Words: Richard Bellwood

“We don’t advertise. Most of our work comes from referrals.” It’s a phrase I’ve heard countless times in my 27 years in this industry – in showrooms, over coffee, and at trade shows.

Referrals, after all, have built many brilliant KBB businesses. Print advertising has played its part too, keeping showrooms visible in the pages of trusted publications. But here’s the truth: relying on referrals alone, without a wider presence, no longer fills me with confidence.

The customer journey has changed. The way people discover, research, and decide who to trust has moved – partly online, partly social, but still with room for traditional, trusted media. The strongest businesses today blend the old and the new. Referrals absolutely still matter. But if you think that means you don’t need digital visibility, you are already behind.

When I started in this industry, word-of-mouth was everything. Customers visited a showroom because their neighbour raved about it. Designers built reputations locally, like bakers and butchers – slowly, personally, one client at a time. That human connection is still the heartbeat of our industry, but now it’s not the only beat.

Today’s word-of-mouth doesn’t just happen in the pub or at a dinner party. It happens on social media. It lives in tagged photos, five-star Google reviews, reels of sparkling under-cabinet lighting, and viral “before and after” kitchen transformations. A glowing personal recommendation still carries weight, but if your digital presence doesn’t back it up, the lead is gone. This is about visibility building trust.

Trust builds confidence and confidence drives sales. Potential clients are looking at mood boards, lighting ideas, appliance reviews, and videos of real homes. That is when a beautiful photo of a project you completed, perfectly lit and styled, could inspire them to save it, follow you, and reach out. You have just created a future referral. In a digital world, your online presence is more than marketing – it’s reputation in motion.

Marketing mix

The next generation of homeowners are not just on social media, they are living on it. They are watching influencers walk through kitchens and reading ‘10 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Kitchen Reno’ blog posts. They are visual buyers and social media is their showroom. If you are not telling your story where they spend time, someone else is.

Referrals, reputation, and trusted advertising in established media still have huge value. They give credibility and reach that no single Instagram post can achieve on its own. But visibility today is multi-layered. It’s about pairing the strength of referrals with the authority of print and trade press, and extending that with the reach of digital and social.

Light the showroom and the screen. Tell your story in print, in person, and online. So the next time you say, “We don’t advertise,” ask yourself if that’s really a strategy, or just a habit?

In 2025 and beyond, the businesses that will win are the ones who choose to be seen everywhere their customers are – in the magazine they trust, on the platforms they scroll, and in the conversations that inspire them.