WhatsApp™*, Viber™**, or Telegram™: Where to Run Mass Messaging Campaigns

Messengers have become an essential part of business communication, especially when it comes to mass messaging. Companies want to do more than just share information—they want to do it quickly and effectively.

The main advantage of using messengers for campaigns is their high open rate. Unlike emails, which may not reach the recipient due to spam filters, messages sent via messengers are received almost instantly.

WhatsApp, Viber*, and Telegram are the three most popular messaging apps, each offering unique features for mass communication. However, in today’s competitive landscape, it’s not just about choosing the right messenger—it’s also about personalizing customer interactions using data.

Why Use Messengers for Mass Messaging?

Оpen rate

The first thing to note is the high open rate. Compared to email, where open rates hover around 20–30%, messages sent via messengers are opened in over 90% of cases. Users check their phone notifications more often, making mass messaging more effective and boosting conversion rates.

Broad Reach

Messengers have long been one of the main channels of communication for people. Most individuals use them daily to chat. Messages received in messengers are often perceived as more personal and informal. As a result, the likelihood of the recipient actually reading the message increases significantly.

Instant Interaction

Another advantage is instant interaction. Customers are more likely to reach out via the communication channel they use most frequently. So if they have a question or need clarification, chances are they’ll contact you through a messenger. Fast responses from the company improve customer service quality and create a sense of accessibility.

High Engagement

Messenger campaigns can include a variety of content types: text messages, images, videos, and links. This allows businesses to reach out to customers with promotional offers or important updates like product news, special deals, and event notifications. For example, restaurants can send out daily menus or special offers, while online stores can share info about new arrivals and discounts.

Telegram campaign showing updated menu

Additionally, messengers often use interactive elements like buttons, polls, and quick replies, which boost engagement.

WhatsApp* campaign with quick reply buttons

WhatsApp Campaigns

According to Exploding Topics, WhatsApp* is the most popular messaging app in the world, with approximately 2 billion monthly users. In the United States, it now has over 100 million active monthly users, making it an increasingly important communication channel for businesses.

However, there are some drawbacks, such as limitations on the number of messages and contacts, and strict anti-spam regulations.

WhatsApp* allows you to send messages both to individual users and to groups. Below, we’ll cover the main methods for running campaigns.

Sending messages from a personal WhatsApp account. This option is only suitable for small-scale entrepreneurs, as it limits you to 256 contacts, all of whom must be saved in your address book. After creating the list, you can send your messages, and each recipient will see it as a personal message, without knowing who else received it.

Messaging via the WhatsApp Business App. This option is suitable for larger audiences and process automation. It allows you to send up to 1,000 messages per day.

WhatsApp Business API. This tool is designed for large-scale messaging and is ideal for big companies. It allows for automated message delivery and efficient communication management with a large number of customers. Typically, businesses connect to the WhatsApp Business API through official providers who assist with setup and ongoing support.

Messaging via third-party services. Many marketing platforms—such as CRM and CDP systems—offer ready-made solutions for integration with the WhatsApp Business API. The key benefit here is the ability to personalize communication based on the customer data you already have.

In Altcraft CDP, integration is available with two official WABA providers: 360dialog and Edna. By connecting one of them, you can:

• Send personalized messages via WhatsApp*, automatically inserting customer data into the message (e.g., name, order status, or bonus balance).

• Set up targeted messaging campaigns using audience segmentation based on behavior in messengers and other channels.

• Use the WhatsApp* channel in automation workflows.

• Collect statistics and analyze the resulting data.

WhatsApp* Campaign in Altcraft Platform

Mass Messaging in Telegram

Telegram is becoming more and more popular every year—especially among younger audiences and privacy-conscious users. Businesses have two main ways to communicate with clients via Telegram:

• Posts in a channel or group. You can create a channel that users subscribe to and send messages at any time. It’s a convenient way to share news, promotions, and announcements.

• Personal messages via a bot. Telegram bots enable you to create complex customer interaction flows. For example, you can build surveys, quizzes, or automated responses to customer queries, making your communication more interactive and engaging.

How to Send a Telegram Campaign via a Bot:

1. Create a bot using @BotFather in Telegram. Save the token you receive after creating the bot—this will be needed to connect to messaging services.

