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

When it comes to effectiveness, Influencer Marketing and Content Marketing drive the most value for brands and agencies compared to all other forms of marketing and advertising investment. These and other findings were announced today in the 2017 “State of the Creator Economy” report, commissioned by IZEA and conducted in partnership with research firms The Right Brain Consumer Consulting, Halverson Group, Lightspeed GMI, and Research Now. To watch a video of the presentation from IZEAFest 2017, visit: http://izea.me/2017SoCEVideo.

The study, now in its seventh year and known previously as “The State of Sponsored Social,” is the industry-leading independent view of both the influencer and content marketing categories from the vantage points of creators, consumers, and marketers.

Key findings from this year’s study include:

• Top in Effectiveness. Content and Influencer Marketing achieved chart-topping Effectiveness Ratings among client and agency marketers studied with year-on-year perceptual gains.
• Increased Spending. A third of Marketers surveyed are now dedicating over $500,000 per year for influencer marketing – up 25% from the previous study. Over half of Marketers surveyed have stand-alone budgets for content marketing, with 29% investing over $500,000 per year.
• Snackable Investments. Marketers’ preferred Influencer and Content Marketing approaches that lean toward “snackable” and visual (infographics/animated imagery/short videos), with notable year-on-year gains in the use of these social media approaches and platforms.
• Regulatory Violations. Pressure from clients to not properly disclose compensation within Influencer Marketing is an industry issue. Nearly 3 in 10 creators indicated that they have received a direct request from a client to not disclose that they were compensated – a violation of FTC and ASC policies.
• Market potential of Content Marketing. Across the 20 popular subjects measured that dominate today's news feeds, the average U.S. consumer reads 207 articles and visits 398 websites per month -- representing over 20 opportunities for content marketing engagement per day.

“Once again, IZEA is to be commended for its leadership investment in an objective nationwide investigation that reveals how Influencer and Content Marketing approaches stack up against traditional advertising techniques,” said Jana O’Brien, Principal at The Right Brain Consumer Consulting. “This year’s study went deeper and broader in sample, scope, and subject matter to more fully explore these disciplines, providing a rich industry resource for insight and understanding.”

This year’s State of the Creator Economy also revealed that the effectiveness of influencer and content marketing was rated by consumers to be equal to or stronger than traditional advertising across the media mix. Of the forty-one marketing message types rated by consumers in the study, only online quality/product ratings, online reviews/articles, and TV commercials were rated as highly as influencer marketing in the findings. Consumers also indicated that content creator credibility, expertise, and respect – plus firsthand consumer product experience – are top message-effectiveness drivers in Influencer Marketing.

“The three-year trends show steady perceptual gains for Influencer Marketing, while at the same time, traditional advertising approaches show a continued flat line or downward effectiveness trend line,” said Ted Murphy, Chairman & CEO of IZEA. “We believe this demonstrates an incredible opportunity for brands and creators alike to connect with consumers by developing engaging, sharable content in the years ahead. Content is what is driving results for Marketers.”

A full version of 2017 “State of the Creator Economy” study is available for free download on the Resources section of the IZEA corporate website: http://www.izea.com/resources/.

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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