I’ve worked in social media marketing for over ten years, but I’ve never been an early adopter of a new platform…until now. My disillusionment with Instagram is at an all-time high and a new app was the talk of TikTok, so last week I joined Lemon8. This newcomer to the social media scene is intriguing and has the potential to be extremely popular. I’m sure you have a lot of questions about where it came from, how Lemon8 works, and more, so let’s dive in!

Where did Lemon8 come from?

ByteDance launched Lemon8 in Asian markets in 2020; it eased into the U.S. market in February 2023. ByteDance plans to do a full global marketing push in May 2023. Lemon8 currently has 4.25 million active users in the U.S. For reference, TikTok has 150 million monthly active users; Instagram has 159 million; Facebook has 243 million. For now, Lemon8 feels quiet by comparison.

Given that Lemon8 is owned by the same parent company as TikTok, I’m sure government officials will likely try to ban it just like TikTok. I’ve already spotted several fear mongering articles about ‘What is Lemon8 and What are Its Links with Under-Fire TikTok’ and ‘TikTok’s Owner ByteDance Pushes a Lemon8 App in US.’

There’s been no evidence to date that TikTok is exploiting Americans’ data. It’s clear to me that the concerns are overblown, xenophobic, and likely stoked by Meta lobbyists. Congress members who questioned TikTok CEO Shou Chew at the hearing in March asked things that demonstrated how woefully ignorant they are about how technology works in 2023.

I believe that all social media companies should be held to higher standards when it comes to data and privacy–including U.S.-owned companies like Meta. Congress has failed to apply the same scrutiny to U.S. companies despite their poor track record. All this to say, I don’t see ByteDance’s ownership as a reason not to use TikTok or Lemon8.

So what is Lemon8 and how does it work?

Lemon8 feels like Pinterest and Instagram had a baby–and that’s huge. Instagram has spent several years frustrating users by refusing to bring back a chronological timeline, filling feeds with endless ads, favoring Reels, and now launching paid verification. Folks will be thrilled to try out a better version of Instagram!

What is Lemon8’s feed like?

Lemon8’s feed is similar to TikTok’s FYP–it’s a curated assortment of content from strangers. You can follow folks and their content will appear in a separate Following tab. But it’s not about connecting with your IRL friends; it’s about discovering things you love made by content creators. The algorithm isn’t as great as TikTok’s though–not yet, at least.

What types of content are on Lemon8?

Right now, Lemon8 has 6 content buckets: fashion, beauty, food, wellness, travel, and home. You can toggle between these buckets at the top or just view content from all 6 in the main feed. The content is lifestyle-focused; the vibe is curated, aesthetic, and beautiful. When you open the app for the first time, the phrase “it feels like Pinterest and Instagram had a baby” will make sense immediately.

What can you post?

Lemon8 allows you to post photos or videos. The majority of the content I’ve seen has been photos; I’ve only seen a handful of videos, and I don’t (personally) tend to want to watch them when I’m on the platform. Content that is obviously repurposed from Instagram or TikTok doesn’t seem to perform well.

A differentiator for Lemon8 is that you can add text on your images–like an Instagram Story, but prettier. You can add titles and labels, change fonts, add a color background, etc. Additionally, when you write your caption copy, Lemon8 lets you add a catchy title, which helps for grabbing someone’s attention when they see your image in the main feed.

an example of a typical lemon8 post—note the text on the image & the title for the caption

Are there analytics?

There’s not a separate analytics section yet. However, on an individual post, you can see likes, saves, and views. To the right of your follower count, they also display your total likes and saves, similar to TikTok.

What are Lemon8’s rules?

Lemon8 has a lot of strict rules…and I’m glad. More thoughts on that later. Here are some rules to keep in mind:

Only 10 hashtags per post (Instagram limits you to 30)
Only 10 images per post (this is the same as an Instagram carousel; a Tiktok slideshow allows you to include 34 images)
No tagging people – this could be great for reducing clutter and spam. For example, there will be no tagging friends for a giveaway and no spam comments tagging other accounts. It is a little disappointing since you can’t tag a friend in the comments if you think they’ll like a post (and you can’t DM it to them, because there’s no messaging feature whatsoever–almost unheard of for a new social media app!). While you can’t tag other people, you can tag products, which is helpful for influencers and brands.
No reposting – frankly, I love this too. I’ve found that reposting to Stories on Instagram can lead to distracting visual clutter and virtue signaling. A TikTok repost goes into your feed but not on your main profile, which I prefer, but I won’t miss having a repost function.

