Social Media Replaces Corporate Sites?

With the emergence of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and all of the hype that accompanies these forms of social media, there have been some rumblings that corporations no longer need their websites. While that is a pretty bold statement, there are some truths to it. Social media marketing allows for business to reach their consumers freely and frequently. Constant contact with your consumer as well as response and feedback from them can be very lucrative for business. Venues such as Facebook and Twitter allow companies to post brief, "soft-selling" techniques that slyly inform consumers of their newest product or their hottest line. Companies such as Volkswagen are evening running T.V. commercials with their Facebook URL instead of their corporate website (not that VW.com is that hard to remember). But does this mean that social media sites such as Facebook are replacing corporate websites? I would argue no, and here is why. Social media sites work best in conjunction with corporate sites. Programs such as Facebook and Twitter act more as interactive marketing campaigns that increase a business' digital presence. And while it's always very interesting to read what a company's "fans" have to say, it still doesn't replace the need for a content rich corporate site. I will concede that while, unlike my Facebook or Twitter, there may not exist a corporate website I feel compelled to read daily. However, as a consumer, if I want to take the next step in purchasing a product or a service, a corporation's dot com is where I will go, not their social media profile. That's not to say Facebook won't offer a shopping cart feature soon. Who knows? But for now, it will remain a stepping stone to corporate sites.