Melissa Lushbaugh is the Founder and Creative Director of South Made Marketing, the full-service digital marketing agency she built from the ground up in Knoxville, Tennessee. With over 22 years of experience in marketing, content strategy, and brand development, Melissa has grown South Made into one of the most trusted agencies in the Southeast, serving 1,000+ brands across 45+ US states and five countries. Her background started in fine dining marketing and event planning in Boca Raton, Florida, to being a high school English teacher and leading a nationally recognized agency that has earned various awards, had photography published in books and in national publications including Fatherly, Maxim, and Southern Living, and generated national press coverage for viral campaigns.
Melissa’s approach to marketing is rooted in creativity first. She finds inspiration everywhere, from travel, a vintage magazine spread to a late-night reel, and turns those sparks into executable campaigns that move the needle for her clients. Her expertise spans social media strategy, content creation, brand identity, SEO, and the full spectrum of digital marketing, but her real superpower is understanding how to make a brand feel alive in the feed. She has led campaigns for hospitality groups, luxury brands, medical practices, restaurants, and regional businesses, consistently delivering results that outperform industry benchmarks.
Before founding South Made, Melissa worked as a head bartender and transitioned into marketing and event planning for fine dining restaurants in South Florida. After graduation she was a high school English teacher and head coach. She did not set out to own an agency. She set out to do great work, and the agency followed. Today, Melissa leads a team of creative professionals and personally oversees strategy for South Made’s most complex client engagements. She is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University.
Besides the obvious. Obviously.
South Made Marketing | Knoxville based | social media | content creation| marketing agency.
We’ve been doing all the marketing things for over 22 years.
Introducing SOUTH MADE COLLABS ⚡️ KNOXVILLE’S INFLUENCER & CONTENT CREATOR NETWORK
South Made believes that real, organic, genuine engagement is more influential than just “Influencer Marketing”, or a pay to play (or post) approach.
Whether you’re the friend who always knows the newest restaurant before anyone else, the person documenting every cocktail, or someone who simply loves being part of exciting experiences, South Made Collabs was built for you.
South Made Collabs is an exclusive network of content creators, influencers, models, photographers, food lovers, and socially connected locals who get invited to collaborate with some of the region’s most exciting brands.
Joining is simple and free.
Complete your Collabs profile and tell us what you’re passionate about.
You don’t have to have 100,000 followers.
We’re looking for people who genuinely enjoy creating content, love discovering new places, and know how to tell a story online.
Learn more & sign up (link also in bio and stories)
New Branding + Web Design ⚡️
Introducing @levelswealth > We had the opportunity to bring bold vision to life through a brand identity that feels as elevated and intentional as the clients they serve.
Built for the people who play at the highest level. Levels Wealth isn’t your typical wealth management firm, they help founders, executives, and professional athletes make smarter money moves through strategic financial planning, cash flow management, and investing.
Let’s create cool sh⚡️t
SouthMade.com
In the wise words of @toddrichesin “more is always more”… especially when it comes to engagement on social media.
Just a little viral content from your Social Media team at South Made.
Based in Knoxville, TN and Marco Island, FL but proudly working everywhere.
SouthMade.com let’s CREATE COOL SH⚡️T
Lunch the South Made way.
Wait, is this what marketers really eat?!
SouthMade.com Let’s create cool sh⚡️t
Trigger Warning: A screenshot is stealing.
It might seem harmless to screenshot a photo you found online, but photography is protected by copyright, and the images belong to the photographer who created them.
Using a photo without permission, even if you tag or credit the account that posted it, doesn’t automatically give you the right to use it. In some cases, copyright infringement can result in significant legal penalties.
The good news? It’s easy to do it the right way. License the image, ask for permission, or better yet, hire a photographer to create original content for your brand.
Great photography is an investment in your business, and the people behind the camera deserve to be compensated for their creativity and hard work.
Support creators. Respect copyright. Create original content.
A little bit of what the South Made crew was up to this week.
Content creation | Marketing | Social Media in Knoxville and everywhere. SouthMade.com Let’s create cool sh⚡️t.
Truly farm to table right here in East TN.
