Telegram Ads: Complete B2B Guide for 2025

Introduction

When we first encountered Telegram as an advertising platform three years ago, we were skeptical. It seemed like the kind of niche alternative where crypto bros and privacy enthusiasts hung out, hardly the place to build a serious marketing campaign. We were wrong.

Today, we've watched countless brands discover what I eventually learned: Telegram isn't just another ad network. It's quietly become one of the most efficient ways to reach engaged audiences without burning through your entire marketing budget. And unlike the platforms everyone's obsessed with, it actually lets you build authentic relationships with customers instead of just chasing impressions.

Key Takeaways

• Telegram ads cost 3-5x less with 2-3x higher engagement rates than traditional ad networks

• Diverse ad formats (native ads, video ads, display advertising, sponsored messages, telegram mini apps) maximize reach and engagement

• Start with $1,000 minimum deposit across 10-15 telegram channels for proper testing

• Professional Telegram ads agency with personal account manager accelerates results by 6-12 months

• Self-serve campaigns and managed campaign management both deliver ROI when executed with detailed insights

The Real Problem With Traditional Advertising

Let us start with the uncomfortable truth nobody wants to hear. Facebook and Google have gotten genuinely expensive. When we started doing digital marketing, a decent CPM on Facebook was under a dollar. Now? We're talking $15 to $25+, and that's if you're lucky. And the quality? It's declining while costs climb.

Your ads get lost in algorithmic noise. Users scroll past without really seeing them. You're competing with entertainment content, and frankly, your B2B SaaS product or crypto project isn't more interesting than cat videos. The platforms know this, so they charge you accordingly.

Here's what bothers me most: traditional ad networks track everything about users: their browsing habits, purchase history, location data, you name it. Then they package that invasive data collection as "precise targeting." It's not precise. It's intrusive. And increasingly, regulations around the world are making it problematic.

Then Telegram comes along with a completely different approach. And initially, most of us in the industry missed it.

Why Telegram Feels Different (And Actually Is)

The first time we tested Telegram ads for a fintech client, we were amazed. Not impressed. Amazed. The cost structure was absurdly low compared to what I'd been paying elsewhere. We were getting ads in front of audiences for $2 to $8 per thousand impressions. On Facebook, that same reach would've cost three to five times more.

But here's what shocked us even more: people actually engaged with the ads. Click-through rates were running 1.5% to 3%, that's fifteen to thirty times better than the 0.1% to 0.3% you typically see on traditional display networks. Something fundamental was different about how the platform worked.

The reason, we eventually realized, came down to Telegram's core philosophy. The app doesn't track you. There's no profile building on your behavior. No creepy ad network following you across the internet. Instead, Telegram targets based on what should matter anyway: the actual content of the channels you've chosen to join.

If you're a member of a Bitcoin discussion channel, you probably want to see ads about cryptocurrency. If you're in a startup founders group, B2B SaaS products seem relevant. There's no mysterious algorithm trying to manipulate you into buying something you never knew you wanted. It's just contextual targeting based on context.

As an advertiser, this changes everything. You're not paying premium prices for invasive surveillance. You're paying reasonable rates to reach people who've already indicated they're interested in your topic. It's remarkably efficient, and honestly, it feels less gross to run.

The Economics That Make This Actually Work

Let us break down the money because that's where this gets really compelling. Your minimum starting investment with official Telegram? Around €2,340 ($2,500+). That's steep for a lot of organizations. But here's the interesting part: you can start with third-party Telegram advertising networks for just $500 to $1,000, and while the official channel access is more limited, it still opens doors.

Once you're in, you're looking at CPM rates of $2 to $8. If you're advertising in competitive B2B or fintech spaces, you might go higher. But compare that to the $15 to $25+ you're paying on LinkedIn or the $20 to $50+ for premium Facebook placements in certain industries. You're literally looking at a 3x to 5x cost advantage.

We worked with a SaaS company last year that had been running LinkedIn ads for their enterprise software product. They were spending $3,000 monthly and getting about 40 qualified leads. The CPL was working out to $75 per lead. They weren't thrilled, but LinkedIn has access to their target audience, so they stuck with it.

Then we tested Telegram. Same budget. Within two weeks, we had 120 qualified leads. The cost per lead had dropped to $25. Now, the audience was different, more technical, more early adopter, but more engaged. Actually interested in what the company built rather than just browsing ads between work emails.

