Attention all social media marketers or social media lovers, the newest platform to enter the ever-changing world of social media apps is called Lemon8 and users are describing it as “if Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram had a baby”.
Created by the same company as TikTok, ByteDance has been pushing the app to climb to the top charts in the app stores in the UK and the US. Although the app is not brand new, launching in 2020, downloads have recently been soaring, especially in the US, with almost 1 million instals between March 27 and April 10 (2023) [Source].
But the question is, is it here to stay?
Here is a short summary of everything you need to know about Lemon8 and if there is potential for companies to leverage themselves on the platform.
What is Lemon8?
Lemon8 is a photo and video sharing platform that looks like a combination of Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram as you are able to scroll through photos and videos with specific focuses on trending topics and even has a ‘For You Page’.
Fashion, beauty, food, wellness and travel are the most popular trending topics on the app. Suggestions, recommendations, get-ready-with-me type videos, and well curated, visually aesthetic content are provided under each topic.
The ideal creator for the app is female, between the ages of 22 and 26, residing in New York or Los Angeles, and focused on fashion and beauty, according to presentations Lemon8 gave to marketing firms in January that were acquired by The New York Times [Source].
How does it compare to other social media platforms?
Lemon8 has been referred to as the “ mashup of the social media powerhouses Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram” and any user who is a die-hard supporter of any of these platforms will be fascinated to download this app in order to learn more. Let’s have a look at how each of the platforms compares:
Lemon8 Vs TikTok
While having tabs for Following and For You and dabbling in photos and videos, the similarities between Lemon8 and TikTok end there. While TikTok is primarily focused on video content, Lemon8 is primarily focused on photo content.
Although TikTok has a similar objective, that’s only a portion of what Lemon8 is all about—connecting deeply with your community, finding inspiration, and sharing recommendations. On TikTok, in contrast to Lemon8, there is more pressure to produce entertaining content and go viral for almost anything.
Lemon8 Vs Pinterest
At the moment, Lemon8 offers similar lifestyle topics to those found on Pinterest and lets you save them individually and in “collections,” which are similar to boards. Despite the aesthetic photo-sharing similarities between these two, Pinterest differs significantly in that there is little social engagement.
Pinterest has actually gained popularity as a visual search engine and lacks the sense of community building and interaction that Lemon8 offers.
Lemon8 Vs Instagram
Conceptually, Lemon8 is being heavily compared to the early days of Instagram with lots of images and carousel posts. Instagram now gets criticised for overloading users with too much content at one time and not placing posts in chronological order.
The main difference between the two is that Lemon8 gives users the ability to edit and customise posts extremely similar to the tool Canva but within the app.
This feature has made creating, editing and publishing detailed, aesthetic content easier than ever before.
Since Instagram has such a large user base, it is better for video content, stories, direct messaging, and reaching a much larger audience on a much wider range of topics. However, since some of those features and types of content have turned users away from Instagram, they might prefer Lemon8, which focuses on lifestyle photos and long-form captions.
Should brands use Lemon8?
Lemon8 could be a great place for brands since it focuses on providing lifestyle inspiration and product suggestions. Lemon8 doesn’t have a monetisation programme yet, but as influencers rush to the app some brands might be interested in collaborating with creators on sponsored content.
Thinking ahead, Lemon8’s success will depend on its capacity to maintain demand as a stand-alone application. During the beta phases, interest in other social networking sites like BeReal also grew rapidly but then began to decline very quickly.
Could this be another BeReal? The longevity of brands and creators on this app is still yet to be determined and at the moment, it seems to be a waiting game.
Our social media specialists here at CEEK would recommend that at this point in time, brands shouldn’t rush into joining Lemon8. They should evaluate whether it’s the right place for them, focusing on the audience’s motivations for visiting, whether they intend to purchase anything and the specific messaging they want to convey.
For more advice on how to utilise social media applications like Lemon8 for your business please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and we can help you with all things digital marketing!
