What is a social media agency?

There are several types of social media companies out there. Some are research focused, or software heavy, or app developers, or monitoring services. Some are purely extending the PR battle plan to a new medium.

The social media agency is one that can grasp all these segments and help companies extend their brand and marketing through training, long term strategy, and execution.

As Armano points out “What McKinsey would offer in SM would be very different than Crayon”. Since almost every company would almost be it’s own category, I am avoiding the categories for now. Perhaps in future lists we can add some delineation.

1. Ant’s Eye View
At Ant’s Eye View we concentrate on helping companies of all sizes understand and engage in customer collaboration, social media, and community building.” Clients include Apple, Microsoft, Cisco, Dr Pepper, and Maker’s Mark. [added per @TShelton]

2. >carrot creative
Anew-media marketing agency located in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY specializing in social media marketing and user experience design. We have the unique ability to take a project from the initial ideation stages to full scale application development all under one roof.

3. Collective Bias
The Wisdom of Connected Crowds – this is CollectiveBias, a partnership between us, consumers, brands, & retailers. CollectiveBias, of John Andrews, @GeekMommy and Walmart Moms fame, is a new social media company underneath the MARS Advertising umbrella.

4. Command Partners
We drive online visibility and lead generation with social media, SEO, online PR and integrated digital marketing services.

5. Convince & Convert
Hype-free social media strategy consulting, integration and operations audits. Client focus is on major corporations and agencies.

6. Dachis Group
of Jeff Dachis, Peter Kim, and David Armano fame, “was created to unlock the value of social technologies for large corporate enterprises through its Social Business Design global advisory practice and technology implementation program.” Dachis has $50 million in funding from Austin Ventures and recently purchased London/Sydney based Headshift.

7. Edelman Digital
Digital & social business planning group for the world’s largest independently owned public relations firm.

8. Ignite Social Media
The Original Social Media Agency ®. We’ve combined content developers, technologists, and social media strategists to form the Ignite team. Together, we keep up with trends, filter the noise, and help companies like yours put social media to work.

9. LevelWing
Levelwing is a data-driven digital advertising agency that provides business solutions.

10. Likeable
A Word of Mouth Marketing firm that creates and sustains buzz through word of mouth and social media marketing.

11. Mass Transmit
Mass Transmit provides the tools, services and expertise that enterprises and organizations need to create and manage digital communications.

12. Mullen
A social media agency rooted in strategy, public relations and a belief that creativity is as important as community. Social agency of record for Panera, Olympus, Grain Foods Foundation, Stanley, Stop and Shop and others.”

13. Shift Communications
A fast-growing, national agency that lives at the intersection of Influencer Relations & Social Media. We measure our performance according to the impact that we have on driving your business forward.

14. singley + mackie
Social Media Optimization, strategy, community management and development, for Fortune 100 companies including Microsoft, Hasbro & AT&T.

15. Social Media Group
Established in 2006 and one of the world’s most well-respected agencies helping business navigate the socially engaged Web. Current strategy/execution clients include SAP, Sleep Number, CNN and 3M. SMG is the agency that helped Ford get social starting in 2007.

16. Top Rank Online Marketing
Leading digital marketing agency helping clients acquire & engage customers online through integrated Social, SEO & Content Marketing.

17. We Are Social
A conversation agency. We help brands to listen, understand and engage in conversations in social media. We’re already helping Ford, Skype, Eurostar, The Economist, Absolut, Dunlop, Barclaycard and the WWF.

Image source: Shutterstock.com touch digital screen