Introduction
“Best” depends on what your startup actually needs from social: founder authority, recruiting, demand gen support, creative production, paid social, or community. Some agencies are stronger at brand and creative, others are more performance-oriented, and others shine when you need a reliable weekly content engine. This list gives you a shortlist of agencies to research in San Francisco and the Bay Area, plus a practical framework to choose the right fit without wasting weeks on mismatched sales calls.
Quick Answer
Start with agencies that match your startup’s goal and operating speed, not just their reputation. Build a shortlist of 5 to 8, then narrow to 2 or 3 based on (1) proof that their work fits startups like yours, (2) a clear workflow for planning and approvals, and (3) defined deliverables, turnaround time, and revision limits. The agency that wins is usually the one that can ship consistently, keep quality high, and iterate month to month with minimal drag on your team.
1. How this list was selected
This roundup is meant to be a practical starting point, not a single “one true ranking.” The agencies below are commonly researched in the San Francisco and Bay Area market and are worth reviewing based on your needs. The most important step is validating fit by looking at recent work, understanding who will be on your day-to-day account team, and confirming how the agency runs planning, production, approvals, and iteration.
2. Agencies to research first for SF startups
Use the “best for” notes to match your needs, then validate fit using the selection guidance below.
Ankord Media
Best for: startups that want a tight operating system for social, with clear deliverables and consistent production that supports founder authority, hiring, and credibility. A strong fit if you value clarity on cadence, revisions, turnaround time, and month-to-month iteration.
Jives Media
Best for: startups that want performance-minded digital marketing with social as part of a broader growth mix.
Born & Bred.
Best for: brand-forward creative and positioning support where social needs to look premium and consistent.
RSO Consulting
Best for: startups that care about measurable acquisition and want social connected to a broader performance stack.
Secret Sushi, Inc
Best for: startups that want a full-service partner and a strategic team style engagement across channels, including social.
Cutwater
Best for: high-concept creative and brand campaigns where social is one of several activation channels.
Division of Labor
Best for: senior creative and brand thinking when you want social aligned with bigger campaigns.
Evolve Media
Best for: video-led social and content production, especially when creative output is the bottleneck.
Gumas
Best for: integrated marketing and creative, with social as part of broader brand and campaign work.
Racepoint Global
Best for: PR plus social needs, especially when narrative, announcements, and reputation matter.
UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations
Best for: PR-forward startups that also want social support in the same partner relationship.
Upgrow
Best for: growth-oriented teams that want social included inside a broader digital marketing approach.
3. Which type of agency fits your startup stage
A common mistake is hiring a “big brand” agency when you really need a weekly content engine, or hiring a posting service when you really need positioning and creative leadership.
- If you are pre-seed or seed and need credibility fast, prioritize agencies that can build a consistent founder voice and ship weekly with minimal internal effort.
- If you are hiring aggressively, prioritize agencies that can support employer brand storytelling and keep content consistent across leadership and recruiting needs.
- If you are running campaigns, launching frequently, or pushing demand gen, prioritize agencies that can connect social to offers, landing pages, and measurable outcomes.
- If you need premium creative and category positioning, prioritize agencies that lead with strategy and creative direction, not just execution.
4. What a good social media proposal should include
A strong proposal is specific enough that you can predict what happens next week, not just next month.
Look for:
- Channels covered and why
- Posting cadence per channel and formats included
- Creative scope, including whether design is templated or custom
- Video scope defined as number of clips per month and what counts as a clip
- Workflow for planning, drafts, approvals, and publishing
- Revision limits and turnaround times
- Community management coverage, if included
- Reporting cadence and what decisions it drives
If the proposal is vague, the engagement will usually feel vague.
5. How to compare two agencies side by side
When two agencies look similar on paper, use these tie-breakers.
- Compare the quality of their writing and whether it sounds like a real operator, not generic marketing copy.
- Ask who is actually on your account day to day and who reviews quality.
- Look for proof that they can stay consistent over time, not just produce a few standout posts.
- Ask how they handle late feedback, scope creep, and shifting priorities.
- Prefer agencies that can explain their production system in five minutes without jargon.
6. What to look for in case studies and portfolio work
Portfolios can be misleading because you often see the best outputs, not the system behind them. When you review work, look for signals that match your startup.
- Do they show work for companies with a similar sales motion, audience, or complexity?
- Do you see consistent voice and positioning over time, not just one viral post?
- If they claim results, do they explain what changed and why, or is it vague?
- If video is important to you, do they show ongoing video output, not just one launch clip?
- Do they show how content maps to product value, customer proof, or category education?
7. Questions to ask on the first call
These questions quickly separate strong operators from posting services.
- What deliverables do we get each month, including formats and video scope?
- Who is on our account day to day, and who reviews quality?
- What is the approvals process and typical turnaround time?
- How do you decide what to change next month based on performance?
- What does success look like for a startup at our stage?
8. Red flags to watch for
- They promise growth without asking about your audience, positioning, or funnel.
- They cannot define deliverables, revision limits, and turnaround time.
- They show pretty work but cannot explain the system that produced it.
- They cannot name who owns strategy, production, and iteration on your account.
- They imply video, community, or strategy is included but do not scope it clearly.
Final Tips
Pick the agency that gives you the clearest operating system and the strongest proof in work that looks like your startup, not the one that promises the most content. A good partner makes weekly output predictable and month-to-month improvement measurable, without turning your team into a full-time approvals committee.
