The world of internet social media companies tends to kind of revolve in its own little world, to this day, no one is sure how they will eventually make money, but everyone knows they are here to stay. The success of Twitter is a good example of how a social networking sites have legitimized themselves on the world wide web, becoming a household word in the vein of what Kleenex used to be, and more than likely an eventual staple of life in modern times.

That said, venture capitalists looking at the internet really have to see the big picture when trying to understand the complexities of social networking in the 21st century. The internet, for all it’s seeming potential, is basically a giant marketing engine, and as it matures, it is becoming more and more integrated into the fabric of our culture.

It’s this integration that really has defined the last two or three years, and the success of companies such as Facebook and Twitter are an obvious example. Still, the internet is a medium for growth, and is a long way from maturity. Building is often done in stages on the internet, with new pieces appearing all the time.

Facebook adds a new tool for Social Media

A fairly new example is the addition of Facebook’s Zingr to the mix, and with it, we are beginning to see a trend toward a more all encompassing medium: sites that extend beyond the boundaries of their own sites and and bridge out into the existing world. It’s kind of neat to see, and while it’s success is difficult to gauge, in the traditional sense, it definitely captures the imagination and leads one to wonder, what exactly is possible from Facebook and other internet start-ups when all is said and done.