Before You Start — What You Need
To create your first Telegram Ad, you need: a Telegram account, a budget (as little as $5 on TON), and something to promote — a channel, bot, website, or Mini App. That's it.
Step 1 — Choose Your Cabinet Type
| If you... | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Have crypto / want lowest barrier | TON | No minimum, AI moderation, ~$0.50 CPM |
| Need country/geo targeting | Euro | Only option with geographic targeting |
| Are new / in high-risk niche | Stars | Highest approval (99.99%), easiest start |
| Not sure which to pick | Stars | Lowest risk, fastest moderation |
Step 2 — Create Your Account
Option A: Direct (ads.telegram.org)
1. Go to ads.telegram.org → 2. Authenticate with Telegram → 3. Select cabinet type → 4. Fund your account.
Option B: Via ADSLY (recommended)
1. Sign up at adsly.pro (3-day free Pro trial) → 2. Connect phone number (~30 sec) → 3. Select cabinet → 4. Get AI-assisted campaign creation.
Step 3 — Set Your Targeting
Channel targeting (recommended for beginners):
1. Identify 15-20 channels your audience follows. 2. Focus on channels with 10K-50K subscribers (best engagement ratio). 3. Search by keyword or browse categories. Quality beats quantity — 20 relevant channels outperforms 200 random ones (ADSLY data: 50% higher CTR).
Topic targeting (Euro cabinets only): Select from 42 categories. Start with 2-3 most relevant. Combine with geo targeting for precision.
Step 4 — Write Your Ad Text
Formula: [Hook] + [Benefit] + [CTA]
Examples:
• Crypto: “Trade 500+ tokens with 0% fees. Join 2M+ traders on [Brand]. Start now →”
• SaaS: “Manage 100+ Telegram campaigns from one dashboard. AI optimization included. Try free →”
• Education: “Learn Python in 30 days. 50,000+ students. First lesson free →”
Rules to avoid rejection: No ALL CAPS words. No unverifiable claims. No urgency language. No aggressive CTAs. Add disclaimers for regulated niches.
Step 5 — Set Budget and CPM
Recommended first campaign: Daily budget $20-$50. CPM bid at 1.5x your niche average. Duration: 3-7 days minimum for meaningful data.
| Niche | Recommended Starting CPM |
|---|---|
| Crypto / DeFi | $3.00-$4.50 |
| Betting / iGaming | $4.50-$7.00 |
| Fintech / Forex | $3.00-$5.00 |
| eCommerce | $2.00-$3.50 |
| Education | $1.50-$3.00 |
| SaaS / Apps | $2.00-$3.50 |
| News / Media | $0.75-$1.50 |
Step 6 — Submit and Monitor
TON/Stars: AI review in 1-4 hours. Euro: Manual review in 12-48 hours (submit during Moscow business hours 10 AM-6 PM MSK for faster review).
If declined: Check rejection reason. Fix the text. Recreate. ADSLY's ad text optimization handles this automatically with text variations.
What to Do After Your First Campaign
1. Wait 48 hours for data to accumulate (don't judge after 24h).
2. Check CTR: below 0.3% = test new text. 0.3-0.5% = acceptable. Above 0.5% = good. Above 1% = excellent.
3. Create 2-3 more text variations for A/B testing.
4. Set automation rules: pause if CTR < 0.2%, boost budget if CTR > 1%.
5. Expand targeting: add more channels similar to your best performers.
Common First-Campaign Mistakes
1. Targeting too broad (200 channels) → Start with 20 relevant ones.
2. CPM too low (no delivery) → Start at 1.5x niche average.
3. Ad text too long → Keep under 160 characters.
4. No CTA button → Always include "Open Channel", "Visit Website", etc.
5. Giving up after 24 hours → Wait 48-72h for meaningful data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to create a campaign?
Under 10 minutes for a basic campaign. With ADSLY Quick Create, AI analyzes your URL and generates targeting + ad text automatically in under 2 minutes.
What's the minimum budget?
$5 on TON, €500 deposit on Euro, no minimum on Stars. For meaningful testing, $500-$1,000 is recommended.
How long until my ad goes live?
1-4 hours (TON/Stars AI review) or 12-48 hours (Euro manual review). Submit during Moscow business hours for faster Euro review.
What if my ad gets declined?
Fix the text (remove caps, claims, urgency) and recreate. ADSLY's ad text optimization does this automatically with AI-generated text variations, helping recover rejected ads.
How do I know if my campaign is working?
CTR above 0.3% is acceptable. Above 0.5% is good. Above 1% is excellent. Wait minimum 48-72 hours and 10,000+ impressions before making decisions.
Should I use ADSLY or native manager?
Native is fine for 1-5 campaigns. ADSLY adds AI creation, automation, bulk ops, A/B testing, and team features — essential for anyone serious about Telegram Ads.