They eventually split their budget. Cut LinkedIn spend in half and put more money into Telegram. Better ROI. Lower costs. Same quality leads, arguably more interested ones.

That's the pattern we keep seeing. Telegram isn't always a complete replacement for traditional advertising. But it's almost always more efficient than at least one channel in your existing mix.

Understanding What's Actually Possible

The native ad format is where Telegram shows its real strength. These aren't banner ads or pop-ups. They're sponsored messages that show up in the channel feed, formatted just like regular content. The visual style matches the channel aesthetic. The tone flows with the community vibe.

What this creates is a genuinely different user experience. We've been doing this long enough to remember when native advertising was new, and most brands completely botched it. They'd plop corporate messaging into editorial contexts where it didn't belong. Users hated it.

Telegram forces better discipline. Your ad needs to actually fit. A crypto project announcing a new exchange listing? That works in a crypto-focused channel. A fintech company explaining how their API works? Relevant in developer communities. A B2B software company sharing implementation tips? It adds value rather than interrupts.

We're not saying it's magic. Bad ads are still bad on Telegram. But good ads perform exceptionally well. We're talking click-through rates that would be considered unbelievable anywhere else.

Beyond native ads, video advertising works because people actually watch. Sponsored messages allow direct outreach to subscribers. And mini-apps—Telegram's interactive feature that lets you build little applications right in the platform—they're just starting to unlock their potential.

The Unglamorous Work: Research and Testing

Here's what nobody tells you about Telegram advertising when they're trying to sell you on it: success requires actual work. You can't just turn it on and watch the leads roll in. You have to be intentional.

Wу spent about 120 hours researching and testing channels for a blockchain project last year. The process goes something like this: you start with 50 to 100 potentially relevant Telegram channels. You join them. You observe for a week, maybe two. You're looking at engagement metrics: reactions, comments relative to the number of people actually seeing posts. You're assessing whether the audience seems real or if you're looking at bot farms. You're checking if the content quality is consistent.

After a couple weeks of this, you narrow down to maybe 10 to 15 channels that actually meet your criteria. Genuine community. Real engagement. Audience alignment with what you're trying to sell.

This isn't glamorous work. You're not building anything visually impressive. But it's where your campaign's success or failure gets decided before you spend a single dollar on ads.

Getting Your Actual Ads Right

Writing copy for Telegram ads is different from writing for other platforms. The audiences tend to be more sophisticated. More skeptical. Less tolerant of marketing speak.

Here's a formula that's consistently worked: Hook them with something genuine. Offer value or insight, not just product features. Show social proof if you have it. Then clear call to action.

We've tested hundreds of variations. A lot fail miserably. The ones that work tend to sound like they're written by a real person, not a corporate committee. A crypto project explaining why their blockchain approach actually solves a real problem? Gets engagement. The same project just listing technical specifications? Crickets.

A common mistake is overthinking it. You're competing for attention in a channel full of genuine community discussion. Your ad needs to feel like it belongs there.

We ran an experiment for a B2B HR platform where we tested two approaches. The first was basically a corporate pitch with benefits listed. It got 0.6% CTR. The second was actually a question: "What's costing your company more, hiring the wrong people or losing good people to disorganization?" Same product behind both, but that question-based angle that acknowledged actual business pain? 2.4% CTR.

Building a Sustainable Budget Strategy

Budget management is where discipline matters. I've watched campaigns fail not because the channel was wrong or the ads were bad, but because someone mismanaged the money.

A useful framework: 60% of your daily budget goes to channels that have proven themselves. 25% goes to channels showing promise but not yet proven. 15% goes to experimental new placements. This structure lets you scale winners without starving new opportunities.

Most daily budgets for testing run $50 to $500 depending on your industry and target geography. If you're testing multiple ad formats, you probably want $1,500 to $2,000 for that first month just to gather real data without noise.

I see too many marketers underfunding their tests. $20 daily budget across five channels means each channel is barely getting meaningful impressions. You can't actually test anything. Then people conclude "Telegram didn't work" when really, they didn't invest enough to find out.

The flip side is equally problematic: throwing money everywhere because early results look good. We consulted with a company that had one successful channel showing 2.5% CTR. They thought they'd found gold and immediately increased spend tenfold. Turns out that good performance didn't scale linearly. The channel got saturated. CTR dropped to 0.8%. They'd burned through budget chasing a high that didn't hold.

