Telegram is positioning itself as a secure alternative to WhatsApp and advertises primarily the subject of security. We explain what's behind the messenger, whether it's worth using for your company and whether Telegram is really a secure alternative to WhatsApp.
What is Telegram?
Telegram Messenger was released in August 2013 and has since been regarded as an alternative to WhatsApp. The messenger was launched by the entrepreneur Pawel Durow, who already founded the Russian counterpart to Facebook, VKontakt.
The most important information:
- approx. 500 million active users worldwide
- over 7.5 million users in Germany
- Focus on data protection and privacy
With more than 500 million active users, Telegram is one of the most popular messengers worldwide, even ahead of Snapchat or Twitter. In terms of pure user numbers, Telegram cannot compete with WhatsApp. With two billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is still the top dog in the messenger industry.
The messenger communicates that it places particular emphasis on privacy and data protection. According to its own information, the synchronised cloud messenger is faster and more secure than WhatsApp.
Telegram Business - How companies can use Telegram
The number of Telegram users in the U.S. is steadily increasing. For businesses, Telegram therefore offers a new channel for communicating with customers. To use Telegram for customer communication, a Telegram Business Account is required.
Telegram channel
With the Telegram channel, you can reach an unlimited number of subscribers and only you as an admin or a bot can post. You can share information and content with your subscribers. The Telegram channel is more or less a one-way street, because comments and replies from subscribers are not possible.
Telegram group
In a Telegram group, you can chat with several users together. A group can have a maximum of 200,000 members and you can assign rights for pictures and videos as an admin. In contrast to the channel, all members can communicate with each other.
Telegram Bot
The Telegram Bot can post content independently in groups or via a channel. Telegram bots can also be used for customer support. For example, newsletters can be sent via the Telegram Bot, to which subscribers can respond. The responses can then be viewed as an admin.
Advantages and disadvantages of Telegram Business
The advantage of Telegram lies in the uncomplicated formats through which you as a company can share content with your subscribers. Thanks to push communication via Telegram groups and channels, you can share news, offers and promotions with your customers. This way, you keep your customers up to date and remember them.
Telegram advantages at a glance:
- Direct communication with customers via chat
- Push channel and group functions
- Telegram Newsletter to share news and actions
- Chatbot for recurring questions
As with other messengers, you can contact your customers directly via Telegram. The easiest way to do this is to use the Telegram Business API. Superchat, for example, has integrated Telegram into the messenger tool via the API.
How secure is Telegram?
Telegram advertises that it pays special attention to data protection and privacy. But is Telegram really an alternative to WhatsApp for this reason?
Theoretically, Telegram offers different types of encryption. This includes end-to-end encryption of messages. This means that only the sender and recipient can read the message. However, users have to set this function manually in the settings. By default, chats are stored in the Telegram Cloud. This also applies to Telegram groups and channels.
Telegram can be opened from different devices and locations. No matter where you are, you can access your chats. The data is stored centrally on Telegram's own servers. On these servers, the data is also encrypted.
Conclusion: Is Telegram worthwhile for companies?
Like WhatsApp, Telegram is repeatedly criticised, especially when it comes to data protection. However, the number of users is not decreasing because of this. On the contrary, more and more people are switching from other messengers to Telegram. The practical functions such as group chats and channels are a good way for companies to stay in touch with customers.
You can use it to inform your target group about special promotions or news. The Telegram chat function can also be used in customer service. Customers are increasingly inclined to use private communication channels for dialogue with companies. So if your target group is active on Telegram, you should consider using this messenger.
Superchat offers you a GPDR-compliant way to use Telegram for communication with your customers. With Superchat, you bundle all relevant communication channels in one inbox. Would you like to use Superchat? Do you have any questions about our product? Contact us simply and without obligation via WhatsApp, or write us an e-mail at hello@superchat.de. We look forward to hear from you!