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Telegram has over a billion active users worldwide in 2025, with 450 million daily active users logging into the app. It’s one of the fastest-growing messaging apps, which has caught the attention of brands and marketers who seek ways to reach audiences within the spaces where they feel actively engaged. Telegram enables direct communication with users who are responsively tuned in, unlike traditional social media posts or email campaigns.
The platform presents many advantages for brands running sweepstakes. Groups, channels, and interactive bots enable contests that run smoothly while keeping users engaged and involved. Telegram’s immediacy and global expansion make it the natural replacement platform for many campaigns in an increasingly digital world, including sweepstakes.
Sweepstakes Contests Face Plenty of Competition
Sweepstakes contests have seen a massive rise in competition from other gambling and entertainment spaces, especially in the US. There are currently seven US states that have legalized online gambling, which offers participants more variety in their games, contests, and gambling options. Meanwhile, 38 US states have already legalized sports betting, while 30 have approved online betting, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, and various others.
Competition also extends to the sports betting realm – both in terms of real sports and esports betting. The best esports betting sites that are professionally reviewed and ranked reveal that even virtual wagers on battlefields have become a contender that offers a better variety to the digital-first generation. Those who use digital tools and platforms daily are also fans of the latest games that have tournaments enthusiasts can bet on while even watching the games live. Fans of Valorant, Dota, CS2, and League of Legends games can place wagers on multiple events with live feeds and real-time odds updates that allow them to become more involved in the actual event.
Sweepstakes certainly has its work cut out for it when considering the incredible alternatives many states are welcoming. For that reason, brands are turning to the trendiest platforms and marketing ideas to reach more consumers with their sweepstakes contests. Sweepstakes don’t provide the same level of engagement or even a variety that could match online gambling and betting, but offering them on platforms users engage with daily makes a difference. Using Telegram also enables brands to make the sweepstakes contests feel more alive and interactive, which other forms of online entertainment certainly deliver.
Moving sweepstakes contests to a messaging app used by millions of daily users is a strategic move. Brands leverage the platform users already engage with for instant feedback and greater involvement. Telegram’s integrated features also make the contests more dynamic without changing the underlying prize-based model.
How Telegram Serves Brands Running Sweepstakes
Various features allow Telegram to serve brands running sweepstakes campaigns. The engagement rates increase because of messages arriving directly in user feeds instead of getting buried under a crowded social stream. Groups and channels also support multimedia content that includes videos, images, and links so that brands can encourage more interaction and keep participants involved over different stages or entry points.
Telegram also has automation solutions as it supports bots that manage entries, send notifications, verify eligibility, and announce winners. Brands have less administrative work, and contests run more smoothly. Bots even allow for interactive mechanics like mini-challenges or multi-step quizzes.
Finally, Telegram’s privacy-centered approach that uses controlled visibility and encrypted messaging reassures users that their personal data will remain secure. Brands build trust among their participants, particularly those who don’t like sharing personal information.
Real-World Examples From Known Brands
Several brands successfully launched sweepstakes campaigns on Telegram. One example is when Pepsi launched the Pepsi Mania campaign that used a Telegram bot that allowed users to enter promo codes from bottle caps for a chance to win a prize. The sweepstakes campaign was simple enough while reaching over 380,000 users. Other contests in Central Asia have seen participants completing tasks with the chance to receive impressive prizes like scooters and iPhones.
Even more bold was the Telegram content creator contest that aimed to put WhatsApp claims to shame for the chance of winning a $50,000 prize. Telegram has claimed that it was the founding app for messaging, while WhatsApp continues to claim that it has been around longer. Telegram called WhatsApp a copycat and has called on content creators to design viral videos that would slam their rival.
Telegram-Based Sweepstakes Offer a Competitive Advantage
Telegram sweepstakes campaigns deliver strategic advantages. Brands easily maintain ongoing communications with the ability to send updates and announcements instantly. Visibility improves because messages appear directly in user feeds. Telegram messages are also more likely to engage users compared to emails they can easily filter out or ignore.
However, Telegram actually promotes repeated engagement because users return to channels they were already active in, making it easier to run weekly challenges or multi-stage contests. Interactive features and immediate notifications remove any friction, allowing participants to complete entries and remain connected through their channels.
Even better, brands can run multi-national contests outside of the US because they aren’t limited by region-specific websites or social media algorithms that filter out their contests. Brands can launch international sweepstakes competitions to broaden their audience and brand awareness while achieving higher engagement rates.
Telegram’s Easy Integration With Other Platforms
Telegram can also complement marketing campaigns by combining efforts with email newsletters, social media campaigns, and brand websites. Brands can easily use the Telegram link on Instagram or their own website, directing users to the channel on a platform they already use.
Brands unlock the potential for larger audiences using other social media while driving better engagement through Telegram when using a multi-faceted approach. Brands can also track interaction, participation, and engagement on the Telegram platform, which helps to inform future campaigns and refine brand strategies by understanding the user’s behavior.
Telegram Sweepstakes Trends
Telegram gamification tools have become popular, allowing brands to incorporate interactive bots, puzzles, quizzes, and multi-step challenges to make sweepstakes contests feel more alive. Other gamification capabilities include live winner announcements that keep users engaged and encourage excitement through immediacy.
Multimedia sweepstakes campaigns are also becoming popular, with GIFs, video clips, and interactive images providing richer experiences. Users are attracted to visually appealing contests, and brands can improve engagement by using these features.
Finally, some brands experiment with tiered prizes. Their campaigns will distribute smaller prizes across several days or weeks rather than offering one massive prize. This approach encourages repeat visitors on a channel and sustains interaction.