When to Actually Hire Someone

Let us be honest about agencies and personal account managers because we've watched this play out from both sides.

There are real benefits to working with professionals who know Telegram's ecosystem. A good agency already has relationships with quality channels. They understand which niches work and which are oversaturated. They've run hundreds of campaigns and can spot problems early.

We've seen professional management cut ROI realization time by 6 to 12 months. That's not hyperbole. We're talking about campaigns that would've taken a year of self-directed learning compressed into a couple of months with expert guidance.

Where it gets complicated: good agencies cost money. If you're a bootstrapped startup with a $500 advertising budget, you can't afford professional management. But if you've got $10,000+ monthly to spend, having someone who knows what they're doing is probably a smart investment.

The right person will do the heavy lifting: channel research and vetting, actual ad copywriting and design, campaign management and daily optimization, detailed analytics reporting. This matters because running a Telegram campaign half-heartedly is worse than not running one at all. The platform rewards intention and consistency. Do it poorly, and you'll wonder why you bothered.

We've also seen people self-manage successfully. It requires learning time upfront and ongoing attention, but it's doable if you have someone on your team who's willing to invest in understanding how the platform works.

Who's Actually Making Money Here

Let us talk about what works where, because Telegram isn't equally effective for every business.

Crypto and blockchain projects? This is their native habitat. The community is there. The interest exists. The regulatory climate makes traditional ad networks complicated anyway. Telegram works beautifully for token launches, exchange listings, DeFi products basically anything crypto-adjacent. We'd estimate 70% of my Telegram advertising clients are in this space.

Fintech companies are discovering it quickly. Their audience overlaps with crypto's early adopter crowd, and they face similar regulatory challenges with traditional ad networks. Compliance messaging works. Product demonstrations work. Trial signups work.

B2B SaaS sees real traction here, especially in developer-focused categories. Devops tools, infrastructure software, data platforms: these niches have active Telegram communities where people genuinely want to learn about tools that solve their problems. The sales cycles are sometimes longer because you're reaching technical decision makers rather than those higher in procurement, but qualified leads are absolutely coming through.

Fintech and crypto people are the obvious winners. But honestly? Any niche with an active, engaged Telegram community has opportunity. We've seen success with niche education platforms, specialized services, privacy-focused SaaS products. The pattern isn't what you're selling. It's whether the audience you're trying to reach already hangs out on Telegram.

Making This Actually Sustainable

One thing we've noticed: brands that succeed with Telegram tend to think differently about relationships.

They're not trying to extract maximum value from a single transaction. They're building community presence. Answering questions. Providing real value through their ads and channel participation. They understand that Telegram success is measured in sustained relationships, not one-off conversions.

This is why crypto and B2B SaaS do well here. These communities are built on recurring interaction. You're not just buying a product once. You're joining something. You're part of an ecosystem. The most successful advertising on Telegram respects that dynamic rather than treating it like traditional ad networks.

The platform rewards consistency. Run ads sporadically, and they underperform. Show up consistently with relevant messaging, and you develop a presence. Brands that run campaigns for two months then disappear see diminishing returns each time they return. Brands that commit to ongoing presence build momentum.

Looking Forward: What Changes

Telegram's advertising platform is evolving. Mini-apps are becoming more sophisticated. Video advertising options are expanding. The platform's been testing new features around group advertising that might open different possibilities.

But the fundamentals aren't changing. The privacy-first approach isn't going away. The engaged, intelligent audiences aren't disappearing. The cost-efficiency advantage probably isn't shrinking.

If anything, Telegram becomes more valuable as other platforms increase costs and tighten regulations. We expect we'll see more mainstream brands experiment here over the next year or two. Competition for ad space might increase. But by then, the brands that learned Telegram early will already have established presence and systems that work.

Expert Quote

“Telegram advertising isn’t just about cheaper clicks, it’s about meaningful engagement in niche communities. For crypto, fintech, and B2B, Telegram is the new frontier of conversation-driven marketing.” — Slava Jefremov, CEO of Naughty Marketing

Conclusion

Telegram advertising isn't for everyone. It's niche by definition. Your audience needs to be there, and they need to be actively engaged with content on the platform.

