Most Telegram news channels lose half their new subscribers within the first week. It’s not because the content is bad. It’s because the onboarding flow is invisible.
When someone joins your Telegram channel, they don’t get a welcome message. They don’t know what to expect. They scroll past your first three posts because they’re confused. By the time they realize this channel delivers daily breaking news at 7 a.m. EST, they’ve already unsubscribed.
Onboarding isn’t optional. It’s the first impression that determines whether someone stays or leaves. And on Telegram, where users can join and leave in seconds, you have less than 60 seconds to make it count.
What a good Telegram news channel onboarding flow looks like
Think of onboarding as a mini-tour. Not a sales pitch. Not a list of your best articles. A guided walk through what makes your channel different.
Take @BloombergMarkets. When you join, you get three messages in 24 hours:
- Day 1, 10 a.m. - “Welcome. We send market updates at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST. No spam. Just what moves markets.”
- Day 1, 6 p.m. - “Here’s yesterday’s top 3 stories you missed. [Link to summary post].”
- Day 2, 8 a.m. - “You’ll get alerts for breaking news. Tap ⚠️ to turn them on.”
That’s it. No buttons. No polls. No “like this post if you’re new.” Just clarity, timing, and value.
Compare that to a channel that sends: “Hey everyone! Welcome to the family! 🎉 Subscribe to our website! RT this! Join our Discord!” - and then disappears for three days. Which one feels like a news source? Which one feels like a scam?
Why most Telegram news channels fail at onboarding
There are three deadly mistakes most publishers make:
- Waiting too long. The first message should land within 30 minutes of subscription. If you wait until the next day, you’ve missed the window of curiosity.
- Sending too much. One message with five links, three emojis, and a call to action is overwhelming. People don’t read. They scan. And if they don’t get the point fast, they leave.
- Not explaining the rhythm. If you post twice a day, say so. If you only post on weekdays, say so. If you send alerts for breaking news, tell them how to enable them. If you don’t, they’ll assume you’re inactive.
Telegram doesn’t show you when someone joins your channel. You don’t get a notification. So you have no idea when to send your welcome. That’s why automation is non-negotiable.
How to set up automated onboarding on Telegram
You can’t do this manually. You need a bot. And you don’t need to code one.
Here’s what works today:
- Use a bot like Telegram BotFather + ManyBot or TG Automator. These tools let you trigger messages based on new subscribers.
- Set up a 3-message sequence:
- Message 1: Sent immediately after join. Short. Clear. Explains frequency and format.
- Message 2: Sent 12-24 hours later. A sample of your best recent content. Not your most popular - your most representative.
- Message 3: Sent 48 hours later. A single CTA: “Turn on alerts for breaking news” or “Reply ‘help’ if you’re confused.”
- Use pinned messages wisely. Pin a message titled “What to Expect” with: posting times, types of alerts, how to report issues, and a link to your archive.
Example of a pinned message:
📌 What to Expect Here: • Posts at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST (Mon-Fri) • Breaking news alerts only for major events (no minor updates) • No ads. No promotions. No polls. • Reply “archive” to get the last 30 days of posts. • Tap ⚠️ to turn on notifications.
This replaces the need for multiple welcome messages. It’s your anchor.
What to include in your welcome message
Your first message has one job: reduce uncertainty.
Here’s the formula that works:
- Who you are - “We’re TechDaily, covering AI breakthroughs since 2020.”
- What you send - “One daily briefing. No fluff. Just facts.”
- When you send it - “Every weekday at 7:30 a.m. EST.”
- How to get more - “Reply ‘alerts’ to turn on breaking news notifications.”
That’s it. 4 lines. No emojis. No exclamation points. No “join our community.”
Why? Because people don’t join Telegram channels for community. They join for information. They want to know: Will this save me time? Will this make me smarter?
How to measure if your onboarding works
Telegram doesn’t give you analytics. But you can still track performance.
Here’s how:
- Track retention after 7 days. Use a tool like Telegram Stats or manually check your subscriber count every Monday. If you gain 1,000 new subs on Monday and lose 400 by Friday, your onboarding is leaking.
