You would n’t have seen any mention of it on your societal media feeds or even a press spillage , but TikTok ’s parent companionship , the China - based ByteDance , has been restfully roll out a newer app called Lemon8 in the U.S. and UK . This app bills itself as a place to “ strike beautiful , authentic , and divers cognitive content . ” All the while , the app has reportedly been ante up certain influencers to stake on the app to aim engagement .
On Wednesday , Business Insiderreported based on consultation with several anonymous and a few call self - trace influencers that ByteDance was pay influencers to post content on Lemon8 . Those influencers were reportedly distinguish to emphasize three to seven perpendicular pictures and a long , 100 to 300 - word caption for each post . This can be specially time consuming equate to apps like Instagram which require relatively little effort from creators .
Lemon8 is listed as owned by a Singapore - based company Heliophilia Pte . ltd , but legion past reports about Lemon8 ’s growing all show ByteDance is the parent company for the app . Gizmodo arrive at out to ByteDance for comment on the Lemon8 release and for details about pay influencers , but we did not immediately hear back . ByteDance may be trying to keep a downhearted profile since TikTok is underserious pressure from U.S. lawmakersover allegedly reach over American ’s data to the Taiwanese government .
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is quietly pushing another app that’s like Pinterest meets Instagram.Photo: Robert Way - Kyle Barr/Gizmodo (Shutterstock)
Signing on to Lemon8 , users are greet with a select few subject of involvement , from intellectual nourishment to fashion to out-of-doors . Influencers account it well as “ Instagram meet Pinterest , ” and it show . The main Sir Frederick Handley Page admit a “ follow ” and “ for you ” chit ala TikTok , but the feed itself is very Instagram - like while other Thomas Nelson Page relate to several broad topics like “ Fitness ” or “ Travel . ” Some posts include tutorials or explanation , such as one describe “ 3 Ways to Style Viral Birkenstock Boston ’s ” or “ ALL you require to know about style a denim doll ! ”
Last twelvemonth , ByteDance launched an app name Kesong , which similarly allow for users to share like photos and videos as well as way and lifestyle confidential information . Reutersnoted that it emulate other , popular apps in Asiatic securities industry that use an Instagram - similar invention to incentivize “ planting grass ” or perplex people to grease one’s palms ware found on reviews from influencers .
Each situation is just a modest photo merry-go-round with a farseeing description . Otherwise , another page organizes message via hashtags such as # ratemyempties for onetime peach products or # lemon8review for product reviews . This “ grass ” mode advertising was reportedly being condition for ByteDance ’s other heavy app TikTok . Althoughearly reportsin 2022 hint that ByteDance had stop its shopping dream on its biggest moneymaking app , by previous last year there were hintsTikTok may still have designs on western marketsbased on update to its TikTok Shop Seller Center .
But it ’s still a question as to why there ’s been so niggling made about Lemon8 except for therare advertising popping up for some usersas of late . The app launched in Japan in 2020 and was originally prognosticate Sharee . The app has only gained traction in places like Japan , Thailand , Vietnam and Singapore , though has yet to make any headroom in western markets . The marketing caller Labbrandclaimed creditfor come up with the name variety in September of 2021 as ByteDance positioned its apps to take on the UK and U.S. markets .
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