by On Wednesday, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, made an announcement that signals huge growth for the chat app. Users who have personal accounts now have the opportunity to convert them into business accounts by paying a monthly charge. This is a significant development for the service. Users, particularly proprietors of small cafes and shops, will be given the opportunity to improve their internet profile through the use of tools that are intended to empower them.
The recently launched business accounts provide a variety of features that are specifically designed to cater to the requirements of business owners. These include the capability to display essential information such as location and operating hours, which can be of great advantage to businesses that are looking to engage with their customers.
Furthermore, business accounts on Telegram come with a set of features that are intended to simplify communication and enhance the quality of service provided to individual customers. Users have the ability to organize chats by assigning color labels to them, to set up automatic greetings or away messages, and to use shortcuts to respond more quickly. Durov also made a veiled reference to planned improvements, such as the use of chatbots powered by artificial intelligence, in order to further automate interactions with customers.
Through the implementation of these capabilities, Telegram is establishing itself as a contender in the business communication arena, directly competing with competitors such as WhatsApp Business. Telegram is taking a new strategy to monetize its business features by charging subscription fees rather than relying entirely on advertising or transactional revenue. This is in contrast to WhatsApp, which claims more than 200 million monthly active users.
WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has also been expanding its offerings for businesses, including the incorporation of e-commerce transaction processes and personalized customer messages within the app itself. The subscription-based model of Telegram, on the other hand, offers an alternative for companies that are looking to have more control over their conversations without being subject to advertising.
In recent years, Telegram has expanded its revenue streams by adding premium memberships, a self-custodial cryptocurrency wallet, and auctions for premium usernames. These developments have been very successful. With a user base that exceeds 800 million throughout the globe, the platform is now getting ready to launch its very own advertising platform, which will come with a revenue-sharing scheme for channels. This will further reinforce the network’s position as a multidimensional communication and business platform.
