Matchstick Social

What Matchstick Social does

Matchstick Social is a Charleston, South Carolina-based digital marketing and branding agency founded in 2013 and operating as Matchstick Social of SC, LLC. The firm delivers an integrated growth marketing offering spanning social media management, paid social and Google Ads, SEO, email marketing, brand photography and videography, brand identity and development, and website design and development, packaged primarily as monthly growth marketing retainers with a dedicated strategist and team. Underlying delivery is service-based rather than technology-based: Matchstick has no proprietary platform or AI/ML capabilities and executes work through its in-house all-female team of 11 full-time specialists, supported by third-party stacks such as WordPress/Elementor, Shopify, and Google Maps Platform APIs.

The business model combines recurring revenue from monthly retainers (typically $3,000-$15,000+ per client, with social media management packages starting at $3,500-$6,500 per month) with project-based revenue from brand identity, website builds ($5,000-$50,000+ projects), and workshops/training sub-products including Brand Camp and the Brand Reset Workshop Series at $2,250-$2,500 per participant. A specialized construction industry vertical was added in 2025 with tiered packages starting at $17,500 and $30,000. Customer segments span B2B companies with proven product-market fit seeking to scale and B2C companies needing integrated brand and demand generation; named clients include Gildan, BoomTown, MassageBook, Charleston Regional MLS, Harbor Logistics, Gerald's Tires and Brakes, and Charleston Tea Garden.

Go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, beginning with a discovery call followed by a customized proposal, with a stated minimum project budget of $5,000+ and retainer minimum of $3,000+ that signals mid-market focus. Organic social media management is intentionally kept local to the Charleston/Lowcountry area, while paid advertising, SEO, and branding services are delivered nationally on a remote basis. The company is privately held by co-partners Rachel Davis and Amber Ludeman, who bought out a prior partner in 2017; David Cole serves as CPA/CFO, and the broader leadership includes a Director of Advertising & Brand Strategy, Content Supervisor, Senior Content Strategist, Senior Paid Media Strategist, and a Photographer/Videographer. The firm has accumulated regional recognition including Charleston's Choice Best Advertising Agency, multiple SPARK! Awards, Best of Charleston, and an SC Biz Empowering Women Award.

Name

Matchstick Social

Legal name

Matchstick Social of SC, LLC

Website

https://matchsticksocial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Matchstick Social is a Charleston, SC-based digital marketing and branding agency with an 11-person all-female team delivering integrated growth marketing retainers, paid media, SEO, brand identity, website design, and photography to mid-market and enterprise clients locally and nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Agency Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAHAK

Creator Partnerships & Sponsorship Sales (Brand Partnerships)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Influencer & Creator Marketing Agencies

SECONDARYMPAAAHAG

Influencer PR & Seeding (Gifting/Press Kits)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Influencer & Creator Marketing Agencies

Keywords

• Digital marketing services
• Social media management
• Brand identity design
• Search engine marketing
• Website development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Growth Marketing Retainers: Core offering providing dedicated team executing full marketing strategy including paid media, organic social, content, email, and reporting tied directly to business goals. Monthly retainer model.
2. Project-Based Services: One-time projects including brand identity development, website design and development, and content production. Examples include brand guides, websites, and photography/videography packages.
3. Workshops and Training: The Brand Reset Workshop Series at $2,500 (early bird $2,250) and Brand Camp consulting at $2,500+ for brand strategy workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Matchstick Social is a Charleston, SC-based digital marketing and branding agency whose core offering is a Growth Marketing Retainer that deploys a dedicated team to execute a full monthly marketing strategy covering paid media, organic social, content, email, and analytics tied to revenue and pipeline goals. The agency also sells standalone project services such as brand identity and development, website design and development, SEO, email marketing, and brand photography/videography, plus workshops (Brand Reset, Brand Camp) and specialized construction-industry packages. Sales follow a discovery call leading to a customized proposal and multi-month engagement.

