How to launch a brand Telegram channel in Kazakhstan: step by step
Translated from Russian. Prices are in Kazakhstani tenge (₸).
In short
A channel starts with strategy: the audience, its information needs, the big idea, the sections. Then you absolutely have to promote it: Telegram has no algorithmic feed, and without promotion nobody will see your content. Paid placements and cross-promotion worked best for us. The optimal rhythm is 3 planned posts a week plus quick notes, and once a month or quarter, a big piece of hero content. An ERR of 15–20% or more is an excellent result.
Step 1. Concept and positioning
Launching a channel starts the same way as any content strategy: with the market, the audience and its information needs. From these grows the big idea — the reason a person will subscribe to you in particular. I covered this point by point in a separate article.
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Step 2. Editorial policy, sections and rhythm
The strategy gives rise to the section plan, formats and tone of voice. On frequency, our rule is:
- At least three planned posts a week. That's a good frequency for a channel: the audience doesn't forget you, and you don't burn out.
- Reactive content, fast. We try to process news and occasions quickly and get them out. In total that's about 5 posts a week: some are short notes, some are content from the section plan.
- Hero content once a month or quarter. A big, interesting long read or special project. At bailanys the latest one was a survey of salaries at Kazakh telecom companies.
Step 3. Promotion: the first 3,000 subscribers
The main mistake brands make in Telegram is not promoting their channel. It's a real disaster. Telegram has no algorithmic feed (yet), so nobody will be shown your content just like that. A good channel without promotion is read only by people who are already subscribed.
What worked for us:
- Paid placements. Posts about your channel in other channels where your audience already is.
- Cross-promotion. Not obvious, but very effective. You recommend a partner's channel, they recommend yours.
Telegram Ads worked worse than we expected. At the launch of bailanys we bet heavily on it and planned a cost per follower (CPF) of 3,000 tenge. In the very first month a subscriber from there cost us about 5,000 tenge. So we sharply shifted the budget to paid placements, and it worked. By the end of the first six months the channel had 3,000 subscribers.
→ · Case on the TELLER website
Why it's expensive at the start, and why that's normal
As I always say in my lectures: launching media, whether on the web or on a platform like Telegram, means expensive metrics at the start. You're paying for production and promotion at the same time, and there's no audience yet.
But over time, if the project answers the audience's information needs well, the cost of metrics falls thanks to organic growth. People start forwarding posts and bringing friends, and each new subscriber costs less.
Step 4. Metrics: what ERR is normal
ERR is the share of subscribers who engage with posts. My benchmarks:
- 15–20% and up — an excellent result;
- up to 40% — that's what bailanys reached at its peak.
There's a catch: in Telegram, paid reactions blur the picture. Since 2024, subscribers can leave reactions paid with Telegram Stars. If one person donates 100 stars, it counts as 100 separate reactions. Which, admittedly, is kind of fun in its own way. Just keep it in mind when comparing channels.
Case study KURSIV Digital: how to grow on a limited budget
KURSIV Digital's ERR rose from 20% to 46% in eight months after the relaunch, and reach grew 2.5 times. I'll be honest: those numbers are largely due to a weak starting point.
The most interesting thing about this project is the budget. It was fairly limited, and promotion tools had to be invented with producer hours. That's how we became real experts in cross-promotion. Experts and companies who got a voice in the channel through interviews and comments shared posts with their own audiences.
→ · Case on the TELLER website
Key points
- A channel starts with strategy and the audience's information needs.
- Without promotion a channel doesn't grow: Telegram has no algorithmic feed.
- Paid placements and cross-promotion work best. Telegram Ads may turn out more expensive than planned — track CPF from the first month.
- Metrics are expensive at the start; organic growth makes them cheaper over time.
- Rhythm: 3 planned posts a week, quick notes and hero content once a month or quarter.
- An ERR of 15–20% is excellent. Remember that paid reactions blur the picture.
Want to launch a brand Telegram channel? Message me on Telegram at @maximfetisov: I'll help with the concept and promotion plan. How strategy work is organised and what it costs is on the Services page.
