A bot that has gathered subscribers looks like a ready sales channel: write a message and everyone sees it. A Telegram message really does get noticed more than an email. But a bot can also be blocked with one tap, and there is no getting that person back.
Below is how to run broadcasts so they are useful instead of turning the bot into a source of irritation.
Who you may message
A bot can only write to people who started a conversation with it. But booking once through the bot does not mean a person wants ads. It is more honest and more reliable to ask directly, “Shall we send you news and offers?” and save the answer.
Every promotional message should have a clear button or command to unsubscribe. A person who can unsubscribe easily is less likely to block the whole bot.
What to send
- Service messages: order status, a booking reminder, an answer to a question
- What the person asked for: a back-in-stock alert, a free slot
- Useful news related to what the person already bought or viewed
- Offers with a clear benefit and deadline
People wait for service messages and tolerate promotional ones. It is good when the first kind outnumbers the second.
How often
There is no universal frequency. The rule of thumb is simple: if you have nothing important to say, stay quiet. A weekly broadcast sent just to tick a box teaches people to ignore the bot’s messages, and then they miss the important notification too.
Timing matters as well. A message at night or early in the morning annoys more than the same one during the day.
Segments instead of messaging everyone
A bot knows more about a person than it seems: what they ordered, which city they chose, which buttons they pressed. That data lets you split subscribers into groups and send each its own message. A sale on children’s goods means nothing to people who only bought for themselves.
Technical details
- Telegram limits how fast messages can be sent, so a large broadcast goes out gradually rather than all at once
- The bot should note who blocked it and stop trying to message those people
- Before sending to everyone, send the message to yourself and check the buttons and links
- It helps to see statistics: how many were delivered, how many tapped the button, how many unsubscribed
How to build a bot that takes orders is covered in the note on a Telegram order bot. More about our bots on the Telegram bots page. If you want broadcasts set up, use the contact form.