Growth idea action plan
Telegram Stars affiliate links turn users into distributors
Open a Telegram Stars affiliate program when the Mini App sells digital goods or subscriptions, so creators, channels, and even other bots can become paid distributors.
Why this can grow a startup
Most referral loops need extra tooling, external payouts, and messy attribution. Telegram has started folding that loop into the platform. Its affiliate-program docs say developers can open affiliate programs for Mini Apps, create referral links, and pay commissions in Stars on transactions from referred users. Affiliates can be a user, a bot, or a channel they control. That makes partner distribution far easier to test. Instead of begging for one-off mentions, the app can give aligned operators a reusable revenue reason to keep sharing it.
Ian's take
From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. A partnership only compounds when both sides get trust or distribution they could not cheaply buy alone. I would start with the smallest shared win, prove it in public or in pipeline, then make the relationship bigger. I would run it small enough to learn quickly, then only scale the parts that real users repeat, save, reply to, or buy from. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.
Action plan
- Define one narrow startup segment where telegram stars affiliate links turn users into distributors can create a measurable lift.
- Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the Acquisition and Partnerships channel.
- Use the evidence from core.telegram.org to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
- Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
- Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.
Source-backed example
Telegram says Mini App developers can open affiliate programs, that affiliates earn `commission_permille` on referred Mini App transactions in Telegram Stars, and that the affiliate peer can be the current user, a bot they own, or a channel they own.
Source: Affiliate programs (core.telegram.org)
GrowthDex source hub: Affiliate programs
Last checked: 2026-06-09T04:07:00.000Z
Adjacent tactics in the same lane
If this page is close to your problem, these tactic pages usually belong in the same working set.
- Telegram Main Mini App previews before store push 1 shared channel · 1 shared stage
- Telegram localized preview media before global promo 1 shared channel · 1 shared stage
- Partner-seeded templates on directory pages 1 shared channel · 1 shared stage
Related GrowthDex essays
- The Telegram Mini App should open where the habit already lives product-led growth, onboarding, brand trust
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Ian Goh has helped grow consumer platforms across Southeast Asia, India, and MENA. His work includes scaling Tiki to 100M+ users, doubling BIGO's MENA revenue in 7 months, and increasing OYO's direct booking share across 6 Southeast Asian markets.
- Helped scale Tiki to 100M+ users.
- Doubled BIGO's MENA revenue in 7 months.
- Raised OYO's direct booking share by 50% across 6 Southeast Asian markets.
Want help turning this into a growth system?
If you want someone to pressure-test this against your real market, Ian works with founders on growth, market entry, and operator-led distribution.
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