Secrets of Commercial Success on Telegram: How to Win Over the Ukrainian Telegram Audience — Expert Interview and Insights from the CEO of T:ME Telegram Agency

Pavlo Shapka — the CEO of Ukraine’s first Telegram agency [t:me], whose regular clients include brands like ALLO, Uklon, MHP, Sense Bank, AGROMAT, and others. His agency manages over 50 Telegram channels with a combined audience of around five million subscribers and daily reach exceeding one million Ukrainian users.

In an interview with Ekonomichna Pravda, Pavlo discussed how Telegram users’ preferences shifted after the full-scale war began, which mistakes companies make when using Telegram for successful business promotion, and the prospects for digital communications development in Ukraine.

— Tell us how the idea to create a Telegram agency came about.

— The idea emerged following the meteoric rise of this messenger among Ukrainians. Instagram is more about photo-video content, Facebook remains unclear to many users, whereas Telegram has proven to be the most convenient for both conversation and consuming informative-entertaining content.

Key factors behind the decision include:

1. Functionality: Telegram offers rich business tools—channels, groups, bots—for audience engagement and client interaction.
2. Growing audience: Telegram gained popularity quickly thanks to its security, speed, and ease of use.
3. Demand for new ad formats: Traditional channels like TV, radio, and out-of-home ads have lost effectiveness, forcing businesses to find new platforms and experts.
4. Expertise: Experience creating Telegram channels across various themes helped us build solid expertise.

— What were the toughest challenges over the agency’s six years?

— We face challenges daily. A Telegram agency is risky—especially amid government narratives suggesting potential bans. But aside from that, the challenges are similar to other digital companies.

The main ones: rising competition—more agencies demanding continuous improvement of services and offerings (though healthy competition fuels innovation); acquiring clients—initially through word of mouth, and later onboarding a New Business Manager; and adapting to evolving client needs in our unpredictable environment.

— How do you find and train Telegram marketing specialists in such a niche?

— Initially, we hired fresh talent and trained them. Now, with market growth, more people already understand Telegram’s nuances, so it’s less of a problem.

— Which project elevated your agency to a new level?

— Our most successful and enduring partnership is with ALLO’s marketplace—it’s been over four years despite multiple changes in their marketing team. This partnership symbolizes our ability to stay adaptive while consistently delivering results. Huge thanks to them!

— Why is Telegram the main choice for marketers when other platforms fall short?

Telegram rivals Instagram and Facebook in popularity in Ukraine. But since it’s a messenger, it has unique competitive advantages:

• Instant reach: 2–3 million unique views in 2 hours, 5–6 million in a day.
• Diverse niche channels tailored to brand objectives.
• No algorithmic feed: subscribers receive every post directly.
• Ad-friendly policy: uncensored ads without prior approval.
• Telegram Ads tool: cost-effective promotion across competitors’ channels.
• Bots: support sales, service, even in-app marketplaces.

— What metrics matter most for measuring a Telegram channel’s effectiveness?

— In this regard, working with Telegram is quite similar to working with social media. Before creating any proposal, we first analyze the channel using specialized tools to detect things like artificially inflated subscriber numbers. We also pay close attention to the Engagement Rate (ER) — the ratio of average post views to the total number of subscribers. The higher the ER, the better. This is the same approach we apply to Instagram pages, for example.

In addition, to ensure that a Telegram channel delivers the desired results, our team always reviews the content and ads before they are published. This is essential to avoid potential reputational risks.

— How do you adapt to the frequent changes in Telegram’s algorithms and features?

— Updates in Telegram probably happen more often than anywhere else. But I would confidently say that this is one of its biggest strengths. In fact, every update feels like a celebration for our team. We immediately test the new features and implement them in our client projects.

And in my opinion, this is another reason why managing a Telegram channel is best entrusted to a specialized agency — because keeping up with all these changes while handling other responsibilities is no easy task. Our team always stays on top of everything and keeps clients informed about new developments.

— Can Telegram’s advertising tools become a game changer for the industry? What’s your assessment?

— I have a positive outlook. This messenger is several steps ahead of its competitors — its functionality allows users to perceive the platform almost as a social network. As we’ve mentioned earlier, Telegram is constantly evolving and improving. Recent updates clearly show that the platform is moving toward deeper audience personalization.

Telegram already knows your date of birth, what channels you’re subscribed to, and when you joined them — and based on that, it recommends similar ones. This kind of personalization is crucial for the types of targeting already available through Telegram Ads, which are among the most effective tools on the market.

— Is writing a high-quality text enough, or does the visual part matter too?

— It’s commonly believed that in Instagram visuals are critical, while in Telegram text dominates. In reality, it all depends on the channel’s concept. Some channels work perfectly with just text, while for others, visuals play an equally important role.

That said, if we talk about best practices, a good post should have a clearly structured text — a headline and a main body broken up with emojis — and high-quality visuals.

Before launching a channel and creating content for it, you need to answer two key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)?

Also, consider the topic and format of the content.

It’s essential for your content to be engaging and unique — and tailored to your audience’s needs. That’s what makes users share it and drives organic growth. A great example of such growth is the channel “Nikolaevsky Vanek.”

— What are the biggest mistakes you see brands make when trying to manage their Telegram channels on their own?

— As I mentioned earlier, one of the key factors for effective use of this messenger is keeping up with and implementing all its new features. Ignoring these updates is one of the common mistakes.

In addition, I’d highlight the following major mistakes:

• Creating content that doesn’t interest the audience, which leads to a lack of perceived value in subscribing to the Telegram channel;
• Lack of interaction with followers — user interaction is what makes Telegram similar to social media, and ignoring this opportunity is a big miss. Engaging with your audience helps you better understand them and create content that truly resonates;
• Lack of a clear and consistent style;
• Not knowing how to attract or grow an audience;
• Not understanding your target audience in general — studying your audience is essential when launching and managing any digital platform.

— What challenges does working with major brands like ALLO or Uklon present for the agency?

— First and foremost, it’s a significant reputational responsibility. That’s why communication channels must be handled with high quality. Additionally, every major brand has its own unique identity, values, and strategic goals. There is no one-size-fits-all concept — we study each brand in detail and develop a tailored approach for every client.

— What does it take for Telegram marketing to seamlessly align with a brand’s overall strategy and deliver maximum impact?

— Before launching any advertising campaign, a brand must clearly define its goals — for example, acquiring new subscribers, driving sales, or generating leads (potential customers who have shown interest in a product or service).

Once the KPIs are agreed upon, our team handles media planning and develops promotional materials that are integrated into the brand’s overall digital strategy.

— What changes in Telegram audience preferences have you observed since the beginning of the war, and which formats have become the most popular?

— The full-scale war has undoubtedly influenced the preferences and behavior of Telegram users. Understanding these shifts is key to successfully promoting a brand on this platform. As a responsible Telegram agency, we couldn’t overlook this issue — that’s why, together with the analytics service Telemetrio, we conducted an extensive study, Telegram 2023, which is available in exchange for a donation to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In short, the biggest interest among Ukrainians now lies in news and politics. The “News & Media” category accounts for 118 million subscribers, while “Politics” reaches 30 million.