Today I have prepared step-by-step instructions that will help you, whether you are an experienced admin or a beginner, to create your own Telegram channel network.

We’ll go through all the related issues in detail:

• What is a Telegram channel network,
• what are the specifics of this approach, its advantages and disadvantages,
• what theme to choose,
• how and with what tools to create a channel network,
• how to manage it
• and how to monetize it.

In addition, at the end of the article I have added a section with answers to frequent questions that I observe arise for those who are trying to move from theory to practice.

If you administer chats, channels or groups on Telegram or are just thinking about getting started in this field, then this article is for you.

Ready to learn more? Let’s get started!

Content:

• What is a channel network in Telegram and how it works
• Why you should develop a network of channels in Telegram
• Pros and cons of the channel network
• How to choose a theme
• How to create a channel network
• What tools to use
• How to manage the channel network
• How to promote the channel network
• How to monetize the channel network
• FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

What is a channel network in Telegram and how it works

Channel Network in Telegram is a modern and effective channel management strategy. It is based on creating a network of channels that cover a variety of topics. In this strategy, one channel acts as the primary, or donor channel. It is actively promoted through advertising and other methods of audience engagement.

The main channel regularly publishes content on a wide range of topics presumably of interest to most subscribers. Here you’ll find content about marketing tools, case studies, testimonials, personal and distracted topics, and surveys. Posts narrowly focused on specific topics are published in specialized channels of the network, while only brief announcements and links to these publications are posted in the main channel.

If a subscriber of the main channel is interested in the announcement, they can go to the corresponding specialized channel and read the full post there. Maybe he will decide to subscribe to this specialized channel, or maybe he will prefer to remain a subscriber of the main channel only. Thus, the channel network in Telegram provides effective content management and allows you to customize it to the interests of a wide audience.

Why you should develop a network of channels in Telegram

Telegram gives a lot of opportunities to make money online. In essence, it is a platform on which different types of businesses can be developed:

• create and promote their own channels,
• to sell goods and services,
• Monetize content through subscriptions or advertising,
• Conduct paid webinars and consultations.

While these opportunities require an investment of time, some money and effort, they usually pay for themselves fairly quickly. This is facilitated by a large audience and high user engagement, which is characteristic of Telegram.

In addition, Telegram itself as a platform can be considered as a promising tool for online business development. With its help, you can effectively interact with your audience, quickly disseminate information about products or services, conduct marketing campaigns and analyze results.

Due to its popularity and the ability to automate processes, Telegram is an attractive environment for creating and developing different types of online businesses. See for yourself:

1. The user base is growing. Since the beginning of 2023, there has been significant growth in the user base on Telegram. This growth is due to the mass migration of many Russian users to the platform due to the blocking of other popular social networks. Thanks to this, the active audience of the messenger has increased dramatically by 68% in a year.
   Such a mass transition of users emphasizes the importance and attractiveness of Telegram as an alternative platform for communication and information exchange. This trend reflects not only the current situation in social media, but also the potential for further growth and development of Telegram as the main platform for communication and online activity.
2. The threshold for entry is low. Creating your own channel in Telegram is very easy, you don’t need any special skills to do it (the other thing is to make it really profitable). To start running your channel, all you need is a small investment and good content. Many start with small amounts and gradually increase their online presence.
3. Processes can be automated. It is most convenient to keep channels with the help of analytics tools provided by both Telegram itself and third-party services. In addition, Telegram supports the creation of bots for autoposting and integration with other services via Open API, which simplifies many processes.
4. Good profitability. As the number of users and the audience of channels grows, so does the demand for content. This means that quality and interesting content on channels becomes more and more in demand and attracts more subscribers, and subscribers are potential customers or audiences for advertisers.
   Due to the increasing demand for content and growing audience, business on Telegram is becoming more and more profitable. Channel advertising can pay for itself quickly, usually within 4-6 months of launching an ad campaign. So, advertising business in Telegram is a really promising and profitable line of business for many entrepreneurs and content makers.
5. A wide range of topics. In Telegram, you can create channels on any topic: from entertainment and educational to professional and hobby. This diversity offers great opportunities for creative and professional growth and encourages content makers to create unique, interesting posts for their audience.
6. High audience engagement. This is a consequence of a number of factors, not the least of which is the lack of recommender algorithms. Unlike other social platforms where algorithms filter and suggest content to users based on their behavior and preferences, on Telegram subscribers choose the channels they want to subscribe to and the content they will see.
   This creates an environment where audiences are more engaged with content, as users themselves search for and subscribe to channels that match their interests and needs. Additionally, the lack of recommendation algorithms means that subscribers are more likely to engage in discussions, comment and share content they like, because they don’t rely on algorithms.
   Such audience activity contributes to the formation of communities in which users feel free and actively participate in the dialog. In the end, it makes the content more appealing to the audience and promotes the community as a whole.
7. Expensive advertising. As the popularity of channels grows and the number of subscribers increases, so does the cost of advertising. This leads to an increase in the cost of ad placement as advertisers are willing to pay more for access to a larger audience.
   Advertising in channels can be a significant source of income for the administrator. With the right approach and quality content, administrators can attract advertisers to the channels who are willing to pay well to distribute ads to their target audience.

