Direct Telegram channel placements provided 60% of volume; paid social filled the rest with 5.9% CR.
The task
By the start, the advertiser had confirmed demand but no controllable volume. The task was to build media buying for e-commerce in Uzbekistan in a way that leveraged the local specifics of the Telegram audience, rather than relying on paid social alone.
We worked the "E-commerce" vertical in the Uzbekistan market. Payment model — spend managed to a target ROI, main sources — Telegram channels, paid social.
How we did it
The plan was built so each step could be rolled back on its own.
- Arranged placements directly with five mid-sized local Telegram channels rather than through an ad network — the Uzbek Telegram audience responds better to posts that read as a personal recommendation from the channel admin.
- Re-edited the paid social creatives to match the visual style of the best-performing Telegram posts.
- Let paid social cover the remaining volume beyond what the Telegram channels could supply.
What went wrong
The first real setback hit during scaling. Direct Telegram channel placements didn't scale linearly — channel inventory is limited, and admins cap the frequency of sponsored posts to avoid alienating subscribers.
Re-edited the paid social creatives to match the style of the best Telegram posts — paid social reached a 5.9% CR, and the two channels started reinforcing each other instead of competing for the same budget.
The result
By the end of the period, the setup hit its planned numbers. Over the 2025: roi — 261%, volume from telegram — 60%, paid social cr — 5.9%.
Final ROI was 261%; direct Telegram placements delivered 60% of total order volume at a cost per order roughly 30% lower than the same budget spent through paid social.
What we took away
- In Uzbekistan, direct agreements with Telegram channels convert better than an ad network precisely because they read as a personal recommendation rather than a banner.
- A volume-limited channel (direct Telegram placements) and paid social can reinforce each other if their visual style is kept in sync.
These numbers belong to one specific setup, geo, and buying period. Economics will differ on another offer or in another season — we always recalculate them before launch.