: 

• The interface of an app is easy to understand and use.
• Telegram now doesn’t require a phone number to sign up.
• It is possible to create your username to find you through the Telegram search engine. 
• Users can send videos, audio, and text messages and make unlimited voice and video calls with many participants.
• The fast speed of sending and receiving messages.
• The absence of limits on the size of media and chats. 
• Users can organize their chats in folders.
• Telegram is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac OS and can be used through any browser.
• Telegram has its own cloud, so all messages and files users have in chats will be stored until they delete them.
• Users can create Channels, Groups, and Secret Chats.
• Users can use Bot API to create custom Telegram bots for automating their chats.
• It is possible to push notifications in Telegram channels,
• The opportunity to pin the most important message at the top of a channel.
• Telegram is free to use: the number of messengers and calls is unlimited.

These are the main reasons for the increasing popularity of this app. Below, you can see how many people downloaded it in June 2023.

Most Popular Messenger Apps Worldwide in June 2023 by Monthly Downloads, source: Statista 

So, what is Telegram for marketers with such a huge audience? It is a promising advertising space with huge potential. Conversely, anyone can create, promote, and monetize channels by accepting paid ads, posting affiliate links, etc.

Read also: How to Use Telegram to Promote Your Business in 2023 & Telegram Ads Cost: What’s the Minimum Budget to Boost Your Reach & Revenue 👈

Let’s dive into the best strategies making money on Telegram in 2023.

Unlike TikTok and YouTube, Telegram doesn’t pay any money to content creators for views. So, when it comes to earning online, Telegram is typically used for selling products, services, and advertising space in channels. 

Below, we will discuss eight ideas on how to start making money on Telegram and increase your online income.

1. Sell Ads or Paid Posts on Your Channel

If you have many channel subscribers, you can accept ads (paid posts) relevant to your topic and earn money this way. It’s one of the most popular methods on how to earn money from Telegram channels in 2023.

The National Geographic channel is advertised in the Open Library channel.

Although marketers can use Telegram Ads to promote their projects, they still post in manually selected channels. Why is it so? The main reason is that they can achieve better results by choosing relevant channels according to their needs. Besides, when it comes to a very narrow-specified niche or some local business from a small town, there are likely no channels with over 1K subscribers, which makes using Telegram Ads impossible. 

Whatever the reason, advertisers strive to negotiate the publication directly with the owners of channels. However, sitting and waiting until advertisers get in touch with you is not about how to make millions online. The sure way to receive orders is to add your channel to the catalog of some PR platform, such as Collaborator.

Join Collaborator 👈

How Much Can You Earn With Collaborator?

It mainly depends on the category and, surely, the number of subscribers of your Telegram channel. Let’s explore which categories are the most popular and how much a post costs in channels relevant to them.  

Yaroslav Beshta and Marko Fedorenko analyzed Telegram channels available on the Collaborator platform and published the results of their research in their channel, Shozashum.

You can read the full study on the platforms of Telegram channels (the original language is Ukrainian) 👈

They found out that the most popular categories for Telegram channels in Collaborator are the following:

• Media/News;
• Cryptocurrencies;
• Entertainment & hobbies;
• Education & science;
• Business & finance.

In the picture below, you can see the average cost of Telegram posts based on the category. 

Surely, if your channel doesn’t have many subscribers, your price will be below the average.

Typically, active channels publish 1-3 posts daily, while less active ones publish 1-3 posts per week. So, your online revenue depends on your activity level. 

How to monetize Telegram channels with Collaborator?

• Add your channel to the catalog (Note: Collaborator expects channels with no less than 500 subscribers and dealing with non-forbidden topics).
• Analyze other channels from your category available in the catalog to determine what price to set (compare the number of followers, post coverage, involvement, subscriber cost, and CPM of your channel with that of other channels in your category). 
• Accept orders & publish posts.
• Withdraw the funds.

2. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a marketing scheme in which affiliates are paid a commission for each visitor redirected through their affiliate link. It’s one of the easiest ways to make money online and probably the most lucrative money-making strategy on Telegram. 

Companies offer various affiliate programs that differ in earned money percentage, length, etc. For instance, Collaborator's affiliate program offers lifetime earnings from referrals.

