Platform sees nearly 60% of traffic from mobile devices.
Orlando, Fla. (June 18, 2012) – IZEA, Inc. (IZEA:OTCQB), the world leader in Social Media Sponsorship, today announced that its newest platform, Staree, reached over one million visits since its official launch on May 17. The site attracted visitors from over 170 different countries with 71 percent of traffic coming from the U.S. and five percent from Canada.
Staree allows influential social media users to post photos and videos from their mobile device, desktop browser or email. Users share the content they create through social media, driving traffic back to their Staree.com profile page. Staree publishers make money from display advertising targeted to their content and product placement in photos and videos.
“This is the biggest platform launch in IZEA’s history,” said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO, IZEA. “In its first month Staree has seen ten times the number of visits we saw when we launched SponsoredTweets.com. It is a testament to the power of mobile photos, and underscores the opportunity we see in this market.”
IZEA designed Staree as a core component of their mobile sponsorship strategy, which also includes WeReward and SponsoredTweets. The site is currently seeing 59 percent of visits from mobile devices, 75 percent of which are running iOS. Users of the iPhone represent the largest percentage of mobile traffic to Staree, followed by the iPod Touch and iPad. The company has developed a mobile web version of Staree along with publisher applications for iOS and Android operating systems.
“We recently announced the first-ever Staree campaign in support of Lenovo. That campaign included desktop and mobile execution of both sponsored content and display advertising,” said Murphy. “We believe the combination of multiple screens, multiple ad units and social media activation gives us a unique offering for brands looking to make an impact.”
Staree is heavily integrated with Facebook and Twitter, allowing social media users to simultaneously publish to both platforms. The use of these platforms drives social interaction and viral pass-along of Staree content. Since launch 39 percent of traffic has come from Twitter and five percent from Facebook. The company plans to add additional social networks in the near future.
Staree user accounts are currently available to a limited number of social media influencers. There is an application and qualification process, with thousands of applicants currently in queue.
“During this first month we experienced minor outages and delays in photo and video processing, because the demand exceeded our expectations,” said Ted. “We believe those issues have been addressed and are focused on creating a great user experience”.
Individuals interested in joining the Staree waiting list can visit www.staree.com. Brands looking for advertising opportunities can call IZEA Client Development at 1-877-525-IZEA.
About IZEA
IZEA, Inc. (“IZEA”) is the world leader in social media sponsorship, operating multiple marketplaces including Staree, WeReward, SponsoredTweets and SocialSpark. IZEA connects advertisers with social media publishers, helping them monetize their social media presence. The company has completed over three million social media sponsorships for customers ranging from small local businesses to Fortune 50 organizations. 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 social media sponsorship segment in which IZEA operates, failure to popularize one or more of the marketplace platforms of IZEA and general 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. Please read the full statement and disclosures here: http://izea.com/safe-harbor-statement/.
