It is no news now that instant messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram are now becoming the favourite communication channels of vendors and small business owners.
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While Facebook, Instagram and Twitter serve as a medium to reach a wider audience and truly sell to a large group of people, nothing trumps the direct communication and sales platform that WhatsApp and its likes offer vendors.
It is why people like Broda Dapo has committed time, effort, and resources to teach vendors how to grow their WhatsApp list in generating sales and building a better customer relationship management (CRM) experience.
WhatsApp classes are now popular, with vendors keying into this to develop and build a group of customers with the intent on better interacting and showcasing wares to a close group of people.
What I want to talk about is slightly different.
One that is known by many but often ignored. Telegram channels.
Without going into details, I’d list out a few reasons a Telegram channel is far more important and useful to your business than a WhatsApp group.
Maybe later I’d drop a lengthier article detailing how to navigate telegram and set up your own channel and what you should do in getting optimal experience from it.
Unlimited Audience
I decided to list this first, as it is one of the more attractive advantages Telegram has over WhatsApp. Why build a group that cannot contain more than 250 members when you can have a channel with an unlimited number of persons?
24/7 Connectivity
One amazing thing about telegram channels that WhatsApp does not have is its useful tools. With your telegram channel, you can always relate with your customers by setting up free chatbots to answer FAQs and customer complaints. Not this, you can set up opinion polls to allow users to rate and pass opinions. Even with their little eye feature, you can know exactly how many members view each message you send. You see? You don’t have to do so many things manually. The channel can run almost automatically like a well-built machine with the proper set-up.
Pinned Messages
With Telegram channels, you get an added visibility on messages and information that you deem important. This way, you can choose to highlight specific information like your new sales bonanza, promo or whatever it is you want to let your customers know. Added to it, members get alerted each time you pin a message. That way, it catches their attention even if they mute the channel or are not so active.
Messages always available to all members
Asides from the pinned messages, you do not have to make repeated posts. One thing I personally find frustrating about WhatsApp groups is having to make repeated posts just to carry every member along. You start a class, you post a message. Other users join, and you repeat the same message. It gets tiring. This is where telegram trumps WhatsApp. All messages are available to all members, no matter when they join. A new entrant to the channel can always scroll up to find old posts shared, media and documents even. Beautiful right?
Reach a wider audience
Unlike WhatsApp that is limited to just people that have direct access to your group link and those you personally invite, with telegram channels, it is possible for those in your niche to find you. Let’s say you are a food vendor based in Lagos. I can search for food vendor channels in Lagos, and yours would pop up. That’s if you choose to make it public. With this, you can reach a lot of people that are related to your business niche.
Cross-Device Connectivity
While this is not entirely a channel thing, it is nonetheless an advantage telegram itself has over WhatsApp. I know WhatsApp has the WhatsApp web feature, but that relies on the parent device being switched on and connected via QR code. Not so with Telegram. With your telegram, you can have the same account on three, four, five devices as you deem fit. Your iPhone, android, pc, even your partner’s phone. Like me, I have the same account on my iPhone, android and PC. you can work out how important this feature is for yourself.
Like I said up there, I would be writing in detail about how to go through and enjoy all of these wonderful and amazing features and more even. Keep it a date with me.
To your success!
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