Make a quick Telegram channel search. You'll see many channels from various niches offering affiliate products. Some of them offer products from different companies. Below, you can see an example of such a channel. It informs about discounts on sneakers from different brands, including Adidas, Nike, and New Balance, available in online stores.

The Sneakers on Sale channel

There are two ways to implement this strategy, which are better to combine for the best results:

• Create a Telegram affiliate marketing channel. You can post your affiliate links and generate income on Telegram. Before reaping the fruits, you should promote your channel to attract subscribers interested in your offerings. 
• Placing ads on relevant Telegram channels. You can communicate with the owners of those channels and agree to place a post with your link. It is not free in most cases. It’s worth noting that the costs are paid back, and you still have income. However, this process is time-consuming. Those who want to save time and post their content safely can use the Collaborator platform, which has almost 2K trusted Telegram channels in its catalog as of today. 

Benefits of using Collaborator for your affiliate marketing strategy:

1. Its catalog includes only hand-moderated channels from different industries and countries with engaged audiences. Users can easily filter them according to their needs.

How to filter Telegram channels in Collaborator’s catalog

2. Detailed analytics of channels right in the catalog. That analytics includes the subject of a channel, the number of followers, post coverage, involvement, subscriber cost, and CPM. So, you can avoid using Telegram analytics tools. 

3. Fast deals. Most deals are completed within two days.

4. Low fees and safe financial transactions.

3. Sell Your Services & Products

It is the best-known strategy on how to use Telegram channels to make money. Many Telegram channels of various big and small stores offer different products, from home appliances to luxury watches. There are even the channels of real estate agencies.

Exclusive Homes Madeira’s Telegram Channel

Creating and promoting your Telegram channel and using E-Commerce link-building strategies will help you reach your target audience, attract more customers, improve your website's visibility in the SERPs, and increase profit. 

If you offer any type of services, you can also use this app to promote them. For instance, if you offer any online course, you can create a channel with valuable content for your target audience and promote it, attracting students. Below, you can see an example of such a channel.

Udemy4U’s Telegram channel

Read also: TOP-70 Telegram Channels, Groups, and Bots for Learning English. Best Telegram channels link to join.

Why use the Telegram app for selling and promoting your products and services? The many reasons are:

• You can reach a wider audience all over the globe;
• As Telegram is a pretty new tool for marketers, you may find out there is low competition.
• You can directly communicate with your customers, building a seamless user experience.
• You can push notifications in your channel, keeping your subscribers well-informed about the latest news, updates, sales, discounts, product improvements, etc.
• You can create bots to automate the sales process: they will help you collect and process orders, accept payments, provide customer support, etc. You don’t have to pay for the basic functionality of Telegram bot builders. Surely, before proceeding to it, read how to make Telegram bots.
• Customers can pay for products and services directly in the chat via Telegram Pay. Using the Telegram money transfer method makes them feel more confident and secure. Besides, it is convenient as users shouldn’t leave the messenger or take extra steps. 

4. Paid Subscription

Are you a true expert in some niche who can simply explain difficult themes or have exceptionally valuable information for your audience? You can share your knowledge on a Telegram channel for a fee. 

To implement this strategy, you should create two Telegram channels: 

• A public channel in which you will post high-level content tailored to your target audience. This channel should be promoted to gather a wide and engaged audience. Telegram live streaming also attracts subscribers. So you can stream regularly or occasionally. That’s totally up to you. Theoretically, you can create an account on any social media and invite an audience from there to join your private Telegram channel 👇
• A private channel in which users can get access to exclusive or full content for a fixed fee.

5. Create & Sell Channels 

Telegram channels with a huge and engaged audience are valuable, whatever the niche. 

So, you should create and promote Telegram channels to make them popular and valuable, and then just sell them, for instance, via some platforms like Payerup. 

Another way is to buy a channel at a low price, grow it, and resell it for a higher cost. The price varies depending on many factors, including the industry, number of subscribers, etc. 

It seems to be as easy as a pie. But it only sounds so simple; in reality, promoting a channel takes months and months. How to do it effectively, read below in our article 🧐

6. Create & Sell Stickers

It is another strategy for how to make money with Telegram. The plain text messages don’t work as well as they did years ago. Let’s be honest. Many people just send an emoji or a sticker in reply to a message. The reason? It’s easier, funnier, and time-saving. 