Pros and cons of the channel network

Hosting multiple channels is certainly more difficult than just one. But this strategy allows you to divide subscribers by interests. Specialized channels allow you to gather the most targeted audience and provide content of interest to them in a more convenient and familiar format.

Network of channels with common themes

The easiest way for beginners is to create a network of channels linked by a common theme. If the channels are dedicated to different topics, they should still complement each other and be close to the target audience.

For example, let’s take the case of a sportswear store. It’s important to decide right away which channels might be suitable for this network to help the store not only sell advertising, but also promote its own product.

Right off the bat, the primary audience is those who play sports. It is for her that the main channel will be dedicated.

In the next step, we expand the target audience to sports nutrition consumers and generally anyone interested in a healthy lifestyle. We devote separate specialized channels to these topics.

Next we look at niches related to active lifestyles, such as hiking and sports equipment. Finally, channels about fashion and lifestyle in general will serve as a useful addition to our network.

Channel segmentation by content format

Different users prefer different content formats. For example, many people like to watch videos, but there are also those who prefer to read text. Therefore, channel segmentation can be not only by topic, but also by content format.

For example, you can create a channel for audio podcasts, a channel for video tutorials, a channel for text-based guides, and so on. Thus, the content is separated into different channels depending on the format.

You can come up with different criteria to segment your audience and categorize your content into additional profile channels.

In social networks, this strategy is more difficult to implement because of the algorithms that determine the order in which content is displayed in the feed. In Telegram, where there are no such algorithms, channel networks can be implemented quite successfully.

In general, it can be said that the advantages of the channel network counterbalance the disadvantages of this method, so that the output is a viable system.

How to choose a theme

In Telegram, the cost of advertising can vary greatly depending on the topic you choose. This is due to the fact that some topics are more in demand among the relevant target audience and are more competitive in the advertising market in general.

For example, in channels dedicated to finance, business or cryptocurrency, advertising is relatively expensive. These topics appeal to a more serious and paying audience interested in investing or buying products.

On the other hand, channels dedicated to entertainment, humor or Lifestyle usually sell cheap advertising. They appeal to a wider but also less predictable audience.

Thus, the choice of a channel’s subject matter can significantly influence its commercial potential and monetization opportunities through advertising. Let’s take a closer look at some popular examples.

1. Humor

It’s the most accessible, but also the most common topic on Telegram. The average cost of advertising here is low – up to 100-150 rubles for each thousand subscribers. Humor topics are interesting for their versatility and lack of requirements for uniqueness of content. You can simply share anecdotes or memes without citing the authors, especially since they are most often anonymous.

2. Cooking

This is another easy and accessible theme. The cost of advertising here is about 250-300 rubles per 1000 subscribers. The demand for cooking topics is always high, so attracting subscribers in this niche is usually not difficult.

3. Psychology

On average, the cost of advertising is 400-500 rubles per 1000 subscribers. This is an example of an average topic with a moderate cost. But, to create quality content, you need to have a good knowledge of psychology or hire a professional with experience in this field.

4. Business

Here the cost of advertising starts from 1500 rubles per 1000 subscribers. This is already a more complex topic, as people are often wary of business media, especially in Russia, where there is a negative opinion about infobusiness.

5. Marketing

Here the cost of advertising is about 2000 rubles per 1000 subscribers. This is one of the most expensive areas as it is very difficult to get the attention of a reader in this niche. Content makers who know about this topic are expensive, and there are not many channels in which you can usefully place ads.

6. Cryptocurrency

Here the prices are already indicated in dollars and are about 100-150 dollars for 1000 subscribers. Payment for advertising is most often accepted in USDT. This is not only a complex but also a risky subject and should be approached with caution to avoid trouble.

