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

IZEA, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), operator of IZEAx, the premier online marketplace connecting brands and publishers with influential content creators, found in its annual State of the Creator Economy report more than half of all marketers surveyed reported Influencer Marketing use in the past year.

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Marketers Make Larger Investments In Influencer Marketing Than Ever Before (Photo: Business Wire)

In addition, 69% of those working in brands and agencies that engage in Influencer Marketing now have a stand-alone budget for the approach. From 2014-16, an overall upward budget trend continued — with marketers reporting high-end annual budgets of $700k+ and more than 1 in 5 estimating their corporate-wide Influencer Marketing budgets to be in excess of $1 million.

• In 2016, the median level Influencer Marketing budget for brands was $500-999k.
• This increase in spending directly correlates to an increase in positive net effectiveness momentum of Influencer Marketing by 61% from 2015-16.

For the complete 2017 “State of the Creator Economy Report,” visit https://izea.com/resources/the-2017-state-of-the-creator-economy/.

About IZEA

IZEA operates IZEAx, the premier online marketplace that connects marketers with influential content creators. IZEA creators range from leading social media influencers to accredited journalists. Creators are compensated for producing and distributing unique content on behalf of marketers including long form text, videos, photos and status updates. Marketers receive influential consumer content and engaging, shareable stories that drive awareness. For more information about IZEA, visit https://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 press release will in fact occur. Please read the full statement and disclosures here: https://izea.com/investors/safe-harbor-statement/.

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