IZEA REPORTS 96% YEAR-OVER-YEAR REVENUE GROWTH IN 2Q2022, EBITDA ADJUSTED FOR THE QUARTER OF $0.3 MILLION

Orland, FL (August 15, 2022 - IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), a premier provider of online marketing technology, data and services for leading global brands, reported financial and operational results for the second quarter ended June.

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights Compared to Second Quarter 2021

• Total revenue increased 96% to $12.6 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $6.4 million in the same period last year.
• Hosted marketing services revenue increased 103% to $12.2 million from $6.0 million.
• SaaS services and other revenue decreased 5.6% to $0.4 million from $0.4 million.
• Total costs and expenses increased 53% from $8.5 million to $13 million.
• Net loss was $0.2 million, compared to a net loss of $2.1 million in the same period last year.
• ADJUSTED EBITDA* WAS $0.3 MILLION, COMPARED TO A LOSS OF $1.5 MILLION IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

Second Quarter 2022 Key Operational Highlights

• IZEA ENTERED THE CHINESE MARKET AND SUCCESSFULLY WON THE OVERSEAS influencer MARKETING PROJECT FOR A CLIENT IN THE CHINESE MARKET.
• Multi-million dollar brand partnerships through the Metaverse program.
• Named a 2022 Career Development and Best Company to Lead Company by Comparably
• Named a Top 100 Employer by Orlando Sentinel

* Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see the definition and explanation of this measure in "Using Key Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures".

IZEA'S LEADERSHIP TEAM ON SECOND QUARTER PERFORMANCE

"We are pleased to report the highest quarterly revenue in the company's history," said Ted Murphy, chairman and CEO of IZEA. "Over the past several years, we have been investing in all areas of our business, and these investments are reflected in our growth. Revenue expansion that makes sense for revenue scale is key to sustainable long-term profitability. We still have a lot of work to do in this area, but the progress we've made in the last two years has been remarkable."

"WHILE WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE NEAR-TERM MACROECONOMIC OUTLOOK, WE BELIEVE THERE ARE MANY GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ONLINE MARKETING INDUSTRY AND OUR GOAL IS TO GAIN ADDITIONAL MARKET SHARE. IZEA HAS A STRONG BALANCE SHEET AND ZERO LONG-TERM DEBT. WE INTEND TO USE THIS FINANCIAL STRENGTH TO OUR ADVANTAGE AS WE STRATEGICALLY RECRUIT NEW TEAM MEMBERS AND AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE COMPETITIVE WINS. AS WE SEE OTHER COMPANIES IN OUR SPACE RETREATING, WE INTEND TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. FOR SOME TIME NOW, OUR TEAM HAS BEEN PREDICTING THAT THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE WILL BECOME CLEAR, AND WE BELIEVE WE ARE WELL POSITIONED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MARKET OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE ENVIRONMENT PRESENTS. LATER THIS YEAR, WE INTEND TO WELCOME ADDITIONAL TEAM MEMBERS INTO OUR SALES ORGANIZATION AND WILL LAUNCH A NEW PLATFORM TO SUPPORT OUR CUSTOMERS."

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Total revenue increased 96% to $12.6 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $6.4 million in the second quarter of 2021. Revenues from hosted full-service online marketing services increased 103% to $12.2 million. revenues from SaaS services decreased 5.6% to $400,395 in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the second quarter of 2021.

Hosted Full Service revenue more than doubled to a record $12.2 million in the second quarter of 2022, driven by revenue from one large client contract, which accounted for approximately 85% of the prior year increase, with approximately $2.0 million of the increase coming from increased revenue related to project delays in prior quarters. The balance of the increase was due to continued strong quarterly order delivery; demand for hosting services continues to be strong as new and existing clients continue to shift their marketing spend to influencer campaigns.

Revenues for SaaS services declined $23,738 or 5.6% in the second quarter of 2022. the number of licensees on all platforms declined 7% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter a year ago. License fee revenue declined 3% year-over-year, while marketplace expense fees declined 26% to $52,124 in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $70,381 in the second quarter of 2021.The relative flatness of total billings for SaaS services (defined below) in both comparison periods suggests that the decline in SaaS revenue was primarily due to lower average fees.

Cost of revenue excluding amortization for the second quarter of 2022 was $7.2 million, or 57% of revenue, compared to $3.2 million, or 50% of revenue, for the same period last year, primarily due to higher delivery costs on a large customer contract, which accounted for approximately 41% of revenue for the quarter, and overall revenue growth from other new and existing customers.

COSTS AND EXPENSES OTHER THAN COST OF REVENUES TOTALED $5.8 MILLION IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2022, $0.5 MILLION OR 9% HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR YEAR QUARTER. SALES AND MARKETING COSTS FOR THE QUARTER WERE $2.3 MILLION, 1% LOWER THAN THE PRIOR YEAR QUARTER, AS INCREASED HEADCOUNT AND RELATED PAYROLL COSTS WERE OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN SALES COMMISSIONS RELATED TO LOWER BOOKINGS AND LOWER OTHER EXPENSES IN THE QUARTER. GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS TOTALED $3.4 MILLION FOR THE QUARTER, AN INCREASE OF $0.7 MILLION OR 27 PERCENT FROM THE PRIOR YEAR QUARTER, PRIMARILY DUE TO INCREASED PAYROLL AND CONTRACTOR COSTS TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS AND IT INVESTMENTS.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2022 was $169,890, or $0.00 per share, compared to a net loss of $158,405, or $0.00 per share, for the second quarter of 2021, based on 62.1 million and 61.4 million average shares outstanding, respectively.

As of June 30, 2022, we had total cash and investments of $70.3 million and the Company had no long-term debt.

ABOUT IZEA GLOBAL influencer MARKETING

IZEA Worldwide, Inc. ("IZEA") is a marketing technology company that provides software and professional services that enable brands to collaborate and transact with the full range of today's socially influential online KOLs and content creators. The company is a pioneer in the evolving commercialization of content, enabling self-publishers to create value through their content, creativity and influence. IZEA launched the industry's first influencer content marketing platform in 2006 and has since facilitated nearly 4 million transactions between online brand buyers and influencer content creators. Leading brands and agencies worldwide have partnered with IZEA to drive social media engagement rates, diversify brand voice, expand content production and drive measurable return on investment.

Safe Harbor statement

All statements in this press release that are not based on historical facts are "forward-looking statements" and are intended to qualify under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on certain projections and describe future plans, strategies and expectations. 前瞻性陈述通常可以透过使用前瞻性字词识别，例如”可能“、”将会“、”或会“、”应 ", "expect", "anticipate", "hope", "estimate", "anticipate", "expect", "anticipate", "expect", "expect", "expect", "expect", "expect". "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "have the opportunity", " project", "plan", "seek", "strategy", or "future ", or the antonyms of these words, or other words or expressions of similar meaning. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make about IZEA's ability to increase revenue and bookings, grow or maintain customer relationships, and expectations regarding IZEA's business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements due to factors including, but not limited to, the following: competitive conditions in the content and social sponsorship areas in which IZEA operates, the inability to promote one or more of IZEA's marketing marketplaces, our ability to develop effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, our ability to meet the requirements of the NASDAQ our ability to meet the requirements for continued listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market, economic conditions that are less favorable than anticipated, and other risks and uncertainties described in IZEA's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made solely for purposes of The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and IZEA undertakes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or anticipated changes, unless otherwise required by law.

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