Product overview

Matchstick Social is a Charleston-based growth marketing and branding agency offering a comprehensive suite of integrated digital marketing services. Their core offerings include Social Media Management, Social Media Advertising, Google Ads & Search Engine Marketing, Brand Photography & Videography, Brand Identity & Development, Website Design & Development, SEO Services, and Email Marketing Services—all delivered through Growth Marketing Retainers with a dedicated team. They also offer specialized sub-products including The Brand Reset Workshop Series (a four-part in-person workshop for entrepreneurs at $2,500) and Brand Camp (an intensive brand strategy workshop led by Partner Amber Ludeman starting at $2,500). The agency also provides Construction Industry Packages with tiered pricing starting at $17,500 for basic and $30,000 for mid-tier. Founded in 2013, the agency focuses on integrated strategies combining branding, organic and paid social, search, SEO, content, email, and conversion-focused web development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Brand Reset Workshop Series: A four-part, in-person workshop series for Charleston-area entrepreneurs focusing on brand positioning, messaging, and content pillars.
• Brand Camp
• Firestarters Consulting

Products and services

• Social Media Management Strategic social media management covering content creation, copywriting, graphic design, photography, videography, scheduling, community management, and monthly reporting for platforms including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Pinterest.
• Social Media Advertising Paid social advertising services for Meta (Facebook and Instagram), LinkedIn, and Pinterest, featuring daily campaign optimization, continuous testing, data-backed strategies, creative refreshes, retargeting, and lookalike audience development focused on ROAS.
• Google Ads & Search Engine Marketing Strategic Google Ads management including campaign audits, lead generation, remarketing, search and display campaigns, local service ads, creative copy optimization, and expert-led strategy implementation.
• Brand Photography & Videography Professional brand photography and videography services including leadership and team shoots, workplace and environment photography, product detail, campaign concepts, brand story videos, customer testimonials, and short-form vertical content.
• Brand Identity & Development Comprehensive brand identity services including logo suite design, color palette, typography, iconography, brand patterns, mission/vision/values development, brand voice, market positioning, audience personas, social media templates, and brand guidelines.
• Website Design & Development Conversion-focused website design and development services built on WordPress (Elementor) or Shopify, featuring custom design, responsive layouts, SEO architecture, and ongoing maintenance and hosting.
• SEO Services Search engine optimization services including regional and national SEO packages, on-site content creation and optimization, local SEO packages, and Google My Business optimization.
• Email Marketing Services Email marketing services including newsletter development, list segmentation and management, campaign creation, and automated email flows (drips) for lead nurturing and conversion.
• Growth Marketing Retainers Full-service growth marketing retainers providing a dedicated team executing complete marketing strategy including paid media, organic social, content, email, and monthly analytics tied to business goals.
• Firestarters Consulting Consulting services for startups and seasoned professionals to build stronger foundations for brand, marketing, and sales strategies.
• The Brand Reset Workshop Series A four-part, in-person workshop series for small business owners covering brand positioning, messaging, content pillars, audience needs, and decision-making processes. Priced at $2,500 (early bird $2,250), limited to ~10 participants per cohort.
• Brand Camp Signature hands-on brand workshop combining strategy, creativity, and marketing expertise. Includes discovery and research, brand story development, identity and messaging, visual direction, and implementation roadmap.
• Construction Industry Packages Specialized marketing packages for construction companies including brand development, website design, and social media services. Basic package starts at $17,500; mid-tier at $30,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 312% increase in qualified leads for B2B SaaS client over 8 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LYFE Marketing: Atlanta-based digital marketing agency offering social media management, paid social, SEO, and email marketing for SMB and mid-market clients. Most directly comparable in service mix, retainer model, and target customer profile.
• SociallyIn: Mid-sized social media marketing agency specializing in content creation, community management, and paid social for mid-market and enterprise brands. Directly comparable on social-first service stack and retainer delivery.
• Sculpt: B2B-focused social media and content marketing agency serving SaaS and tech clients. Comparable in B2B client emphasis and integrated content + paid social offering.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Full-service digital marketing agency offering SEO, PPC, social media, and web design for SMB through enterprise. Comparable integrated service portfolio, though at larger scale than Matchstick.
• Brafton: Content marketing agency with strong SEO, content production, and social media offerings. Comparable on content-led retainer model and mid-market B2B focus.
• SmartSites: Digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, PPC, and social media services. Comparable full-stack digital marketing delivery for SMB and mid-market clients.
• Disruptive Advertising: Digital marketing agency focused on paid media, SEO, and lifecycle marketing with a strong retainer model. Comparable paid-social and SEO services, similar mid-market orientation.
• Lilo Social: Specialized paid social agency for e-commerce and DTC brands running Meta and TikTok campaigns. Comparable paid social expertise and ROAS-driven positioning.
• SocialSEO: Digital marketing agency with strong SEO, PPC, and social media offering. Comparable integrated services and SMB-to-mid-market focus, Colorado-based.
• Inflow: Digital marketing agency specializing in paid media, SEO, and analytics for e-commerce brands. Comparable performance-marketing orientation and ROAS-led case studies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/matchsticksocial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matchstick-social
• Instagraminstagram.com/matchsticksocial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Matchstick Social