We hear you, ANOTHER social media platform? Have you heard of Lemon8? Is it here to stay? Do you need it? What even is it?
Don’t worry, we’ve put together a breakdown of all the important info and questions you may have about the latest up-and-coming social media platform.
What Is Lemon8?
So, let’s start off with what even is it? There are so many different social media platforms nowadays, all with ever changing algorithms and ‘hacks’ to be successful (or so all the content creators tell us)…
Well, it won’t surprise you that Lemon8 is a photo and video sharing social media app, but unlike TikTok it doesn’t support vertical scrolling. We would say it’s more a mix of ‘old’ Instagram, with photos at the core, and Pinterest, which won’t surprise you that pretty much all of the content on the platform is perfectly curated and aesthetically pleasing.
This content is then centred around different topics. For example, there are some trending topics such as fashion, food, wellness, beauty and travel, which all then have a selection of different content types within them; recommendations, suggestions, ‘get ready with me’ style videos etc.
It also has the ability for users to ‘tag’ where they got their outfit or products from, allowing followers of influencers to ‘get the look’ – again, not too different to most other platforms.
So, if you were a lover of ‘old school’ Instagram or you like to get inspiration from Pinterest, we’re pretty sure you’re going to love Lemon8 too!
Who Owns Lemon8?
So, this is where it gets interesting! Lemon8 is actually owned by ByteDance, who are also the parent company that owns TikTok.
I mean, it makes sense really, because Lemon8 is less like TikTok and more like Instagram. It’s like they have listened to all the people who complain about how Instagram is nowadays and tried to create a solution. But, will they encounter the same issues as TikTok?
If popularity rises, you can expect the US to impose some kind of sanctions on them, but we should be ok in the UK.
Is Lemon8 Popular Yet?
So, Lemon8 is actually a direct competitor of an app that is really popular in the Eastern part of the world called Little Red Book (in English). In China, Little Red Book holds a pretty large share of the social networking and ecommerce market – Lemon8 is basically hoping to do the same in the west!
Lemon8 is now starting to pick up some traction, with new users increasing by the day. That said, not many of the ‘bigger’ influencers are on the platform yet (not to say that’s a bad thing?), but there are quite a few micro-influencers who have say up to 5,000 followers on Instagram or TikTok – you’ll notice this because some of them use the ‘Lemon8partner’ hashtag, signalling that they may have been paid to start posting on the app.
The app also has the ability to link your TikTok and Instagram accounts, meaning you can broaden your social media reach. This means you can probably expect to see more cross-promotion of Lemon8 in the coming weeks and months.
Also, who’s to say that by joining now you couldn’t become a top Lemon8 influencer? If that’s your bag – get yourself signed up!
How Do You Use Lemon8?
As we’ve already covered, Lemon8 covers the best bits of ‘old school’ Instagram with the inspirational parts of Pinterest – a match made in heaven! This means the content is much more curated and you probably won’t find users sharing updates about their problems, lost pets or housing issues – but never say never!
The functionality of the app from a creator side is pretty similar to most other platforms. To get started you just have to upload a (or multiple) photo or video. With photos you can post them as single images or as a ‘collection’, you can then add text and graphics over your post before adding a caption and hashtags – sounds easy, eh?
Then as a user viewing content, again, you can like, comment or even save posts. So, even if you have no intention of using the platform as a creator, you can still engage with content that you like, follow accounts or creators that you enjoy and save posts as inspiration – perfect!
What’s Better – Lemon8, TikTok or Instagram?
I mean, in reality they are generally all the same – it really comes down to your individual preferences and what you want to get from a social media platform. That being said, there is no reason why you can’t use all 3 (and the other million or so haha).
At present, I would say that Lemon8 is more of an influencer-led platform compared to the others (if that is even possible). You will see an uplift of brands paying influencers to feature them on Lemon8, which is also common on the other platforms, but it will be less diluted with ‘non-influencer’ content – for now.
So, is it better? That’s a personal preference. As the creators build and the topics expand, I expect it will become a go-to place for people looking for inspiration or aesthetically pleasing content.
Is Lemon8 Good for Businesses?
Again, right this minute it probably depends on the industry that you’re in. If you’re in fashion, health and beauty, food or travel, you’re in the prime position to fit straight in with the content that is already trending on the platform. To be fair, if you have the time and are not even in the trending industries, you could steal a head start on your competitors by joining the platform. Why not head over to the website and check it out – and if you need help with content or platform management, check out our social media service here.
