Telegram Ads for Affiliates – Strategies, Costs, and Best Practices

Jamie Larson

Dec 22, 2025 — 10 min read

Telegram has quickly become one of the most popular platforms for Telegram affiliate marketing. It is a platform that has over 1 billion active users and a massive worldwide audience. One of the main reasons why affiliates love Telegram is its privacy-first and community-centric way of working. In Telegram channels and groups, everyone who subscribes sees the messages that are posted. There is no algorithmic filtering, so promotional messages can get immediate attention. In fact, ads on Telegram have made it possible for affiliates to execute Telegram native sponsored messages in public channels, reaching niche audiences directly, or negotiate with channel owners to insert paid posts and shoutouts. Overall, clever affiliates are considering Telegram a potent traffic source with greater click-through rates and lower cost than many other advertising channels.

What are Telegram Ads?

Telegram ads are the name of the official sponsored posts and the term that describes any content posted as an ad in the app. In late 2021, Telegram introduced an official Telegram ads platform, accessible via the Telegram ads manager, where advertisers pay to deliver sponsored messages into public channels. These are displayed to subscribers in the form of short text posts (max 160 characters) with a button link. You must use the special "t.me/..." links. There are no external links allowed, and the ads are only placed on channels with a subscriber count of more than 1,000. This official channel reaches and reports on the audience specifically through the use of topics, language, or custom lists.

Telegram Ads dashboard, giving marketers a quick snapshot of campaign performance, spend, and reach.”

Source: Telegram Ads Manager(user-interface screenshot)

By contrast, for other Telegram paid ads, affiliates use organic or semi-manual channels like paid channel posts or partnerships. In these, an affiliate strikes a deal with channel owners or ad agencies to place native posts or shoutouts. These can consist of images and external links directly to affiliate landing pages. Unlike official ads, they are not done through Telegram's dashboard. They are done one-to-one with publishers. For instance, affiliate posts often adopt channel style, e.g., a deal posted by the admin to remain native.

Another venue is Mini App or In-App Ads. Telegram has a form of chats allowing mini-apps like text-based games, tools, and new ad networks like RichAds to insert ads into the environments. These can vary in form from push-style banners to interstitials or videos played in Telegram's own mini-apps games. In short, Telegram ads refer to the official sponsored messages and any affiliate promotions on Telegram channel posts, bots, and mini-apps.

Why Affiliates Should Use Telegram Ads

The most obvious question that affiliates tend to raise is why they need to invest in another platform, yet Telegram offers a set of benefits that make it particularly attractive. It boasts one of the most active communities, easy ad formats, and privacy-first features, which have made it one of the best platforms to affiliate market on social apps.

Active communities and organic reach: Telegram users are members of niche channels like crypto, fitness, and tech, and trust the content of these channels. When you post, everyone subscribes to it. This unfiltered reach means that your affiliate message is not shrouded by algorithms, increasing its potential visibility and engagement.
High click-through rates: Telegram's ad format resembles a friendly recommendation. Telegram ads can have 3 to 5 times the click-through rates of Facebook or Instagram, and some affiliates see 8-10% click rates. Because the ads mimic normal posts, users react towards them more like peers than strangers.
Privacy-first trust: Telegram is end-to-end private (no pre-rolled ads) and can be trusted by users. They're more receptive to sponsored content than other platforms that are laden with banners. This increased trust can lead to increased conversions of affiliate offers.
Economical and early benefits: Telegram ad inventory is still in its early stages and, therefore, competition is low. Click-per-mille is still less expensive than on large networks. Affiliates can implement small tests (even a few hundred dollars) and achieve millions of impressions.
Rich ad formats and automation: Through Telegram bots and mini-apps, affiliates can automate interaction or engage with interactive advertising (games, video). With integrations like this, you can create funnels in very creative ways that you can't do in WhatsApp or SMS.

Telegram Ad Types for Affiliate Marketing

Telegram is rapidly becoming a popular destination for affiliates. It does not support dozens of formats like Meta or Google, but the few it supports are useful as long as you know how to use them. These are Sponsored Messages, mini app ads and paid channel partnerships with their prices and guidelines explained below.

Mini app / in-app integrations

These ads are contained within Telegram mini-apps (games, tools, or bots). Because Telegram mini-apps are technically the same as web apps, in the app, ad networks like RichAds and Adsgram are placed in ad units. Affiliates can then connect platforms such as Offer.One to source mobile-friendly offers that run effectively through these ad channels.

Formats include rewarded video, interstitials, or embedded banners. For the affiliates, this means you can purchase Telegram mini app ads to advertise offers (mostly mobile-friendly products or app installs). Here, the audience tends to be younger and mobile-heavy. RichAds has pay-for-performance pricing and offers CPM starting from $3, while their CPC starts from $0.015. And this channel is friendly for affiliates. RichAds clearly allows gaming, finance, and crypto offers, which are prohibited on the official platform. If they fit your niche, then mini-app ads can get a high response because users get a reward for viewing them.

Paid content channel posts/partnerships

Many affiliates buy Telegram ads directly in the form of posts or sponsorships in channels, which can be even more flexible than official ads. Here, an affiliate reaches out to a channel owner or an agency to run a branded post. The post can contain images, text, and any link, including direct affiliate links to external sites. Essentially, it's native advertising. The channel shares your promo as if it were part of their content. For example, a crypto blog or website may include an affiliate referral link to a crypto exchange with a humorous comment. Costs are negotiated on a channel-by-channel basis. A new channel may charge $1-$5 per day, whereas a large channel with millions of subscribers may charge us thousands of dollars per day. It has no platform deposit, but you really need to screen partners. In reality, many affiliates do both official ads and paid social posts. Official ads are done for mass reach and brand development, while paid social posts are for direct sales offers.

