Do you watch YouTube? What about streaming video from television Web sites like NBC or MTV? If you're like many Americans, online video has become a convenient way to watch breaking news, access sports events or catch up on your favorite prime-time television shows. In fact, "Business Week" recently ran an article that states, "In the first 12 days of the Beijing Olympics, users of NBC's Web site had watched more than 56 million video streams-- more than the combined total for the previous two Olympiads-Torino, Italy, in 2006; and Athens, Greece, in 2004."

Have you implemented online video into your marketing plan? If you haven't, consider using video to bring your brand to life. Don't do it in the traditional sense: all about you. Instead, shoot a video about your brand and what it makes your customers feel like. Today's consumers want to get to know you and your brand. They want a real, personal connection. Video is a great way to translate your philosophy and brand online. Post it on your site, and then post it on YouTube. Send it by e-mail to new prospects. Think of video as a chance to invite them into your office, virtually.

Real Living offers agents the opportunity to create their own professional, authentic and compelling videos of themselves, their listings or their area of expertise through "Real Living Stories." Online video is becoming an increasingly popular medium through which consumers are reached, so utilize this tool and keep experimenting with different methods of communicating your message.