IZEA Releases The 2021 State of Influencer Equality

African American Influencers Highest Paid in 2020

/EIN News/ -- Orlando, Florida, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), the premier provider of influencer marketing technology, data, and services for the world’s leading brands, released its second annual State of Influencer Equality report today. First introduced in 2020, it is the influencer marketing industry’s only published examination of earnings equality among social influencers. The report provides analysis of influencer earnings observed in IZEA’s online marketplace spanning 2015 to 2020. Data is comprised of negotiated rates between marketers and creators spanning the spectrum of micro-influencers to celebrities, and incorporates self-reported gender and race identifiers.

“The historic events that have unfolded over the past year have had a dramatic impact on the way brands are embracing inclusion,” said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. “Diversity in brand creative have become a critical topic for many large organizations, and has become a particularly relevant point of discussion in influencer marketing. The voice of the individual is central to the success of an influencer marketing campaign, and we believe that diversity in influencer marketing yields better outcomes on every front. We are delighted to see the increase in pay for African American influencers within the IZEA ecosystem this year in-particular. Brands are consciously making the decision to include more people of color in their campaigns, and that commitment is reflected in our marketplace data.”

Key Findings Include:

• Over the past five years, the average earnings for all self-reported races and genders has risen dramatically.
• In the last three years, persons of color have commanded a premium over their Caucasian counterparts, with African Americans making an average of 47% more per post than Caucasians in 2020.
• Females continue to dominate the influencer marketing industry, receiving 90% of all transaction volume over the past five years.
• Influencers under the age of 17 continue to command the highest premium of all age groups, earning 2.3x more per post vs. those aged 45 to 54 years.
• Influencers with an annual household income of $150k+ or more per year charge a 1.6x premium for a sponsored post compared to their counterparts earning $20k or less per year.

“In 2015, Caucasian influencers received 73% of all sponsorship transaction volume,” said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. “That number has been decreasing over time and now mimics the U.S. Population. Thirty-five percent of Americans identify as Non-White, and sponsorship deal flow for those racial minorities has now reached thirty-seven percent.”

2015-2020 Sponsored Post Price Increases by Race:

• Sponsored Post prices charged by influencers of African descent have risen 1,374% from $129 to $1,773 on average. 
• Sponsored Post prices charged by Asian influencers have risen 1,566% from $101 to $1,582 on average.
• Sponsored Post prices charged by Hispanic influencers have risen 910% from $146 to $1,330 on average.
• Sponsored Post prices charged by Caucasian influencers have risen 890% from $135 to $1,202 on average.

Gender Pay Gap

The pay gap between males and females narrowed considerably between 2019 and 2020. The gap shrank from 47% in 2019 to 24% in 2020. While females receive the lion’s share of deal flow, the abundance of brand-friendly female influencers ultimately drives prices lower, with females earning less per post than males, on average.

2015-2020 Sponsored Post Price Increases by Gender:

• Sponsored Post prices charged by male influencers have risen 778% from $290 to $2,258 on average. 
• Sponsored Post prices charged by female influencers have risen 1,202% from $143 to $1,719 on average.

Opportunity for Underrepresented Influencer Groups

“Modern influencer marketing started with mommy bloggers in 2006, the majority of whom were white. As social media and influencer marketing has evolved, women continue to dominate the landscape,” said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. “On one hand, that dynamic has driven prices for non-white and male influencers higher, but on the other hand it represents a tremendous opportunity for those categories that are currently underrepresented. Influencer marketing is still in its nascency and many brands are eager to find and work with unique influencers that fall outside historical norms.”

Visit IZEA.com to download the full report and for more influencer marketing statistics.

About IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (“IZEA”) operates IZEAx, the premier online marketplace that connects marketers with content creators. IZEAx automates influencer marketing and custom content development, allowing brands and agencies to scale their marketing programs. IZEA creators include celebrities and accredited journalists. Creators are compensated for producing unique content such as long and short form text, videos, photos, status updates, and illustrations for marketers or distributing such content on behalf of marketers through their personal websites, blogs, and social media channels. Marketers receive influential 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 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking  terms such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “would” or other comparable terms. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expectations of sales activity, revenue and margins based on bookings, plans to increase the size of our sales team, the financial impact of investments in our software business, and continuation of new IZEAx customers and their effect on future sales.

Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of various factors, including, among others, the following: 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; changing economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; and other risks and uncertainties described in IZEA’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  IZEA assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.

Attachments

• Influencer Marketing Payments by Race
• Influencer Marketing Earnings by Gender

Martin Smith
                    IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
                    Phone: 407-674-6911
                    Email: ir@izea.com

Influencer Marketing Payments by Race

For the first time ever, African American Influencers earned the most per post in 2020.

Influencer Marketing Earnings by Gender

Males continue to earn more than their female counterparts on a per post basis, but females have made progress in closing the paygap in 2020.