The Modern Media Agency Series is supported by IDG. Marketers and media companies have a lot of opportunity in the social Web. IDG Global Solutions President Matt Yorke says marketers can do it themselves or work with a publisher that is a trusted source for their prospects.

Facebook was born in 2004 as a simple directory of profile pages for Ivy League students. Twitter emerged one year later, imploring people to chirp what they’re up to. When these social platforms launched, few people understood the promise they held for marketers and the opportunities they would bring for brands. Five years later, we have Facebook Pages, branded Twitter accounts, pimped out YouTube pages and badges on Foursquare.

Social media has had an incredible impact on a brand’s marketing program, but often the brand works in tandem with a media agency to perfect its communication and create its approach on these innovative new platforms. Social media has forced agencies to work quicker, longer and harder — all while keeping up with the newest Facebook features and location-based app. Its impact on agencies and their work can not be underestimated. We spoke with three agency representatives who describe exactly how social has affected the way their agencies work.

By Lauren Drell, Mashable

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