The announcement from Telegram founder Pavel Durov highlights the introduction of business features on the chat app, allowing users with personal accounts to convert them into business accounts by paying a monthly fee.
This move is aimed at providing additional tools for small businesses, such as cafes and shops, to enhance their online presence.
Some of the key features for Telegram Business accounts include the ability to list information like location and opening hours, organize chats with color labels, use automatic greetings or away messages, and utilize shortcuts for quick replies. Pavel Durov mentioned that Telegram plans to roll out more business-oriented features, including the integration of AI-powered chatbots for customer service, in the coming month.
One major differentiator between Telegram and its competitor WhatsApp Business is the subscription fee for accessing business features. While WhatsApp generates revenue based on the type and frequency of conversations, Telegram has opted for a subscription model.
WhatsApp Business, owned by Meta, has been expanding its business-oriented features, introducing personalized customer messages and e-commerce transaction capabilities within the app. It reached a milestone of 200 million monthly active users last year.
In addition to the business-focused initiatives, Telegram has been concentrating on expanding its business through premium subscriptions, a self-custodial crypto wallet, and the auction of premium usernames. The chat app, boasting over 800 million users globally, is set to launch its ad platform with a revenue-sharing program for channels later this month. This signals Telegram's efforts to diversify its revenue streams and compete in the evolving landscape of messaging and social media platforms.
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