A second look at Telegram's business features

On March 31, 2024, Telegram unveiled a suite of powerful business features that I initially overlooked as just another premium subscription add-on. However, upon closer inspection, these features represent a significant leap forward in business communication tools.

One of the most tedious tasks for businesses is responding to repetitive customer inquiries. Telegram’s Quick Replies feature addresses this issue head-on by allowing users to easily set up preset responses for common questions. As you would be using the same account on multiple devices, these presets are synced across all devices for the whole team and are available on both mobile and desktop versions. This feature reminds me of Google Keyboard’s pinned clipboard or iOS’ s text replacement features. However compared to them Telegrams presets are synced across devices and also have rich media support, (even videos).

The Custom Start Page feature allows businesses to create a tailored welcome message for new chats. This subtle yet powerful tool can set the tone for customer interactions, provide immediate answers to frequently asked questions, showcase your brand’s personality, and filter irrelevant inquiries. For instance if you cannot serve customers in a specific region you can set a message to inform the users about this.

Following recent events in France, Telegram has pivoted its location-sharing feature. They disabled the general “nearby” feature and introduced location sharing exclusively for businesses. Pavel Durov announced that a full business workflow is in development. This change will not only address safety concerns but also creates a more focused, business-centric location feature.

Recent developments suggest exciting possibilities for integrated payments. **Telegram silently disabled Stripe payments **, and a business workflow submission in Telegram contests (https://t.me/pinkdessign/16) which came as the first place winner showcases this possibility. I would also like to speculate that a full TON (Telegram Open Network) payment integration may happen.

The potential for AI-powered customer service is immense. There’s a possibility to create bots with access to comprehensive business documentation, utilize embeddings and LLMs for intelligent query responses, and leverage Telegram’s Bot API, which stands out for its openness and rich feature set. Unlike other platforms with lengthy review processes, Telegram’s Bot API is immediately accessible, making it an ideal playground for innovative business solutions.

Telegrams Financial statements show that they are not in a great financial position. Most of Telegrams revenue comes from the cryptocurrency front and this is another reason for my speculation that a full TON payment integration may happen.

These features, currently available to Telegram Premium subscribers through Settings > Telegram Business, are setting a new standard for business communication platforms. By offering a versatile and user-friendly solution, Telegram is positioning itself as a leader in the realm of digital business communication. As these features evolve, we can expect to see even more integration between messaging, customer service, and e-commerce functionalities, potentially revolutionizing how businesses interact with their customers in the digital age.