There’s a new app on the block! Find out all you need to know about Lemon8, the new social media platform.
Quick links:
- What is Lemon8?
- How does Lemon8 work?
- How does Lemon8 compare to Pinterest and Instagram?
- Is there a place for Influencers and Brands on Lemon8?
- Should You Be on Lemon8?
What is Lemon8?
Originating in Japan, Lemon8 was created by ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, and ventured to the UK and USA earlier this year in February 2023. In the past month, Lemon8 has become the second-most downloaded app in the US.
What Does Lemon8 Bring to The Table?
Lemon8 is a photo-sharing app, designed to inspire users with its clean aesthetic. It has taken inspiration from Pinterest’s scrapbooking aesthetic and Instagram’s carousel format. Lemon8 has gone one step further by allowing its creators to personalise their posts by adding text, labels, and stickers to images before they share.
So how does Lemon8 compare to Pinterest and Instagram?
Before the Zest, Here’s The Rest…
Pinterest is used more as a visual search engine as it lacks the addictive factor of TikTok or Instagram. Despite this, it had over 450 million active users at the end of 2022. Furthermore, 9 out 10 of its users labelled it as a ‘social media oasis’, with 80% saying they feel positive when using the app.
Instagram is equally a beloved app in the social media realm. It has approximately 3.3 billion downloads as of May 2022 and, in 2022, was the fourth-most downloaded app worldwide, behind TikTok, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Can Lemon8 compete and win the hearts of Pinterest and Instagram fans, or is it another BeReal?
Peel Back the Layers
Lemon8 describes itself as having a focus on fashion, beauty, food, wellness, and travel – much like its rivals Pinterest and Instagram. Unlike the other more carefully curated platforms, the fresh new app encourages creativity with beautiful and vibrant posts in an authentic and diverse environment. Due to the app’s serenity, it is currently being hailed as a haven for women and the LGBTQ+ community.
The authenticity of the organic content on Lemon8 can be a breath of fresh air compared to the constant stream of #sponsored content on other platforms. However, the lack of major brands and influencers on the up-and-coming app has received mixed opinions. One reviewer stated, “After a few days on Lemon8, I found that scrolling the ‘For You’ page or having to look through popular hashtags didn’t keep me entertained for very long, largely due to the repetitive nature of the posts”.
Is there a place for Influencers and Brands on Lemon8?
Influencers have become idolised on social media and stand as a career choice for many. In fact, research states that 1 in 4 GenZ’s want to become an influencer. Although Lemon8 provides a refreshing and authentic stripped-back feel, some users feel the app becomes repetitive without the presence of influencers or brands.
Currently Lemon8 restricts the posting of branded content, which differs from the usual feature ‘#ad’ which dominates other social media platforms. Brands and influencers sharing paid branded content is not allowed. This in an intentional move by Lemon8, as stated in their terms of service, in a bid to provide a safe and relatable space that pulls away from the ‘norm’ of brand-saturated content that many users are tired of.
But how long this will last remains to be seen. If the app continues to rise in popularity and user numbers, how long will it be before brands want to capitalise on the captive audience by paying popular users to promote their products and services, thus creating Lemon8 influencers? How will Lemon8 make money without brands paying for advertising?
The Final Sip!
So, this begs the question… has Lemon8 gone rotten before it even ripened?
Should you be on Lemon8?
It’s certainly worth getting on the platform to secure your handle and see what’s trending in your niche, particularly for those in the fashion, wellness, and food industries. This could help inform your social media strategy for other platforms.
93% of marketers worldwide are using social media to promote their business and offerings, with an additional 90% using the influencer marketing tactic. Furthermore, 86% of consumers admitted to signing up to certain social media platforms to follow and communicate with their favourite brands.
By excluding branded content, Lemon8 could deprive itself of a larger following. Could this restriction be a factor in Lemon8’s potential downfall?
Only time will tell if Lemon8 is able to turn social media lemons into lemonade…
