Meet the expert: Siân Smith, Digital Marketing Specialist

We grill our panel of experts taking part in our upcoming Power of Influence talk. First up: Siân tells us what it's really like to work with an influencer.

Tell us a little about what you do.

I am a freelance marketing consultant and work with fashion and lifestyle brands who need extra support with their marketing. This could be social media strategy, influencer marketing or content creation (social media, email marketing, website content, blogs, etc).

Before freelancing, I spent a decade in marketing at Microsoft and prior to that, I worked at Topshop for ten years. I oversaw the visual strategy across 20+ stores and executed major openings. This was back in the day when Topshop was at its height, and it really was the best job in the world!

I decided to go freelance after having my second child 7 years ago so I could fit work around my family. I am now in the lovely position of working with clients who really benefit from my retail and fashion background.

Describe your typical working day

A typical day for me starts with the school run, then it’s on to wherever my ‘office’ is for the day - either at home, on client site, or a local coffee spot if I am co-working with a friend. No two working days are the same so I could be finalising copy for an email campaign, creating content for socials, meeting influencers, or leading project update calls with stakeholders.

Then it’s back in time for the school run again. Having this flexibility is the best part of being a freelancer.

Siân's recent projects

What has been your favourite project to work on?

I will always have a soft spot for FARAxLCF, FARA Charity Shops’ annual design collaboration with London College of Fashion. Each year, a group of students come to FARA’s flagship store and are met with a huge pile of deadstock fabric - donated items that are not fit for resale, and are ultimately destined for landfill. The students select their fabric and go away to create a wearable outfit.

I have project-managed this collaboration for 3 years now, and it gets better every time. We have a catwalk show at LCF, a panel of fashion industry experts who critique the designs, and influencers who create content whilst wearing the creations. We are blown away every year by the standard of work produced.

What’s it like to work with an influencer - any favourite partnerships?

Working with influencers can be very rewarding, especially when you find the perfect fit for your client/project. Seeing a brand through fresh eyes and reaching new audiences can be really powerful. That’s not to say working with influencers is easy! It does come with challenges and you need to make sure you have very clear expectations to ensure a successful outcome.

My favourite partnership is probably with Kelly Harrington for FARAxLCF.

Kelly (left) is a denim expert, trend forecaster and vintage archivist who has worked with the biggest brands in the world. Kelly is so passionate about the student’s work for FARAxLCF, and is also a fantastic content creator in her own right.

Where do you think the world of influencers is going - any key trends?

Consumers are more discerning than ever and can easily spot genuine partnerships versus forced promotions. In 2025, influencer marketing is all about authenticity, community, and measurable impact.

Micro and nano influencers remain key, with brands prioritising building long-term relationships over costly one-off activations.

As social commerce grows, DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands should leverage platforms like TikTok Shop to drive direct sales.

What are the biggest mistakes brands make when it comes to social marketing?

The biggest mistakes I see are:

Brands ignoring audience insights and creating content that has no relevance to their customer - especially jumping on viral trends that have no connection to their business.
Inconsistent posting and not having a social strategy in place.
Treating all platforms the same i.e. cross-posting the exact same content to each channel and hoping for the best.
Wasting huge amounts of money on poorly researched influencer and PR activity.
Brands who fail to engage with their audience and who don’t nurture a community.

Where can we find out more about your work?

I offer free 15-minute introductory calls for potential clients to explore how I can support their needs. Book a call or visit my website: www.siansmithsocial.com.

Find out more about the do’s and don’ts of influencer marketing from Sian and our other panelists Lizzie Hughes and Anthony Campbell, at our forthcoming Influencer Marketing for Small Businesses talk, taking place Monday 28th April in Henley-on-Thames.

Book your place