With many countries discussing the laws around TikTok, a new Gen Z app, Lemon8, is taking social media by storm!
The new social media app people are calling a cross between Tik Tok, Instagram, and Pinterest, launched in the US and the UK in February 2023. The sister platform to TikTok has seen an immediate, visceral surge in popularity, with over 17 million downloads globally and becoming the most downloaded free lifestyle app in the Apple App Store.
So, what are the similarities between Lemon8 and Tik Tok and how do these platforms differ from each other?
1. Feature similarities and differences
Lemon8 and TikTok both have ‘Following’ and ‘For You’ tabs which allow users to see their following and easily access materials catered to them and posted by users they follow. However, unlike TikTok, Lemon8 has a Pinterest style setup designed to inspire its users compared to TikTok’s vertical scrolling format.
Lemon8 also allows its users to express their creativity through writing longer captions to their posts which can include recipe instructions or outfit breakdowns. This feature makes the platform feel more like a Pinterest board than a video sharing platform like TikTok.
2. Content compared to other social media platforms
The app is catered towards younger audiences interested in lifestyle topics and looking to get inspiration to achieve a desired aesthetic. The content is split into six topics: Beauty, Fashion, Food, Travel, Pet, and All and before signing up to the app, users are asked to pick their interests from a variety of categories and the feed is then personalised to the users’ chosen preferences.
3. Influencer ads
Similar to TikTok, Lemon8 uses a lot of influencer ads and product recommendations. However, going a step further, Lemon8 makes it difficult to tell which post is a sponsored content and which isn’t, unlike TikTok or Instagram as they usually have disclaimers on sponsored videos.
Lemon8 is blossoming rapidly, and it will be interesting to see how the new platform grows over the coming months and years, and how its users respond to its similarities and differences to established social media platforms.