So, if you have a creative mind, you can make unique artwork and sell them for various channels. You can create stickers using Telegram's open platform.

7. Make Money With Bots

Creating bots requires time, effort, basic programming knowledge, and creativity. If you have all that, you can create Telegram bots for other businesses and earn money. 

You might find our list of the best Telegram bots useful.

8. Consult People on Telegram Promotion

If you are good at it, you can make easy money chatting and sharing your experience with those who strive to promote channels. You can even become a virtual Telegram assistant: manage and post content in the channel and work on its promotion.

Suggest you have chosen whether you will sell your services or affiliate products or opt for another way of earning money with Telegram. So what’s next? 

Below, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to start earning with the Telegram application, beginning from the very beginning (channel creation) and ending with the key tips to keep in mind when building your Telegram business. 

How to Create a Telegram Channel

It is an easy and free process. But before proceeding with step-by-step instructions, let’s discuss the difference between a channel and a group in Telegram. We have gathered the main differences in the table for more convenience. 

To create a Telegram channel, you should:

1. Open the Telegram application and click on the pen icon at the bottom of the screen (for Android devices) or click on the message icon in the top right corner (for iPhone).

2. Now, select “New Channel.” 

3. Add your channel name and description.

Tips:

• Create a name that is catchy and easy to remember. Ideally, it should also reflect the topic of your channel.
• Write about the benefits and advantages of your channel in its description.

How to create channels in Telegram.

4. To change the icon of a channel, click on it and then on the pencil icon to edit it. Upload a picture.

Tip: The logo should be memorable. 

How to change the icon of a Telegram channel

5. Choose the type of channel and create a link for it. Again, go to the profile of a channel and click the pencil icon to edit it.

Note: Telegram will suggest you add subscribers from the contacts you already have.

How to choose the type of channel and create a link for it.

6. Toggle on the “restrict saving content” option so that subscribers won’t be able to copy your content, and click the right-pointing arrow (for Android devices) or the “Next” button (for iPhone). And you’re done 😎

Create a Telegram channel.

Define Your Telegram Business Topic & Niche

Choose the topic you are interested in or are an expert in. At least, you should be able to find, write, and post valuable content that strikes a chord with your target audience. 

Don’t radically change the theme of your channel. Otherwise, you will lose your channel/group subscribers. Instead, you can expand the covered topics with some related to your main one.  

Telegram Channel Content Plan

Regularly posting top-quality content that solves your subscribers’ pain points is essential for channel growth. That’s why take your time to determine your target audience, search trending topics in your niche, and create a content calendar. 

Using various content formats, including short videos, photos, and the like, is always a good idea.

How to Promote Your Telegram Channel

Let’s discuss how to make a Telegram channel grow, which means increasing the number of subscribers. 

Along with posting unique and valuable content regularly, you can also:

• Use the Telegram Ads platform to create sponsored messages, which will be displayed on public channels with 1K+ subscribers. 
• Use other social media platforms, like Facebook, YouTube, etc., to tell about your Telegram channel.
• Add your channel to various directories.
• Collaborate with bloggers and influencers who have a loyal following. 
• Collaborate with other Telegram channels relevant to your niche and with a similar target audience. Cross-promotion allows you to reach a wider audience and attract new subscribers to your channel. 

The last two points are very time-consuming. The Collaborator’s platform allows you to save lots of time. After registering on it, you get access to the catalog with almost 2K Telegram channels and over 21K websites from different industries and counties to post your content on. Give it a try and grow the audience of your channel with Collaborator.

Sign up for free

Note: Track Telegram campaigns to evaluate the results of your efforts and improve your strategy to get better outcomes.

So, can you make money on Telegram? Surely, yes. Telegram is no longer simply a messenger app. It is a huge social media platform that opens wide opportunities for marketers, sellers, and influencers. You can use the app to sell your products or services, share your affiliate links, earn on paid posts, and so on. 

In our article, we have discussed the most lucrative money-making methods to earn on Telegram and how to use the Collaborator platform to achieve your goals faster. Take your time and read it to discover how to monetize Telegram channels and find fresh ideas on online earning.