@farmtofeastknox is one of the most deliciously unique experiences and one that will leave you wanting more… and more. Learn about the farm, soak in incredible views and indulge in top tier cuisine.
Grab some friends and book your dinner or learn more about their prepared meals on the website.
Have you been to @dsbprovisions yet? If not, it’s time to check it out.
We were incredibly honored to partner with Dustin and his team to bring this Italian-inspired, farm-to-table concept to life. We’ve been longtime fans of this talented chef, and getting to collaborate with him has been an incredible experience.
From menu design and content to social media and web design, our team has loved seeing every detail come together and watching the response from the community.
Dustin and his wife Stacy also own a farm in Maryville, where many of the ingredients—including the eggs for the pasta—are sourced directly. His focus has always been simple: super fresh, high-quality ingredients and giving back to the community he’s part of.
Located in @greenwayvillagemaryville. Go pay them a visit (and leave a Google review while you’re there). 🤌
Absolutely exceptional custom homes on Marco Island? You found it.
@braunbuilders has been proudly building the area’s finest homes for over 20 years. Family-owned and operated. This isn’t just another custom builder, they’re artisans.
We can’t wait to show you what they’re building next.
Video: South Made Marketing
Recently launched 🚀 We recently compeleted a total branding buildout complete with new website, content and social media for @confusioncharlotte
Optimizing your marketing efforts so they are cohesive is key. Especially with recent changes to Google.
Three things every restaurant website should have right now:
1. A video that showcases the overall experience and highlights food and beverage options.
2. A menu (ideally not just a PDF)
3. Reservation integration
A huge congratulations to Todd Richesin on reaching 100,000 followers on Instagram.
Over the past several years, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside Todd to help grow his digital presence, expand his reach across platforms, and share his unique voice with a larger audience. From Instagram and TikTok to YouTube, print media, and most recently the Richesin & Famous podcast, it’s been incredible to watch his audience continue to grow.
As one of the most recognizable interior designers and lifestyle personalities in East Tennessee, Todd has built a community that extends far beyond design. His authenticity, creativity, humor, and unmistakable point of view have earned the attention of 100,000 people who genuinely enjoy following his journey.
At South Made, we are honored to be part of that story and grateful for the trust Todd has placed in our team over the years.
🥂Congratulations on an incredible milestone, Todd. Here’s to the next 100,000.
Photo Credit: @benfinch
READY TO CREATE SOME COOL SHIT? ⚡️
Honored to rep the best. From videography, photography, web design, graphic design and more (go peep the YouTube channel) we are honored to work with the @connor_osully team on any and all their marketing needs.
Don’t blend in… it’s time to stand out.
Next race: June 18th 🔥
Providing the receipts.
It’s easy to say you understand social media marketing. It’s a lot harder to consistently create content that earns attention, drives local engagement, organically.
Because successful social media isn’t just posting for the sake of posting. It’s strategy. Audience psychology. Storytelling. Timing. Trends. Creative execution. Testing. Analyzing. Adjusting. Repeating.
Anyone can hit “publish.”
The real challenge is getting people to stop scrolling.
So instead of telling you we’re good at social media, we’ll show you. These are just a few of the results we’ve generated through organic content strategy for our clients recently.
SouthMade.com ⚡️
Cheers to the art of doing it all! 🥂 A big congratulations goes out to our very own (uber-talented) @hallie_lunsford, who recently said “I do” not just to joining the South Made social team full-time, but also to her amazing husband! Help us wish her a life full of love, laughter, and happily ever after!!
Enjoy your honeymoon, Hallie. But hurry back… social never sleeps. 😉
There’s been a lot of conversation surrounding Google’s latest update and the rapid evolution happening across digital marketing, especially with the continued rise of AI and changing search behavior.
At South Made, we’ve been actively monitoring these shifts and analyzing how they impact everything from social media strategy and website content to SEO performance, discoverability, and long-term search rankings.
Staying ahead of industry changes is a core part of how we operate. Our team is already adapting strategy and refining our approach to ensure our clients remain positioned competitively as the digital landscape continues to evolve.
The future of digital marketing is shifting quickly- are you evolving with it?
SouthMade.com
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