Why is Lemon8 unique?

The Home Page

Lemon8’s home page offers you curated lifestyle content that suits your interests without you having to follow anyone.

Text on Photos & Titles for Posts

Writing on photos is a game-changer. You can point out specific things you want your viewers to take note of, add titles and labels, and more–there’s a world of possibility! Additionally, being able to add a title to your caption helps you grab someone’s attention.

Ability to Edit After Posting

Editing after posting is limited for most platforms. Twitter still doesn’t have an edit button; on Instagram, you can edit the caption after posting but not the image; on TikTok, you can edit your tags but not the video. Lemon8 allows you to edit both your caption and the text on your image even after it's posted.

What kinds of creators or brands will thrive on Lemon8?

Right now, anyone in the lifestyle space is a great fit for Lemon8. Creators who love to share their outfit of the day, morning routine, recipes, travel itineraries, etc. will fit right in.

Product businesses, particularly in the lifestyle space, will likely do best on Lemon8. I don’t think the platform will make sense for most nonprofits, higher education institutions, arts organizations, and service-based businesses. But if you sell candles, coffee, plants, clothing, household items, etc., you may want to dive into Lemon8 sooner rather than later!

What do you like about Lemon8?

The Rules

I love that Lemon8 has strict rules and is sticking to them. I think Instagram’s decline started when they began throwing their own rules and aesthetic out the window. The first example of this that comes to mind is when they abandoned the iconic Instagram square and allowed portrait and landscape photos. Not long after that came Stories. Then carousels. Then Reels. Then a shopping tab where your notifications button used to be. It’s a cluttered mess. Instagram lost sight of who they were as they tried to relentlessly copy competitors. If Lemon8 sticks to their rules, I think it will inspire creativity in its own way and be a stronger app as a result.

It Feels Like a Blog

Right now, the content on Lemon8 is informative and educational. Having text on photos helps creators educate their audience. Adding a title to each post also helps it feel like a blog. Personally, I prefer learning new things on TikTok compared to a text-heavy post, but maybe Lemon8 will change my mind.

The Diversity

It’s notable how white and thin some social media spaces seem. Algorithms often have bias, usually in favor of white folks and straight size folks. Right from the start, I noticed that Lemon8 has lots of Latinx and Black creators front and center, as well as larger women, which is fantastic!

Content from Strangers

I think our preferences surrounding social media are shifting; rather than connecting with networks you know IRL, many people now prefer connecting with total strangers. I feel less pressure and more freedom when creating content that will primarily be seen by strangers.

No Stories

I hope they don’t add a Stories function–it’s too much! I don’t need it or miss it.

What do you hope they’ll change about Lemon8?

‘Not Interested’ Button

I love that on TikTok, I can press and hold on a video and then select ‘not interested.’ TikTok even allows you to set a list of up to 100 keywords for things that you don’t want to see in your feed. I am desperate for Lemon8 to add that feature. Lemon8 is full of diet culture and I don’t want to see it.

Messaging

While I don’t think messaging is essential, it would be nice to have. When I want to show my husband a post, I have to copy the link and text it to him. It feels so old school!

A Shift in Aesthetic

Lemon8 feels like early Instagram days–everything is perfect and beautiful. My favorite thing about TikTok is how we let all of that go and embraced being raw, messy little goblins. You can film a TikTok in front of your unfolded laundry or share a video of your dogs despite the socks and shoes scattered across the floor. That won’t fly on Lemon8. Everything must be pristine and magazine-ready. I hope the aesthetics start to fall away a bit so we don’t feel pressured to strive for perfection. Perhaps as more people join the platform, niches will develop where less aesthetic content can live.

More Users

With only 4.25 million monthly active users, it feels a little quiet on the app. As Lemon8 continues to grow, I think we’ll naturally see more content and hopefully better content! It will be interesting to see how the platform evolves.

Will you be trying Lemon8? If so, see you there, and happy posting!

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