Timur Bakiev, CEO of Click Me and Social Active, shared insights on the phenomenon of the messenger in Uzbekistan, audience research, and ways to engage with them.
What makes Telegram's success a phenomenon in Uzbekistan?
Ten years ago, unique circumstances arose in Uzbekistan that contributed to the growth of Telegram amidst its competitors. The main factors include:
- Poor wired internet — users were forced to switch to mobile devices and sought convenient communication apps.
- Data savings — Telegram attracts users from the CIS region due to its low data consumption, which is particularly relevant given the high cost of internet access.
- Information scarcity — a decade ago, there was virtually no content in the Uzbek language, and news could only be consumed through the evening Axborot. Shortly after, Telegram channels quickly filled this gap, offering a wide range of topics, from news to entertainment.
- Issues with WhatsApp — at that time, almost everyone used this messenger, but problems with sending media files prompted many users to switch to Telegram, despite testing other communication methods.
- Affordable mobile devices — the emergence of inexpensive smartphones led to a rapid increase in mobile internet users and visits to mobile versions of websites, which significantly boosted Telegram's growth.
Do you segment the audience in Uzbekistan? Do you have data on who these people are?
Yes, not long ago we conducted research on the most popular Telegram channels, and we have information regarding social demographics.
“Telegram is the largest social network in Uzbekistan, with over 20 million active users each month. Neither Meta, nor Google, nor Yandex has such a large user base,” Timur shares.
When it comes to geographical segmentation, users are distributed across various locations. Most of them reside in Tashkent, the Tashkent region, and the Fergana Valley.
In Uzbekistan, as in other countries, Telegram has become a primary source of information through channels. Besides personal and business messaging, users receive news on Telegram faster than on TV or websites; even official resources refer to Telegram channels.
Channels dedicated to specific interests are also popular — sports, humor, cooking, parenting, and more. Although they have fewer users, they possess a distinctly defined audience, making targeted advertising effective.
How effective is Telegram Ads, and how does it differ from other tools?
Telegram Ads is a powerful advertising tool that offers several effective opportunities. In addition to geo-targeting and interest-based advertising, you can schedule ads to appear at specific times.
There is a Look-alike feature that allows targeting users of selected channels when they visit other channels. Another important tool is advertising based on a phone number database. Clients can upload a database of Uzbek numbers (from 1000 numbers), and users from Uzbekistan who are on Telegram will see the ads.
Which companies can benefit from Telegram Ads? How do you see the platform's development overall and your interaction with businesses?
Telegram Ads offers two main formats: text (up to 150 characters) and a new format with photos and videos. Text ads are suitable for companies focused on clicks and actions, while photo and video ads are ideal for reach and brand awareness, turning Telegram into an analog of TV. However, there are minimum monthly spending requirements for working with media formats.
This is a new tool with great potential: targeting, advertising based on phone number databases, and placement on channels without their consent. However, the platform requires training, as many companies encounter difficulties in writing short, persuasive texts and analyzing results. An important aspect is the development of targeting specialists in Telegram, which is currently gaining popularity abroad.
What about conversion rates? How does Telegram Ads differ from contextual advertising?
The conversion rate on Telegram Ads is significantly higher than its competitors, with CTR indicators reaching 10-15%, which is a very high result for performance marketing. However, achieving such figures requires careful management of the advertising campaign by the client or agency, as reaching them on the first attempt is rare.
Have you spoken with Pavel Durov? What potential does he see in Uzbekistan?
Yes, I was fortunate to meet Pavel in person, and he was very impressed with Uzbekistan. While he already knew about the large number of users in our country, he did not expect such depth of engagement. When Durov saw a Coca-Cola bottle with a QR code leading to a Telegram bot, he was surprised by how far we have come in interacting with the platform.
I believe our market has enormous potential; although the audience is not yet very affluent, it is growing systematically.
Uzbekistan can be viewed as a test market for other countries, as almost the entire population actively uses Telegram. Users spend a lot of time in the app, which opens up significant opportunities for development, such as WebView bots and the TON payment system, which could become key monetization tools.
How do you see the development of the Central Asian digital industry in the near future?
In my opinion, two key factors will shape the future of the market. First, it is increasingly shifting towards mobile usage. Many users are already accustomed to receiving informational content through social networks, leading to a decline in app downloads and website visits.
Second, there is a diversification of subscribers across different platforms. Many ignore this, relying on identical content across successful Instagram accounts, duplicating it in Telegram channels. This is the main mistake, as user expectations from various platforms also differ. This problem is particularly noticeable in countries like Kazakhstan.
Users will distribute themselves across social networks depending on the content format: Instagram is suitable for photos, YouTube for short and long videos, while Telegram can be viewed as a “keyhole” that shows and tells stories in more detail, allowing users to peek “behind the scenes.”
“Telegram offers interesting formats, such as live broadcasts, which help better assess the audience. I believe we are entering the era of super apps — universal applications. Telegram and WeChat are already becoming such super apps, while Meta is trying to make Instagram an equivalent. Time will tell how this will evolve,” Timur shared.
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