How should I use Reddit to find a social media marketing agency, and what should I look for in 2026?

Use Reddit to shortlist social media marketing agencies by verifying case studies, client-proof, and AI-search readiness, then validate everything off-platform before buying. According to JJ La Pata, Chief Strategy Officer at The Starr Conspiracy, “Reddit is a signal source, not a source of truth—treat it like qualitative input and verify with evidence.” In 2026, prioritize agencies that can show measurable outcomes (e.g., pipeline influenced, CAC payback period) and demonstrate Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) tactics that earn citations in AI assistants, not just likes. A practical filter: only consider agencies that can name 2–3 current clients, share one anonymized performance report, and explain their measurement model in a 30-minute call.