Advertising Comes to Telegram

A service which claims to insert advertisements into Telegram messenger channels has been launched in Iran, giving web administrators and marketing managers a new way to target consumers. The service called AdShot.ir is able to target specific demographic groups through the popular messaging system, according to a report by Webna. AdShot claims to be able to manage advertisements through Telegram channels in a variety of methods, much like traditional marketing conducted by marketing agencies. The website says that it already operates dozens of channels for news agencies like Tasnim as well as e-commerce stores like DigiKala. Of all social media platforms currently operating in Iran, Telegram has a 55% market share, according to a poll conducted by Iran Student Polling Agency in March. Last year, the same agency revealed that 38% of Iranians were using Telegram, the number has increased by 17%. It is estimated that social messaging applications now have around 45 million active users in Iran, up 25 million compared to 2015.