Here we see a direct correlation between the complexity of the topic and the cost of advertising per 1000 subscribers. If you are just starting to create channels, I recommend choosing humor topics. It is simple and requires no special knowledge, and the entry threshold here is as low as possible.

Channels on specialized topics require knowledge and expensive advertising because of the narrow target audience, but at the same time attract loyal and interested subscribers. Ultimately, they make your network more attractive to advertisers and more successful from a monetization standpoint.

How to create a channel network

Now, having sorted out the theory, let’s try to develop a strategy to shape the channel network. Let’s break this process down into several steps.

1. Channel One Development. First, we need to get the audience on Channel One. You can use different traffic sources for this, such as publications on the Zen platform or YouTube videos with links to your Telegram channel. But the best option is to directly invest money in advertising, starting from 10 thousand rubles.
2. Delegation of Responsibilities. Effective task allocation is key to business growth. Hire a competent administrator to bring in the first advertisers and create content, or a bundle of a content manager and an advertising specialist. In this way, each employee will be responsible for their own area of work.
3. Reinvestment of investments. Once the first channel starts generating revenue, allocate funds to pay for advertising. It’s important to determine how much revenue you want to generate from a single channel. As a rule, the first bar is about 300 thousand rubles per month.
4. Opening new channels. Profits from the first channel are reinvested in the opening of the second and subsequent channels. Plan so that the average payback period is about 3 months and save enough money (250-350 thousand rubles) to develop a similar channel.

Thus, we create a cycle that continues until it is no longer possible to increase the number of channels. From then on, we can reinvest the revenue from the channels into their development, making them even more successful.

But that’s just a theory. It will take at least 1.5-2 years to make this idea a reality, as well as a reliable team and hard work.

What tools to use

I have identified two main groups of tools – organizational tools that help automate processes and analytical tools.

Automation

A developed network is at least 3-5 channels that need to be maintained and moderated. The situation becomes more complicated for professional administrators who may maintain several such network. Without automation tools, it becomes hard labor. But there are Telegram bots that simplify the process.

For an example, let’s look at Junction Bot, which is a Telegram bot that allows you to read multiple feeds in a single feed. It also helps you forward messages from channels, groups and from other bots to your own channels and groups.

Junction Bot has a lot of features:

• you can read new messages from several channels in a single feed in a private chat with a bot or in a separate group;
• copy new messages from any channels, groups, users and bots to your channels and groups;
• Create filtering rules to ensure that only the right messages get through, filter out every Nth message or duplicate messages from different sources;
• create rules for replacing text in messages and set how different parts of a message will look.

For a detailed description of bot functions and tariffs, see the official documentation.

Analytics

You can analyze channels in Telegram using specialized platforms on external resources, such as Telemetr or TGstat. These sites can provide information on audience engagement and make the final decision on which channels to partner with.

There are several criteria by which the quality of a channel is assessed.

1. Number of subscribers. This indicator is not always objective, but it gives an idea of the channel’s popularity. It is important to take into account the possibility of artificial accrual of subscribers: some administrators artificially increase the channel’s indicators with the help of bots to sell advertising.
2. Coverage of each post. This is the number of users who have seen a particular post on the channel. Typically, platforms provide an average value of this metric.
3. ERR (Engagement Rate Ratio). This is the ratio of the average number of post views to the total number of subscribers. In Telegram, this value is usually higher than in other social networks, and an ERR of 30% or more is considered normal.
4. Publication regularity. It is important to consider the refresh rate of the channel. Channels that haven’t had new content for a long time are not the best choice for advertising.

These criteria help determine the quality of a channel on Telegram. Statistics can be obtained on any platform that tracks the activity of channels with more than 200 subscribers.

How to manage the channel network

Delegating tasks is an integral part of effective management in an online business. This approach involves assigning duties and responsibilities to team members in order to achieve common results. A key aspect of delegation is to ensure that each team member clearly understands their role and contributes to the overall success of the project.

Effective delegation of tasks requires adherence to certain management norms, which include:

• A clear definition of goals and objectives,
• adequate allocation of resources and competencies,
• regular feedback and support from management,
• monitoring and evaluation of results.

In the case of channel development in Telegram, we can talk about the distribution of responsibilities for content creation, communication with subscribers, data analysis and channel monetization.

It is important that each team member understands their role in the development of the channel, and that the manager provides support and oversight to ensure tasks are completed. Effective delegation of tasks allows you to significantly optimize workflows and increase the efficiency of your Telegram channel.