- Monitor replies to your welcome message. If people are replying with “How do I get alerts?” or “When do you post?”, your message isn’t clear enough.
- Compare engagement on posts before and after onboarding. If your first post after onboarding gets 2x more views than your average, your welcome sequence is working.
One publisher, @CryptoBriefing, improved retention by 62% in 3 weeks by switching from a single welcome message to a 3-part sequence. Their open rate on day 2 posts jumped from 18% to 41%.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using bots that send too many messages. Don’t send a message every day for a week. That’s spam. Three messages over 48 hours is the sweet spot.
- Linking to your website too early. If your channel is your main product, don’t push people off-platform. Save links for later.
- Ignoring the silence. If someone joins and never interacts, don’t assume they’re gone. They might be reading quietly. Give them time.
- Copying other channels. If you’re a financial news channel, don’t copy a tech channel’s tone. Be authentic. Be consistent.
Advanced tip: Segment your onboarding
Not all subscribers are the same.
Some join because they saw your post in a Reddit thread. Others found you via a Google search. Some are investors. Others are students.
You can’t tailor messages for each person - but you can segment by behavior.
Here’s how:
- If someone replies “alerts” - send them a follow-up in 3 days: “Here’s how we broke the Fed announcement last week.”
- If someone doesn’t reply but reads your first 3 posts - send them a “deep dive” link after 5 days.
- If someone leaves after 2 days - don’t chase them. Analyze why. Was your message too vague? Was your first post too technical?
This is called behavioral onboarding. It’s not for beginners. But once you hit 5,000+ subscribers, it’s the only way to scale retention.
Final thought: Onboarding is your secret weapon
Telegram is crowded. Thousands of news channels launch every month. Most die in 30 days.
The ones that survive? They don’t have the best content. They don’t have the biggest team.
They have the best onboarding.
It’s not about getting more subscribers. It’s about keeping the ones you get.
Start simple. Send three messages. Pin one clear guide. Track what sticks. And stop guessing. Your audience doesn’t want to figure you out. They want you to show them the way.
How soon after someone joins should I send my first onboarding message on Telegram?
Send your first message within 30 minutes of someone joining. This is when curiosity is highest. Waiting longer than 24 hours makes your channel feel inactive. Automation tools like ManyBot or TG Automator let you trigger messages instantly when someone subscribes.
Should I use emojis and exclamation points in my Telegram welcome message?
Avoid them. Emojis and exclamation points make your message look like spam or a sales pitch. Telegram news audiences expect clarity and professionalism. A clean, direct message like “We send market updates at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST. No spam. Just what moves markets.” builds trust faster than any emoji ever could.
Do I need a bot to set up onboarding for my Telegram news channel?
Yes. Telegram doesn’t notify you when someone joins, and you can’t manually send timed messages to new subscribers at scale. Use free tools like ManyBot or TG Automator. They let you create automated message sequences triggered by new subscriptions - no coding required.
What’s the most important thing to include in a Telegram onboarding message?
The most important thing is clarity on frequency and format. Tell subscribers exactly when they’ll receive updates (e.g., “Every weekday at 7 a.m.”), what kind of content to expect (e.g., “One daily briefing, no ads”), and how to get alerts if needed. Uncertainty is the #1 reason people leave.
How do I know if my Telegram onboarding flow is working?
Track your subscriber retention over 7 days. If you gain 1,000 new subscribers but lose 500+ within a week, your onboarding is failing. Also watch replies - if people are asking “When do you post?” or “How do I turn on alerts?”, your message isn’t clear enough. Compare engagement rates on posts before and after onboarding - a 2x+ increase means it’s working.
Can I use the same onboarding flow for all types of news channels?
The structure works for any news channel, but the tone and content must match your niche. A financial news channel should sound professional and data-driven. A local crime update channel should sound urgent and direct. Don’t copy another channel’s voice - adapt the structure to your audience’s expectations.