But if you're in crypto, fintech, B2B, or any category with an active Telegram community? This deserves real consideration. The cost advantages are real. The engagement rates are impressive. The ability to reach audiences without invasive tracking is genuinely valuable, both ethically and strategically.

Start with research. Invest time in understanding your channels. Build ads that respect the community instead of interrupting it. Manage your budget discipline. Be patient. Monitor results with actual rigor.

Do it right, and you'll probably get better ROI from Telegram than from at least one platform you're currently spending money on. Do it lazily, and you'll waste budget on a platform that demands intention.

That's the real takeaway: Telegram advertising works, but only if you're willing to actually work at it. Which, honestly, is true of everything worth doing anyway.

Fast Facts

• CPM Range: $2–8 (3–5x cheaper than Facebook or LinkedIn)

• Engagement Rate: 2–3x higher than traditional ad platforms

• Minimum Deposit: $1,000 (third-party networks); €2,340+ (official platform)

• Top Performing Format: Native Ads with 1.5–3% CTR

• Primary Users: Crypto traders, B2B professionals, and fintech enthusiasts

• Campaign Setup Time: 24–72 hours with personal account manager suppo

FAQ

How much do Telegram ads cost?

Telegram ads pricing averages $2-8 CPM across ad networks. Official platform requires €2,340 minimum deposit for crypto. Third-party networks start at $500-1,000. Direct channels deals provide 30-50% discounts at $1-3 CPM. Daily budget ranges $50-500. Budget $1,500-2,000 for testing across diverse ad formats. Payment methods vary by networks and region. Pricing models differ between self-serve campaigns and managed services via personal account manager.

How do I create effective Telegram ads?

Create effective ad content using [Hook + Value + Social Proof + CTA] formula in 100-300 characters. Develop 3-5 variations testing diverse formats (native ads, video ads, display advertising, sponsored messages). Research 50-100 telegram channels, shortlist 10-15 with 10%+ engagement. Launch with $500-1,000 minimum budget for significance. Optimize weekly using detailed insights and performance tracking. Consider personal account manager for exceptional service and support team guidance. Easily manage through automated dashboards and user friendly interfaces. Create multiple variations across channels to test messaging effectiveness.

What makes Telegram ads superior?

Telegram ads beat ad networks through 3-5x cost advantage ($2-8 CPM vs $15-25+), higher engagement (1.5-3% CTR vs 0.1-0.3%), privacy compliance without user tracking, diverse ad formats (native ads, video ads, display advertising, sponsored messages, telegram mini apps), high quality traffic from target audiences. Targeted advertising uses targeting parameters not invasive tracking. Crypto advertising networks integrate naturally for crypto community building. Platform offers user friendly campaign management with detailed insights. Telegram channels provide authentic engagement.

How do I sign up and start?

Sign up through official platform for €2,340+ or programmatic networks for $500+. Complete account setup with payment methods and targeting parameters. Create ad content or upload existing advertisements. Set daily budget, CPM bids, and channels selection. Launch campaigns with proper ads reach targeting. Monitor detailed insights dashboard and optimization metrics. Easily manage campaigns through platform interface. Create reports using performance tracking data. Access support team for guidance.

What makes Telegram advertising so effective compared to other social platforms?

Telegram’s blend of privacy, engagement, and cost-efficiency sets it apart. Unlike Facebook or Google, it doesn’t rely on personal data tracking, instead, ads are contextually served based on channel content and user interests. This privacy-first model boosts trust, resulting in 2–3x higher engagement rates. For crypto and B2B advertisers, this means reaching real, interested audiences without compliance risks or inflated costs.

How can small businesses or startups benefit from Telegram ads?

Startups with limited budgets can use Telegram to test and validate campaigns before scaling. With CPMs starting at just $2–8, small advertisers can launch pilot campaigns with $500–1,000, analyze results through detailed insights, and reinvest profits into higher-performing channels. Telegram’s self-serve and managed campaign options provide flexibility for teams of all sizes.

Is it possible to track ROI and optimize campaigns effectively on Telegram?

Yes. Advertisers can monitor key metrics like CTR, CPM, CPA, and conversions through Telegram’s analytics or third-party dashboards. Agencies often enhance tracking by using detailed insights reports and weekly optimization cycles. Continuous testing combined with professional campaign management can shorten ROI realization time by 6–12 months compared to self-managed setups.