Putting the Squeeze on Lemon8, TikTok’s New Sister Social Media App
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is ready to continue dominating social media with their new app, Lemon8. Lemon8 is a lifestyle app which has been described as a combination of Instagram and Pinterest. Similar to TikTok, the app’s homepage features a “Following” and a “For You” feed. On Lemon8, posts are arranged by categories such as fashion, beauty, food, and wellness. Photos are overlaid with text and graphics and are typically accompanied by lengthy captions where creators mention where items in the photo can be purchased. It appears that the intention behind Lemon8 is to create a streamlined, shoppable social media experience.
The hype around Lemon8 has grown alarmingly fast and conveniently timed, causing many to speculate that the current Lemon8 push is a marketing tactic by ByteDance to distract from the
political scrutiny TikTok is facing in the US. The reality is, any fate faced by TikTok when it comes to legislation will also impact Lemon8, since both are owned by Chinese-run ByteDance. However, the fact that ByteDance has been in hot water recently hasn’t stopped Lemon8 from picking up steam. The app is currently the
most downloaded free lifestyle app in the Apple app store.
So, will Lemon8’s star fade as quickly as it rose? If TikTok’s current
de-influencing trend is any indicator, today’s youth is pushing back on the culture of overconsumption. Lemon8’s target creator is a
22- to 26-year-old woman, and this age group is keenly aware of the impact our consumption has on the environment, with
sustainability and shopping green being a major concern for Gen Z. Not only that, but according to information from
Deloitte, consumers in general are decreasing the frequency of non-essential purchases and keeping items in circulation longer, whether it’s through mending broken belongings or purchasing second hand. It’s hard to say if an app focused on lifestyle and shopping will successfully steal screen time away from other social media apps, especially when Lemon8 is quite comparable to others on the market.
Lemon8 is still in its early stages, and its marketing potential is unclear. While the app certainly has a lot of hype at the moment, ByteDance still has an uphill battle when it comes to drawing both creators and users to Lemon8 and gaining their trust. If ByteDance can’t build confidence in its creators and users, Lemon8’s future could turn sour.
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