2. Connect the bot to a messaging service. There are various services that support Telegram campaigns. We recommend choosing one that allows you to build trigger-based workflows and segment your audience. This will improve your campaign effectiveness.

3. Build your subscriber base. Bots can't initiate conversations—users have to message the bot first. That’s why attracting subscribers is crucial. You can share a link to the bot on your website, social media, email campaigns, or even through QR codes at offline events. Be sure to obtain consent for messaging—otherwise, you may receive spam complaints..

4. Prepare your content. Besides plain text, Telegram supports formats like images and videos, buttons and polls, files, and voice messages. Think about what kind of content would interest your audience and help achieve your campaign goals.

5. Set up and launch your campaign. Segment your subscribers based on their interests. Check that the message displays properly in the app. Consider user activity to choose the best time to send.

The Altcraft platform offers automated Telegram campaigns. There are two connection types: Telegram Bot and Telegram Group. The bot sends personalized messages to subscribers, while the group functions more like a media feed—with emojis, comments, and polls—allowing for two-way communication. You can learn more about how to set this up in. our guide.

Telegram Bot and Telegram Group in Altcraft Platform

Mass Messaging in Viber**

In Russia, Viber** ranks just behind WhatsApp* and Telegram in popularity, but still remains in the top three. It’s also widely used in other countries, like Belarus. Viber offers features like creating channels and groups, chatbot support, and a variety of business tools—making it a popular choice for companies.

Example of mass messaging in Viber

A significant drawback of Viber** is its limited mass messaging capabilities. Free messaging is restricted to 50 contacts per day. Exceeding this limit may result in your account being blocked.

Mass messaging is possible using a CDP platform—such as Altcraft.

Viber Campaign in Altcraft Platform

By connecting Viber** to the Altcraft CDP platform, you can:

• Automate message delivery in the messenger.

• Create personalized messages for each customer.

• Build various communication workflows.

• Segment your audience.

• Access full statistics and analytics.

While many messaging services may require additional payments, with Altcraft you can send messages via Viber** without extra costs.

Implementing a CDP makes messaging more effective—real-world examples confirm this. The Altcraft development team helped BNB Bank add Viber** as a key communication channel. As a result, the open rate of manual campaigns increased, and in some unique campaigns, the click-through rate reached 50%.

To learn more about the results achieved with Altcraft Platform, check out the BNB Bank case study.

Why Personalization Is the Key to Success in Mass Messaging

Choosing the right messenger is important—but what’s even more critical is personalizing your messages, as this dramatically increases their effectiveness. Personalization in marketing involves using the customer’s name, referencing their past purchases, or addressing their interests. For example, if you know a customer is interested in a specific product, you can send them a special offer related to it. These approaches create a sense of individual attention and care, which in turn builds brand loyalty and enhances the overall user experience.

Example of a personalized message

How to Personalize Mass Messaging Campaigns?

Users appreciate a personal touch—it builds trust in communication. That’s why generic mass messages often fall short. An omnichannel platform gathers and analyzes data for each customer. Targeted campaigns that take into account user preferences, behavior, and interests boost engagement, improve conversions, and build stronger relationships with customers.

A CDP (Customer Data Platform) collects data from various sources—websites, CRM systems, social media, and even messenger interactions—creating a complete picture of each customer's behavior and preferences.

When a business knows which products interest its users, what time they’re most likely to respond, and how they prefer to communicate, it greatly increases the chances of campaign success.

A Customer Data Platform also helps segment your audience. Given the diversity of customer needs, segmentation allows for precisely targeted content delivery.

Triggered message about bonus points

For example, a user who recently made a purchase might receive a triggered message with recommendations for related products or special offers based on their recent activity.

Conclusion

Sending messages through messengers is a necessity in today’s business landscape. Choosing the right messenger is crucial—it affects whether your message gets delivered. But just as important is personalization: it’s the only way to create truly valuable and effective customer communication. Real communication starts with understanding your audience’s needs and expectations—and this is where CDPs come in.

Altcraft Platform makes it easy to launch messaging campaigns via Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber**, or any other messenger you choose. Our tools help you connect with your audience, personalize your campaigns, automate your outreach, and collect full statistics and analytics.

• WhatsApp is a product of Meta, which is designated as an extremist organization in the Russian Federation.
• At the time of writing, Viber is blocked in the territory of the Russian Federation.