Best Niches for Affiliates on Telegram

Understanding how to use Telegram for affiliate offers starts with picking the right niche. Some verticals are very popular on Telegram. Here are some popular niches.

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain

Crypto channels are one of the largest communities on Telegram. Affiliated crypto wallets and NFT marketplaces or exchanges work well here. The audience expects a quick tip and update.

Finance and Investing

Personal finance products (loans, trading products, insurtech) are well-suited to transformation. Telegram users mostly talk about market news and investment.

iGaming and Casino

Even though gambling (casino, sports betting) is officially banned from the Telegram ad platform, it flourishes in the form of channel posts. Telegram is used for tips by many crypto gamblers. However, it is critical to understand that this also violates Telegram's terms of service and risks a permanent ban for both the advertiser and the channel.

E-commerce and Deals

Telegram groups are favorite places of deal-hunters for flash sales and coupon codes. Affiliates can use Telegram to advertise exclusive deals or promotions related to their affiliate marketing on Telegram endeavours, such as gear, subscription boxes, or travel packages.

Education and E-Learning

Career Courses, online courses, digital skills, and exam preparation courses do well. Telegram has many study groups and professional channels.

Health, Wellness & Nutrition

There is high interest in supplements, fitness programs, and mental health products on Telegram. Unlike the crowded Facebook channels, wellness-related Telegram channels have an engaged following.

How Much Do Telegram Ads Cost?

The Telegram ads price and official advertising rates continue to change. On the self-service Telegram ads manager, you need to specify a CPM (cost per thousand impressions) in Telegram's crypto token Toncoin. The Telegram ads’ minimum budget starts low, with a CPM of just 0.1 Toncoin, which is about a few cents. However, often the best way to get started is to work through agencies with high budgets. For instance, official partners can ask for a fee of $1,000-$3,000 upfront. If you want to use rich creative content like images and video, you may need a premium advertising account, approximately €10,000.

Screenshot of Telegram Ads Manager showing CPM pricing in Toncoin.

Source: Telegram Ads Manager (official platform).

By comparison, third-party networks and direct deals mean much smaller spend. In the case of paid channel posts, owners set their price. Popular channels can cost $500-$2,000 for a day of posting, while smaller niche channels can cost as little as $20-$100 per day. Telegram mini-app ad networks offer a low entry point.

Strategies to Succeed with Telegram Ads as an Affiliate

It is one thing to know the benefits of Telegram ads, but to make them work is another. Here, the trick is to blend into the community and test every time and choose the right channels in order to succeed without just placing an advertisement. The following are some of the practical strategies that affiliates apply to achieve actual results.

Use native engaging creatives: Your ads should seem like regular channel posts. Write as if you were a friendly person or like a user or channel admin who is giving a tip.
Don't use hard-sell language: Make the ads sound like you've found something useful. Use a one or two-sentence tagline that has a clear call-to-action. Emojis are fine to add some colour, but not too much in formatting. As Telegram ads do not automatically A/B test, you have to run multiple headlines or images simultaneously.
Refine landing pages and tracking: The majority of users on Telegram use mobile phones, so make sure you have a mobile-friendly design with a short sign-up form. Always include tracking parameters (UTMs or postback URLs) in all of your ads and channels so you can track conversions back to these channels.
Invest in an advanced A/B testing plan: Manually load different variants (new ad + same targeting) to determine what works. For instance, you can use 2-3 different ad texts or images per campaign. After one week, compare click/conversion rates to determine a winner. Always try different angles or offers on an ongoing basis.
Do a channel vetting: Before purchasing a placement, it's important to check out the audience of the channel. See the number of subscribers, views per post, and activity. Analytic tools such as TGStat or Combot will help you understand average reach, engagement rate, and subscriber growth of a channel.

Compliance & Risks for Affiliates

While Telegram can be a flexible tool, affiliates should be aware of regulatory considerations and possible pitfalls.

Prohibited content: Telegram ad Policies state what types of content are not allowed to be used in official ads. For instance, you are not allowed to advertise online gambling, casino gaming, binary bets, or even get-rich-quick schemes using the Telegram ad platform. Various other illegal schemes (payday loans, miracle investments) and counterfeit medicines (untested supplements, weight loss pills) are also illegal. Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, weapons, and hateful content are also not allowed. If your niche as an affiliate is in a restricted category, you cannot run official Telegram Ads. However, you can still promote by channel posts, but at your own risk.
Spam and account suspension: Telegram has strict policies in place to combat spam and account suspension. Don't spam. The affiliate program terms specifically prohibit flooding chats or spamming. Filling metrics with bots or click services is not allowed as well. If you don't follow these rules, your Telegram account or channel may be suspended, and all commissions earned may be forfeited.
User complaints and trust: Subscribers may find excessively aggressive ads annoying, and this can have a negative impact on their overall experience. If a channel is irrelevant or not providing good affiliate offers, users can report the channel or leave. Make sure the content of the ad matches the audience.
Fraud risks: There are questionable networks that reflect huge Telegram impressions, but these are probably bots. Such artificial views will not convert and may even trigger an ad platform review. A way to reduce this is to monitor conversion rates intensely and pull spend if an affiliate is at an unusually low click-to-action rate.

Conclusion

Telegram advertising is opening up new doors for affiliate marketing, providing direct access to engaged audiences, highly targeted users, and innovative formats. By carefully perfecting targeting, creating a high-quality website, and thoroughly testing the site, affiliates can potentially generate outstanding ROI. Of course, you should also be aware of Telegram's policies and be on the lookout for scams. Overall, Ads Telegram is a channel worth considering for your marketing mix. Test out a small campaign with a low budget and see how it works. You may find a new traffic goldmine!

Test a small Telegram ad campaign and let your network know about it.