ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

IZEA, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), operator of IZEAx®, the premier online marketplace connecting brands and publishers with influential content creators, has announced the creation of a new unit focused on sales to small and medium-sized businesses. The group will offer subscription-based custom content development to organizations with annualized marketing budgets of $1,000,000 to $20,000,000, contrasting IZEA’s existing Managed Service organization that primarily targets Fortune 500 corporations.

“In the age of the ‘informed customer,’ successful companies must build brands by behaving more like publishers - regardless of size or sector,” said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. “Consumers expect to see a steady stream of social media updates and blog posts from reputable brands, but few organizations have the capability to produce high-quality content on a frequent basis. Scalable content production is even more difficult for smaller companies with limited creative resources and smaller budgets. IZEA’s SMB Solutions Group will cater to these organizations with a streamlined, subscription-based offering starting as low as $1,750 per month with an annual commitment.”

According to a 2016 study by the Content Marketing Institute, 77% of B2C marketers expect to produce more content year-over-year. However, 46% of those marketers say that producing content consistently is a top challenge. Many companies fail to create content on a regular basis, which has a negative effect on content marketing success. According to HubSpot, companies that publish 16 blog posts or more per month get almost three-and-a-half times more traffic than companies that publish four or less monthly posts.

“The ongoing production of quality assets is the cornerstone of any content marketing program and an absolute necessity for marketing automation platforms such as HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce Pardot, and SharpSpring,” said Ryan Schram, Chief Operating Officer of IZEA. “IZEA is already a trusted content partner for some of the world’s leading brands. Thanks to our marketplace approach, we believe we can bring that same quality, speed, and efficiency to serve marketers of all shapes and sizes.”

IZEA is currently piloting the program with select SMB organizations and hiring additional sales team members to service the growing customer base. The unit is expected to be fully operational and begin outbound marketing efforts in early 2018.

To apply to join the SMB pilot program, visit http://www.izea.com/smb

About IZEA

IZEA operates IZEAx, the premier technology platform that connects marketers with influential content creators. IZEAx automates influencer marketing and custom content development, allowing brands and agencies to scale their marketing programs. IZEA creators range from leading bloggers and social media personalities, to A-list celebrities and professional journalists. Creators are compensated for developing and distributing text, videos, photos and status updates through social media. Marketers receive influential content and engaging, shareable stories that drive awareness. For more information about IZEA, visit www.izea.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based largely on IZEA's expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond IZEA's control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, competitive conditions in the content and social sponsorship segment in which IZEA operates, failure to popularize one or more of the marketplace platforms of IZEA and changing economic conditions that are less favorable than expected. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this respect will in fact occur.

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