Facebook has been making a strong push lately to embrace brands and celebrities through its Facebook Fan Pages, applications, and through Facebook Connect. Unfortunately, many brands have absolutely no idea how to engage their audience through the site. Today, Facebook is lending them a hand: it’s launching a new directory featuring well established consultants who have proven they know how to leverage Facebook’s platforms.

The directory is launching with 14 consultants, including Wildfire, a platform for building Facebook-enabled promotions (covered here) and Involver, which recently powered the launch of Alicia Key’s new album on Facebook.

Facebook is allowing other consultants to apply as well. To become part of the program, consultants will have to demonstrate how they’ve previously built engaging experiences using Facebook, including screenshots and other examples. There isn’t an application fee, though I suspect the waiting period to gain acceptance will be long initially as the site sees a large influx of applications.

Facebook says that brands have been asking for suggestions about consultants for some time, which is what prompted them to release the directory. It will surely be great news to anyone who manages to get accepted (especially the 14 launch partners) but it will also make it harder for newcomers to get their foot in the door. The big will get bigger, and everyone else will get left in the dust.