Over the past 3 years there has been an incredible shift in who is building social media sites. Originally, I was talking directly to the vanguards in the industry who took a bet on what they saw as a great new technology and worked directly with it.

Today there is a lot more confidence in social media and many organizations are investing in agencies to help build our robust programs. Through my work in channels at Mzinga I have seen a wide range of organizations that help to architect and build out social media sites. I think that it is helpful to describe each as I understand them.

• Social Media Consultants: Social media consultants have really only emerged in the last 12 months as a category. These are extremely smart and typically very well connected individuals who have established themselves through blogging, Facebook and Twitter. Typically they will provide the strategic guidance and consulting for social initiatives and rely on other interactive partners for implementation and design. Examples include: Chris Brogan, Laura Fitton, CC Chapman and many others.
• Social Media Agencies: These agencies specialize in evaluating needs and consulting with organizations. They may have a range of individuals that may assist with some implementation, but may also partner with other teams. Great examples include the Social Media Group, The Conversation Group, Ignite Social Media, Digital Influence Group and many others.
• Interactive Agencies: The established Agencies for interactive and online projects – the Interactive Agencies have really had to quickly understand social media and are creating great work. Great interactive agencies include: Digitas, AvenueA-Razorfish, Brulant, HUGE, iNDELIBLE, Organic and many others.
• Traditional and PR Agencies: Finally traditional and PR agencies are now seeing social media as a required (and effective) arrow in their quiver of marketing tools. These agencies may pride themselves on a more holistic approach that they are able to provide. Examples include ARC Worldwide, Hill Holliday, Mullen, Edelman, MRM Worldwide and many others.

Each group has a different range of benefits that they can offer the client. Choosing the right agency/consulting partner for your social media project (much like choosing the right architect) is a critical decision that involves style, budget, and personal preference. Understanding the range of options is a critical first step.