How to launch advertising on Telegram Stories in 2026

Today, Telegram is not just a messenger, but a full-fledged platform for content, affiliate marketing, and monetization. The Telegram Stories format is becoming particularly relevant in 2026, gaining popularity among advertisers and webmasters.

Today, every beginner should understand the process of preparing and launching a campaign with Telegram Stories, including finding platforms and analyzing their effectiveness.

The essence and advantages of Telegram Stories in 2026

Telegram Stories are vertical photos or videos that are displayed at the top of the interface and are deleted after 24 hours. Their key advantage is guaranteed coverage of all channel subscribers without the strict algorithmic restrictions typical of other social networks. They are a universal source of traffic in 2026.

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Why this format is effective for advertising:

1. The ability to add clickable links.
2. A native and less intrusive presentation format.
3. Quick return: most traffic comes in the first few hours after publication.
4. Availability of advertising space on popular channels with the target audience.
5. Low budget entry threshold.

Stories are most effective for Russian-speaking audiences and in niches where trust is important: finance, online education, subscriptions, software.

However, even with a low budget, the success of Stories directly depends on a correct understanding of the audience. Errors in segmentation lead to empty clicks and poor conversion, especially in the financial and educational niches. Therefore, before scaling, it is worth figuring out how to divide the audience and which parameters really affect the result.

Preparing to launch an ad

Before starting a campaign, you need to prepare the following elements:

1. Offer. It should be a clear and in-demand offer. Financial services (microloans, cards, investments), educational courses and online schools, SaaS services (AI-based tools, VPN, SEO), and free products (guides, checklists, access to bots) are well suited for Stories.
2. Target audience. Correctly defining your target audience is half the battle. For example, an audience aged 25-35 who are interested in finance will be able to access channels about investments. Ordinary teenagers and gamers will be interested in gaming communities. Entrepreneurs will find something new in business and marketing channels.
3. The goal of the transition (landing page or bot). Advertising in Stories always leads the user further. This can be a Telegram bot or channel with an auto-funnel, a landing page with an analytics system, a website, or a CPA offer. It is important to use reliable domains or intermediate pages so that the link does not arouse suspicion.
4. Creativity. Creativity should be visually appealing and concise. Effective options include first-person photos or videos, short videos with subtitles, presentation in the format of personal experience or insider information, and the use of engaging questions in the text.

These and other elements allow you to launch advertising campaigns of any scale.

Launching an advertising campaign in 2026

In 2026, launching advertising on Telegram involves several basic steps.

Step 1. Search for channels to place ads on

You can place ads on your own channel or negotiate publication on someone else's channel (rental). The second option is more common.

You can search for channels through specialized services (Telemetr.me), advertising exchanges (Telega.in, Epicstars), closed communities of administrators, and personal recommendations. When choosing, consider the relevance of the channel's theme to the offer, the activity and number of views of Stories, the number of subscribers (from 5-20 thousand), as well as the regularity of publications on the channel.

Step 2. Interaction with the administrator

To get in touch, you need to write to the channel owner. The message should be brief and businesslike, with a willingness to provide creativity and discuss the budget. The cost of placement is often fixed or determined on an auction basis.

Step 3. Creating creativity

Basic requirements for creativity:

• compliance with the format: photo (1080x1920), video up to 15 seconds, GIF;
• minimum text, clear call to action (“Learn,” ‘Go’);
• “live” and natural visuals.

You can use simple tools to create them: Canva, CapCut, VN Video Editor.

Step 4. Tracking results

To analyze effectiveness, it is necessary to set up a tracking system:

• use of UTM tags and redirects;
• connection of a tracker (Keitaro, RedTrack);
• monitoring of key metrics: number of clicks, conversion, cost per click (CPC), and cost per action (CPA).

It is important to note that standard analytics pixels can have errors, so it is worth duplicating the data manually.

Without proper tracking, advertising in Stories quickly turns into a “blind” run. Even with small volumes, it is important to record the sources of transitions and user behavior after a click. This is especially critical in Telegram, where standard analytics are limited and require additional solutions.

Possible mistakes

Common mistakes made by beginners include:

1. Using direct “raw” links, which can reduce reach.
2. Choosing channels that are too large and broad in scope, where traffic is not targeted.
3. Creating creativity similar to banners, which users are accustomed to skipping.
4. Refusing to test a large number of creative and text options.
5. Attempting to make a sale directly in stories, even though their main purpose is to attract clicks and redirect users.

Before launching an advertising campaign, the publisher should familiarize themselves with all possible mistakes in order to avoid them.

How to improve performance

Standard optimization recommendations include the following points:

1. The most active audience in Stories is on weekdays in the morning and evening.
2. It is effective to test a variety of advertising formats on a single channel.
3. It is best to record the results of each placement in a table.
4. Repeated collaboration with trusted administrators often yields better results.
5. Lead magnets (free guides, subscription access) can be used to increase conversion rates.

For example, FlexCard, a service specializing in virtual cards, notes that Stories work well for attracting audiences in the financial technology niche and allow for successful monetization of affiliate marketing in this area.

Conclusion

Launching modern advertising in Telegram Stories is a relatively simple and affordable way to get targeted traffic. The format is advantageous due to its minimal moderation requirements and predictable reach. The success of virtually any campaign depends on three components: a relevant offer, a correctly chosen channel, and high-quality creativity. Now is a good time to test this approach.