Lemon8, TikTok’s sister-app is an innovative social media platform that aims to revolutionise the way users connect and express themselves online. Described as a romance of Instagram and Pinterest, with its unique blend of visual and written content, Lemon8 offers a refreshing alternative to the established social media giants.
This platform empowers users to share their creativity, engage with like-minded individuals, and build authentic relationships. Hayley Jones, Director of Social at The PHA Group, shares insight on this new platform and its unique offerings.
By prioritising user privacy and data ownership, Lemon8 has gained attention as a more secure and trustworthy social media platform. Its focus on creating a vibrant community and delivering an ad-free experience sets it apart from popular platforms, in particular Instagram and Pinterest, providing users with a digital space that encourages meaningful interactions and genuine connections.
As Lemon8’s discoverability increases, it presents an exciting opportunity for users seeking a more personalised, creative, and community-centric online experience, something many people believe is lacking on social media today.
How is Lemon8 different from Instagram and Pinterest?
Looking back at a time when Instagram was purely a picture-sharing platform among close friends and family, where the only predicament we faced was what filter to use on our newest post. Since then, Instagram has evolved into the platform it is today with a big focus on video content. It as acted as a launch pad for many influencer careers, not forgetting its advertising capabilities for large and small brands alike.
When looking for creative inspiration, whether that be fashion, interior decor and more, many turn to Pinterest to spark their imagination. Coined as a ‘digital vision board’ or a ‘catalogue of ideas’ it allows users to search and ‘pin’ images to specific boards and share them with others.
Lemon8 stands out from Instagram and Pinterest in several ways, carving a niche of its own in the realm of social media. Here are a few distinctive features that sets Lemon8 apart:
- Content Focus: While Instagram and Pinterest both emphasise visual content, Lemon8 places equal importance on both visual and written content. It offers a platform for users to express themselves through captivating images, accompanied by meaningful captions or stories, fostering a deeper sense of connection and engagement.
- Focus on Personal Expression: Lemon8 places a strong emphasis on personal expression and creativity. It offers users the ability to showcase their own original content, such as photography, artwork, and writing, fostering a sense of individuality and personal branding. In contrast, Pinterest tends to be more focused on curating and organising content from across the web.
- Privacy and Data Ownership: Lemon8 prioritises user privacy and data ownership, addressing growing concerns regarding data security and personal information. Unlike Instagram, Lemon8 employs advanced encryption techniques and transparent data policies to ensure user privacy remains intact.
- Community-Driven Approach: Lemon8 harbours a strong sense of community by encouraging genuine interactions and meaningful conversations. Its algorithms prioritise content from friends, family, and users with shared interests, ensuring a more personalised and authentic social media experience, something many Instagram followers have requested for years.
- Ad-Free Experience: In contrast to Instagram and PInterest’s ad-heavy environment, Lemon8 strives to provide an ad-free experience to its users. By avoiding intrusive advertisements, Lemon8 maintains a clutter-free interface, enabling users to focus on interacting within the platform without any distractions.
How can brands use Lemon8 to promote their products and services?
Given its newness, brands can capitalise on early success by advertising on Lemon8, as many saw by jumping on TikTok early. Testing the waters before everyone joins gives brands time to make mistakes, learn from them and gather momentum and drive discoverability. Lemon8’s motto of being a lifestyle content community plays to the current shift in consumer behaviour, for those looking for more authentic and real-life content online.
Lemon8’s motto of being a lifestyle content community plays to the current shift in consumer behaviour, for those looking for more authentic and real-life content online. One strategy brands can adopt to succeed on Lemon8 is a creator-first approach. By working with popular creators on the platform, brands can promote their products and services by utilising the ‘tag’ feature, especially those in the fashion, beauty, travel, wellness or food sector.
Recent stats from Hubspot, show that 50% of millennials trust product recommendations from influencers while 33% of gen Z-ers have bought a product based on an influencer's recommendation in the past three months. Through activating ambassadorships, brands could cleverly create a buzz on Lemon8 without an owned presence and reap the benefits of cross-channel marketing or increasing website traffic.
Lemon8 has quickly established itself as a unique social media platform that challenges the status quo. With its emphasis on visual and written content, community-driven interactions, privacy-focused policies, and ad-free experience, Lemon8 offers a refreshing alternative to Instagram and Pinterest.
Its rise indicates a growing demand for more personalised, secure, and engaging social media content and with its innovative approach and commitment to its users, Lemon8 has the potential to shake up the social media landscape.
