Path launches a major update

Today, the private social application path launches a major update version 3.0, which introduces private messaging and adds a store for selling new handmade stickers and premium photo filters.

Path has developed very quickly recently, and founder Dave Molin Dave Morin said that Asia is the fastest-growing region of the path, and that Facebook's messaging services will start in Asia. Let's take a look at the evolution of path.

Instant Messaging

2012 is important for news applications in Asia, Japan's line is booming, with 100 million users, Kakao Talk has 85 million users, micro-users reach 300 million, these messaging clients are developing rapidly, and in many places can even compete with Facebook. These applications have grown in large part because users want better communication experiences than Facebook messages, which also provides inspiration for path 3.0, which has a similar user experience with line, Kakao Talk, and micro-letters.

Comparison of path and line, micro-letter, Kakao Talk chat interface

Key Call

One interesting feature is the key call (Ptt,push-to-talk): a voice communication function similar to that of a walkie-talkie, which is popular in Asia because it provides a low-bandwidth way to communicate without having to enter complex numbers, an additional feature that increases the attractiveness of the path to Asian users, However, most chat applications offer free voice and video functionality, which reduces the charm of PTT.

However, adding this functionality to Path 3.0 still has many benefits, as it brings this international business model to the United States.

Stickers

Perhaps the most important change in path is the addition of the sticker feature, which allows users to insert images that resemble emoticons in a conversation, and to pay for more stickers. These stickers come from the popular 9 artists on the Internet, they are not just decorative, they have better communication effects than words, they can express themselves in an emotional way, and they don't replace the popular emoticons, says Morin.

In addition to enhancing the user experience, stickers are a key source of interest. In fact, line can earn 3.75 million dollars a month by selling stickers. Path hopes that the next western users will pay to buy the stickers to better express their feelings, which will benefit the path that still relies on selling premium photo filters. Other messaging services, however, are clearly more powerful than path, and even have stickers from Disney. To get the attention of the user, path also provides a certain amount of free stickers.

Asian influence

Cross-platform Mobile chat application Kik founder Tede Livingstone (Ted Livingstone) had argued that Asian business models did not apply in the United States because of different user habits. However, as line, micro-mail and so on landed in the United States, they will certainly bring these excellent features into the U.S. market. Although line and other user groups are far beyond path, the latter have a greater market share in the US, and other Western messaging services use stickers and other functions that are far behind path.

With the release of Path 3.0, the US Messaging application company is also starting to learn from the business model and application capabilities of its Asian peers, which is also a step forward.