Telegram Ad Platform

#1

Post by decrypt » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 4:33 AM UTC

Telegram Ad Platform
promote.telegram.org

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#2

Post by dymk » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:35 AM UTC

I’m very curious to see if this is a success for the platform! It looks like a very not-creepy way to serve up ads.

One thing concerns me though (if I were to ever end up wanting to advertise) - no external links! Giving the audience to the thing I’m advertising is most of the reason I’d spend money on an ad.

I wonder what sorts of ads are useful if they’re text-only? They qualify no “external” links, so maybe you could still have links to another product-specific channel where there are external links?

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#3

Post by timeimp » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:39 AM UTC

Here's hoping there will be a way to pay for no ads.

But a question to HN: why have we not seen a mass-market adoption of a P2P, non-centralised messaging system that requires no external services to work?

Mesh and other sorts of networks are cumbersome and have not reached mass-market adoption, so what (technically) is stopping a true E2E P2P platform?

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#4

Post by kylehotchkiss » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:41 AM UTC

I hope this works for telegram! They were going to need to launch ads at some point and this transparent plan to get started seems like it considered the user base. It’s become my favorite messaging app and I enjoy the pace of innovation. I get it’s not end to end encrypted but that’s not what I am asking for with telegram - just a decent messaging app that makes it easy to remain anonymous (not sharing phone number), great group support, and not domiciled in the west.

I know the ads plan will expand (I could see ads in 1000+ person groups and not limited to only channels)

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#5

Post by AYBABTME » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:41 AM UTC

timeimp wrote: post #3

Here's hoping there will be a way to pay for no ads. But a question to HN: why have we not seen a mass-market adoption of a P2P, non-centralised messaging system that requires no external services to work? Mesh and other sorts of networks are cumbersome and have not reached mass-market adoption, so what (technically) is stopping a true E2E P2P platform?

There's probably someone thinking of doing this on some blockchain of sort. In a way, you'd literally pay per use... !

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#6

Post by decrypt » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:42 AM UTC

timeimp wrote: post #3

Here's hoping there will be a way to pay for no ads. But a question to HN: why have we not seen a mass-market adoption of a P2P, non-centralised messaging system that requires no external services to work? Mesh and other sorts of networks are cumbersome and have not reached mass-market adoption, so what (technically) is stopping a true E2E P2P platform?

Matrix is working on a P2P system. Last update that I am aware of is the one here, but there are likely newer updates:

https://matrix.org/blog/2020/06/02/introducing-p-2-p-matrix/

Personally, I would like to use Briar on my Tailscale network, but the lack of Briar desktop app and the need to build custom Briar app to support Tailscale interface is a blocker. Or, a self-hosted Signal app.

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#7

Post by captn3m0 » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:45 AM UTC

The minimum spends look ridiculous.

>To ensure and maintain high quality of ad content, a minimum advance payment of €2,000,000 is required to launch ads on the Telegram Ad Platform.

>Of this payment, Telegram holds €1,000,000 as a deposit, and makes the remaining sum available to the advertiser to spend on displaying ads.

>If the contract is terminated and the advertiser spent less than €10,000,000 on ads within the preceding 12 months, the €1,000,000 deposit is withheld by Telegram.

>If the contract is terminated and the advertiser spent more than €10,000,000 on ads within the preceding 12 months, the €1,000,000 deposit is returned.

This seems like a solution to Telegram's cashflow problem - doesn't look like it has much runway left.

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#8

Post by kumarvvr » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:53 AM UTC

captn3m0 wrote: post #7

The minimum spends look ridiculous. >To ensure and maintain high quality of ad content, a minimum advance payment of €2,000,000 is required to launch ads on the Telegram Ad Platform. >Of this payment, Telegram holds €1,000,000 as a deposit, and makes the remaining sum available to the advertiser to spend on displaying ads. >If the contract is terminated and the advertiser spent less than €10,000,000 on ads within the…

Are these types of structurings common in the ad industry?

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#9

Post by captn3m0 » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:56 AM UTC

kylehotchkiss wrote: post #4

I hope this works for telegram! They were going to need to launch ads at some point and this transparent plan to get started seems like it considered the user base. It’s become my favorite messaging app and I enjoy the pace of innovation. I get it’s not end to end encrypted but that’s not what I am asking for with telegram - just a decent messaging app that makes it easy to remain anonymous (not sharing phone number)…

I'll be waiting on the sidelines. Telegram has grown way beyond what is sustainable by just the founder's funding. It has also managed to avoid government scrutiny and any legal oversight by running behind a web of proxies and servers. While that has served it well for growth, it can't scale forever as infrastructure costs catch up.

My personal thesis has been to wait and watch as telegram is forced to either shut down or turn evil to raise enough money for their finances. They tried to stay away from fiat by launching TRON TON but that got shut down, and now they're asking for money in euros.

Once this ad program succeeds (it better do, telegram badly needs a revenue stream), it becomes a lynch-pin in telegram's model of success - their bank accounts are prone to seizure the next time a scandal blows up on telegram.

Edit: The ToS defines "Company" as "the legal entity which belongs to Telegram group of companies and has a right to enter the Agreement with the Advertiser for the Services". Sounds like they're extending the "hidden-hosting" to "hidden-shell-companies" as well. Would advertisers be okay entering an agreement with an unknown legal entity?

Re: Telegram Ad Platform

#10

Post by Andrew_nenakhov » Mon, Nov 08, 2021, 5:58 AM UTC

timeimp wrote: post #3

Here's hoping there will be a way to pay for no ads. But a question to HN: why have we not seen a mass-market adoption of a P2P, non-centralised messaging system that requires no external services to work? Mesh and other sorts of networks are cumbersome and have not reached mass-market adoption, so what (technically) is stopping a true E2E P2P platform?

> so what (technically) is stopping a true E2E P2P platform?

The fact that nobody really wants a true p2p platform: you don't want to lose all your stuff if you lose the device. It is clear that federated services like email are superior for most users bar some real hardnuts mindfixed on privacy.