You may argue to this that the owner of the network and himself is able to create content, moderate the chat and negotiate with potential advertisers. Okay, let’s say that’s true. But there are at least two reasons to delegate channel maintenance and promotion tasks.

1. Focus on strategically important tasks. Delegating routine duties allows the channel administrator to free up the time and resources needed to perform more important tasks. For example, strategic planning, developing new channels, finding new monetization opportunities and improving content quality. This allows for more efficient utilization of resources and improves the overall productivity of the project.
2. Even load distribution and burnout prevention. Delegating tasks helps to evenly distribute the workload among team members, thereby preventing admin overload and burnout. Working on the maintenance and promotion of channels in Telegram is a rather intensive activity that requires a certain amount of effort from the manager. By sharing it with other team members, you will reduce your own stress and fatigue levels and keep everyone on the project motivated and productive.

To meet the management norm when delegating tasks in Telegram, you can use several strategies:

1. Hire a content manager and an ad buying specialist to take over content creation and ad sales. This will help maximize the channel’s performance and expand its potential.
2. Establish a feedback and reporting system to track employee performance and get regular updates on progress.
3. Establish clear roles and responsibilities for each team member to avoid confusion and conflict. This will help ensure effective communication and channel objectives are met.

The optimal management norm in Telegram is about 7 subordinates per manager, and each employee can successfully manage 3-4 channels. These are important aspects of creating a successful channel network in Telegram.

How to promote the channel network

There are two main ways to place ads to promote channels on Telegram – official ads and ads in other Telegram channels. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Official advertising via Telegram Ads

This method involves the use of official advertising tools that Telegram itself provides. The platform gives channel administrators the ability to create advertisements that will be displayed in the news feed of Telegram users.

In theory, this method allows you to place targeted ads in Telegram, which will be shown only to those users who are interested in the topic of your channel. The problem is that Telegram is an anonymous platform, so it doesn’t offer the ability to segment audiences by gender, age, and other demographics.

In addition, Telegram Ads has other disadvantages as well:

• A promotional post may contain only text, although visual content plays an important role in capturing the audience’s attention. Besides, if you plan to expand and create a network of channels, you’ll have to spend on creating a separate Telegram Ads account every time.
• High costs. The cost of advertising through embedded targeting starts at 3 thousand euros. At the same time, a part of the funds is used as collateral, which is available only to official partners of Telegram.
• Payment from Russian cards is not possible, as Telegram is registered abroad. You need to open a foreign card to make payments or use intermediaries.
• In my personal cabinet there are no detailed statistics of conversions to the channel by advertising.

Advertising in Telegram channels

This is the most common and demanded type of advertising in Telegram. It involves placing advertisements on other channels. Here you cooperate with administrators of popular channels, where your channel advertisement will be placed as a post or announcement, and you negotiate with the channel administrator about the cost of placing your post in his feed.

This method allows you to reach a targeted audience that is already interested in a related topic, and can often be an even more effective way to attract new subscribers. He, however, also has his own specifics:

• There are specialized exchanges where you can control the process of buying advertising and get detailed statistics on potential partners. You can find out the market value of advertising and compare it with the prices the channel owner offers you.
• You can choose your own channels for advertising and weed out unsuitable offers.
• You can negotiate price, and in the case of working with integrations, you can often negotiate more favorable terms.
• There is a risk of fraud, so it is important to transact with channel owners through a sole proprietorship.

You can also barter, especially if your channel doesn’t have enough subscribers yet. This is an effective way to engage your audience at the start. This approach is based on a mutually beneficial exchange of advertising opportunities or content between different channels.

The basic idea behind bartering is that channels of comparable size or audience share ads or content to increase their visibility and attract new subscribers. For example, channel administrators can agree to mutually post announcements or promotional posts on their channels to share their audiences with each other.

How to monetize the channel network

Telegram gives you the opportunity to place advertising posts of different types. For example, you can use native advertising or byte-posts with a follow-up. Let’s take a closer look at these types of advertising.

