Top 7 Mistakes Advertisers Make in Telegram Ads (and How to Avoid Them)
Hi, I’m Max — founder of SMITLINK, an agency that has been running Telegram Ads campaigns for hundreds of projects across different niches.
I love Telegram. It’s open, honest, and gives brands full control over how they communicate with audiences.
But I’ve seen too many advertisers lose money — not because the platform “doesn’t work,” but because they repeat the same mistakes.
So let’s fix that.
Here are the 7 most common Telegram Ads mistakes, ranked from “not too scary” to “please, don’t ever do this.”
If you’re just starting out or already running campaigns, this list will save you time, money — and a lot of nerves.
7. Running ads without a clear goal
Сampaigns may look active, but you can’t tell what success means.
The easiest trap: “Let’s just run some ads and see what happens.”
No goal = no direction. You might get clicks or even subscribers, but they won’t convert.
If you’re just collecting subscribers in your channel without a clear plan for monetization — that’s a bad idea.
You can only know that you’re doing something meaningful once you measure the final conversion numbers.
How to fix it:
Always build your funnel before launching traffic — whether it’s a sales funnel or a user journey for your brand.
Set one or two measurable KPIs
Make sure your landing channel, bot or site matches that goal.
Start with a small test budget — see what sticks, then scale.
It’s not fatal — but if you skip this step, you’ll never know if your money is working for you.
6. Choosing channels at random
Random placement = random results.
Big channel ≠ big results.
What really matters is testing different niches from the start — tracking unsubscribes, CPS, engagement quality — and focusing on the channels that actually match your audience.
Forget chasing numbers.
Focus on data and relevance.
Remember: the bigger the channel, the lower the audience quality tends to be.
The best results usually come from smaller communities built around a specific topic.
Finding such channels is much harder than spotting the big ones — but it’s absolutely worth it.
It’s important to understand: even if your project operates in a broad niche, that doesn’t mean you can advertise anywhere.
How to fix it:
Сreate a clear customer profile, define their interests, and then look for them inside smaller, more focused channels.
Analyze before you buy: check topic, region, activity, and audience tone.
Run test launches and carefully track your numbers and metrics.
Don’t group too many channels in one campaign — test separately.
5. Ignoring analytics and traffic tracking
Without tracking, you’re flying blind.
The Telegram Ads platform provides you with basic analytics for your campaigns. However, it’s often not enough.
You’ll need third-party tools to build end-to-end analytics and see the full user journey through your funnel.
This way, you’ll rely not just on early metrics (like click cost or funnel entry numbers), but on final performance indicators — such as purchases and payments.
Remember: the cheapest clicks at the top of the funnel don’t always convert into paying users at the bottom.
In many cases, your most valuable audience might cost more upfront — but it pays off through real sales and long-term ROI.
How to fix it:
Use unique invite links or UTM-tags for each source.
Connect your Telegram channels, bots, and websites to third-party end-to-end analytics tools like Prizma.tools.
Track key metrics: CPM, CTR, cost per subscriber, retention.
Build a simple dashboard or even a spreadsheet — clarity saves budget.
Data is your compass. No tracking = no optimization.
4. Weak or irrelevant creatives
Your creative is the face of your campaign. It’s the very first thing users see — and in Telegram, you’ve got about 1.5 seconds to win or lose their attention.
The problem is, many advertisers treat Telegram Ads like banner ads from 2010: loud, generic, and disconnected from the platform’s tone. But Telegram users don’t come here to “consume ads” — they come to chat, learn, and discover. Your creative has to feel native to that experience.
How to fix it:
Make it look and feel organic. Telegram users trust real conversations, not polished sales banners. Design your ads as if they were part of the feed, not an intrusion into it.
Speak like a human. Drop the buzzwords and the overpromises — no one believes “The best channel ever!” anymore. Instead, use relatable language and micro-stories that match the user’s mindset.
Use data and microtesting. Always prepare several creative variations. Even tiny tweaks — a headline tone, emoji, or visual composition — can shift CTR by 30–50%.
Design for clarity, not decoration. Clean fonts, visual hierarchy, and focus on one message per frame work better than trying to say everything at once.
Trigger curiosity — not hype. Telegram users are skeptical but curious. A question like “Why 80% of Telegram Ads don’t work?” works better than shouting “Subscribe now!”
A strong creative doesn’t just attract clicks — it filters the right audience and sets the right expectations before the user even enters your funnel.
3. Violating Telegram Ads policies
This one hurts. Telegram Ads moderation is strict — especially for finance, crypto, or betting projects.
One or two rejected ads — not fun, but no big deal.
The real trouble starts when things like this happen:
Advertisers launch traffic, then start posting unacceptable stuff on the promoted channel — thinking it’s fine.
A few days later, boom — ad rejection across the board because the channel itself violates the rules.
What happens: ad rejection, account flagging, or total campaign freeze.
Avoid aggressive wording, fake promises, or too many emojis.
Keep tone neutral and factual — Telegram prefers calm professionalism.
Double-check your visuals: no claims, no prohibited symbols, no misleading content.
Keep an eye on your channel’s content — don’t let anything violate Telegram Ads rules while your campaign is running.
Don’t be too intimidated by the strict restrictions listed in the rules. Many prohibited things can still be done — but only by using special techniques to work around the rules subtly. Hoping that moderators will “just not notice” a violation is a bad strategy.
If your ad gets rejected, you lose both time and money. Play by the rules or work around them intelligently and elegantly.
2: Launching ads without preparing your channel, bot, miniapp or site
The most expensive mistake in Telegram Ads.
Advertisers often launch campaigns, but their destination is empty or confusing.
What happens: users arrive, get zero context — and leave within seconds.
How to fix it:
Prepare your channel before launch: have a pinned intro post, value proposition, and fresh content.
Make sure users instantly understand: “Where am I and why should I stay?”
Run a small pre-launch test to see if your channel actually converts.
Build a funnel that allows you to warm up the audience that didn’t buy immediately using content or follow-ups. Retargeting will also come in handy.
1. Not optimizing and improving continuously
Even if your campaign works — it won’t forever. Telegram audiences can burn out.
What happens: CTR drops, CPA rises, and performance tanks — but you keep the same setup.
How to fix it:
Analyze results weekly.
Refresh your creatives when there’s a clear correlation between rising CPA and falling CTR.
Pause weak channels, test new ones.
Iterate: launch → analyze → adjust → scale.
Keep an eye on audience feedback and engagement — they’ll tell you when it’s time to change.
You need to constantly test alternative combinations to have reliable backup options ready in case your main setups burn out. High-quality targeting doesn’t work like it used to — you can’t just set it once and reap results indefinitely.
Continuous improvement and testing of your campaigns is essential.
I hope you found this article useful and interesting. Wishing you great success with your advertising campaigns!
At SMITLINK, we’ve helped dozens of brands build Telegram Ads funnels that convert and scale profitably. If you don’t want to repeat these mistakes — we’re here to help.
👉 Contact us here and we’ll answer all your questions — analyze your landing pages, help choose the best funnel for promoting your project, suggest the most effective geos, and provide guidance on any other concerns you might have.
Over the past few years, we’ve launched 200+ projects with over $8 million in advertising budgets. We’ve made plenty of mistakes, gained a ton of valuable experience, and now we’re ready to put our knowledge to work for the success and explosive growth of your projects!