In the grand tradition of merging words to create portmanteaus (e.g. “chocoholic,” “truthiness,” “Brangelina,” and – most recently and unfortunately– “Speidi“), there now comes “smores.”

Smores, or “social media whores,” as explained by blogger Mark Allen Roberts in his article, Beware of Smores: Social Media Whores, are “self professed social media experts who take large retainers from unsuspecting clients, they over promise and under deliver.”

Michelle Spellerberg, Marketing Director of CareerBuilder’s consulting arm, Personified, passed the article on to me, summing it up this way:

How to spot a “smore” (social media whore):

• If someone in the social media space tells you that social media is “free”…you may be dealing with a smore.
• If you meet with someone in the social media space and they want to talk about “putting you out there” without discussing goals and some measurement of those goals…you may be dealing with a smore.
• If you meet with someone in the social marketing space and they talk about putting you “everywhere” as opposed to strategically placing you in outposts based on your market and buyer persona’s…you may be dealing with a smore.
• If you meet with someone in the social marketing space and they do not spend the time on the upfront to understand your brand and your brand promise….you may be dealing with a smore.
• If you meet with someone in the social media space who says you can’t expect a return on your social marketing investment…you may be dealing with a smore.

Now, as you may or may not be aware, CareerBuilder offers employers a solution to help them create and build a social media presence for the purpose of recruitment and employment branding.  Our consultants use their extensive knowledge in employment branding, data analysis, recruitment and the social networking space to assist clients as they navigate the world of social media recruiting. That said, we’re proud to say that, by Robert’s definition, we’re not just a bunch of smores (as delicious as it may sound to call ourselves that).  Spellerberg explains:

CareerBuilder’s social media offerings help clients with their recruitment and employment branding goals. Our services deliver results, not just flair. We consult with clients on the best practices in social media and help them implement a social media strategy that is integrated with their current recruitment plan.

We discuss which sites meet their needs and tell them to start with one and then strategically select their next site, depending on their candidate or business needs. We work with them to set metrics, such as tracking traffic to their Web site or Careers page, tracking number of fans or followers, or setting up link shortening to track clicks on posts and tweets. We also work with them to develop a strategy that they can mange: not too big, not too small.

It takes time, content, and dedication to manage a successful social media presence. CareerBuilder doesn’t promote lots of bells and whistles to make social media work; we stick with the proven basics of driving fans/followers and creating engaging content that adds value to readers’ in their careers and daily lives.