1. Affiliate Programs. This is a cooperative format in which members receive a certain percentage of sales made through their affiliate link. This method of monetization is widely used in online businesses, including Telegram channels.
   To participate in the affiliate program, you must register on a platform that offers the program. After registration, you will receive a unique affiliate link that you will use to track sales made through your channel.
   The affiliate link should be placed in your Telegram channel, for example, in the anchored post or in the channel description. You can also include a link in your channel’s content, as long as it fits seamlessly into the channel’s theme.
   When a user clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you get a certain percentage of the sale as a commission. This percentage is usually set by the program and may vary depending on the terms of cooperation.
   Affiliate programs are suitable for different topics and do not cause subscribers „advertising blindness“, as they involve cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit. This allows you to monetize your channels and draw the audience’s attention to the products or services offered without feeling like intrusive advertising.
2. Byte posts. This is a Telegram ad format that is great for entertainment and adult-oriented channels.
   The method relies on the use of short, entertaining and often provocative messages or images to capture the attention of the audience. Byte posts usually cost 30-40% less than regular advertising posts. Such posts stand out among other content, and this increases the likelihood that subscribers will be interested in them and click on the link.
   For some channels, especially those where humor, irony or provocation play a key role, byte posts may be the most appropriate ad format that matches audience expectations and interests.
   You need to keep in mind that byte posts can cause negative reactions and lead to unsubscribes. Therefore, always approach content creation carefully and take into account the specifics of the target audience of each particular channel.
3. Promotional posts. Suitable for a wide range of topics and provide an opportunity to advertise virtually any product or service. It can also be advertising events, activities, and more.
   To create an effective promotional post on Telegram, the classic AIDA model is often used, which involves sequentially attracting attention, generating interest, creating desire, and a call to action.
   First, it’s common to grab the audience’s attention with striking visual content or an interesting headline. Then describe the product or service in detail, cite its distinctive features and benefits. The post usually ends with a call to action, such as an offer to make a purchase, register for an event, or subscribe to a channel.
4. Native advertising. In this case, the post doesn’t look like a commercial advertisement, but still reveals the benefits of the product. This format usually elicits a good response from subscribers because the ads are integrated in a natural way.
   The type of advertising you choose depends on your topic and budget. It’s important to remember that an overabundance of ads can cause a negative reaction from subscribers and lead to unsubscribes. On Telegram, a 1-to-1 ratio between promotional and regular posts is acceptable. Exceeding this ratio may cause the channel to be perceived as spam.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to common questions about maintaining a channel network.

1. What are some strategies for effectively running multiple channels on Telegram?

Assign roles. Assign responsibility for each channel to build effective management and ensure responsiveness to audience requests.

Segment your audience. Break your channels into thematic groups, so you will achieve greater accuracy and personalization of communication with your subscribers.

Synchronize content. Create content that can be adapted for different channels to ensure consistency of style and marketing strategy.

Automation and Integration. Use tools to automate publishing and analytics. This will make it easier to manage multiple channels and gain a better understanding of their effectiveness.

2. What are the main mistakes to avoid when running several Telegram channels?

Lack of strategy. Uncertainty in goals and approaches leads to diluted efforts and inefficient use of resources.

Ignoring the audience. If you don’t consider the needs and interests of different audience segments, subscriber engagement will decrease and you may even lose them.

Lack of activity. Irregular content updates or infrequent publication of new posts leads to loss of audience interest in your channel and unsubscribes.

3. How to adapt the content strategy to different target audiences in the channel network?

Research the target audience. Study the interests, preferences, and behaviors of each channel’s audience to tailor content to their needs.

Personalize your messages. Create content that is relevant to each channel’s specific audience, catering to their unique interests and needs.

Test and optimize. Experiment with different types of content and formats, then analyze the data to determine the most effective strategies for each channel.

4. What best practices exist for attracting and retaining audiences in the channel network?

Quality content. Create unique, interesting and useful content that attracts and holds the attention of your audience.

Subscriber Engagement. Respond to comments, ask questions, and take polls to encourage active audience participation.

Regular Updates. Publish new content regularly to keep your audience interested and ensure subscribers are always engaged.

5. How often should content on channels be updated to maintain audience interest?

Personalized approach. The frequency of content updates can vary depending on the type of channel, the target audience and the nature of the content.

Consistency. It’s important to consistently update content so that subscribers wait and come back regularly for new posts.

Reaction Monitoring. Analyze audience response to posts and adjust the frequency of content updates according to their preferences and needs.

Ultimately, creating and effectively managing a Telegram channel network requires not only an understanding of the basic principles, but also constant development and adaptation of the strategy to changing conditions.

Conclusion

Hopefully, now you not only know what a Telegram channel network is and how to create one, but you also understand what strategies to apply to come to success.

Keep up with current trends, constantly improve your approach, and your channel network will become a powerful tool for achieving your goals in Telegram.