Telegram: Show Must Go On

Publication date: 11 Sep 2018

Russia’s authorities (joint efforts of FSB and MinComSvyaz) are looking for new ways to block Telegram. Several traffic filtering technologies are now being tested on Rostelecom networks in Reutev, Moscow region. The best technology will then be installed on the networks of all Russian telecoms operators. Among the firms invited to submit their technologies for the testing were RDP.RU, ADM SYSTEMS, PROTEI, DDoS-Guard, Napa Labs, Vas Experts, and Concern Avtomatika.

MinComSvyaz earlier stated that Telegram was impossible to block. Large firms with plenty of resources will always manage to get around the total ban. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Alexei Volin believes that Telegram does have enough resources to withstand the blocking.

In August 2018, Telegram introduced a change to their private policy, which opened the possibility of transferring data to the authorities. ‘If Telegram receives a court order that confirms you’re a terror suspect, we may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities,’ the messenger’s new private policy says.

Is it now safe to use Telegram for private conversations? As experts explained, ordinary users have nothing to worry about unless they are panning on a terror attack. The change will not affect the ordinary user at all because no privacy of correspondence will be violated. Any not very active users leave a lot of personal information in the internet themselves. This information is much easier to get and analyze.

The abovementioned probably means that Telegram is back as an important traffic source.

What to start your Telegram channel with and how to keep on going?

Free tips from the book ‘Telegram. How to start a channel, to promote, and to make money.’

1. Choose the first subscribers
Telegram allows you to invite people from your contacts to join the channel. Go to Settings > Add users and choose those people who are likely to get interested in your project. Pay attention that there is an invitation limit of 200 people, so think carefully and in advance whom to invite. Your aim is to keep people subscribed after they arrive to your channel.

2. Channels catalog is a thing of the past
To submit your channel to a channels catalog was a must in 2016 when Telegram was gaining popularity. At that time it was nearly the best way to promote. If your channel satisfies some simple conditions (for example, to have more than 500 subscribers), you can easily submit it to a channels catalog for free.
Channels catalogs are now getting less popular. The number of Telegram users has increased several times, the media has started writing about Telegram channels, and statistics services have appeared. Administrators are now choosing to promote their channels with ads bought both in Telegram and on third-party resources. It is now easier and faster to find a resource with appropriate audience and start promoting there.

3. Should I cross-promote?
Cross-promotion has been widespread and popular in all social networks and messengers for quite a long time. How to find a channel for cross-promotion? Choose channels focusing on related issues and offer them to cross-promote with you.

4. Pros and cons of Mega
Mega is a channels catalogue that uses a grey hat promo technique. Several dozens of channels group together, list themselves in a promo post and then simultaneously publish it. Subscribers receive a truckload of information which, however, gives no details but for the niche of each channel promoted.
The effectiveness of this technique is questionable: a few of subscribers you will probably get are barely worth risking your reputation.

5. Tricky method
You write a post with a top chart of channels and…add yours to the list. Ideally, there will be four very popular channels, and your channel will go as the fifth one. Users are unlikely to see this promo post for what it is straightaway. Their thoughts will be as follows: ‘I know these four cool channels, but I’ve never come up with the last one. If it’s listed in this top chart, it should be interesting as well. Let’s see.’