By Fast Company expert blogger, Nick Nanton & JW Dicks

As technology continues to evolve, video is becoming more and more prevalent across the internet.  Even five years ago, filming and publishing professional-grade video content was much more difficult than it is today.  From a personal branding standpoint, video is a fantastic tool as it allows your audience to see your face and hear your voice… instead of simply reading text. Below are three great reasons why, if you are serious about personalbranding, you need to be on YouTube:

1) Video allows you to connect with your audience in a way no other medium can. Blogging is great.  So is a strong social media presence and well-written content on your website.  But no medium can provide the type of personal connection that video offers.  There is no substitute for this connection.

2) Video allows you to express your personality. The essence of your personal brand is your personality.  And video allows you to express yourself far more effectively than any other form of media.  From your facial expressions to vocal inflections, video communicates the subtleties that make you unique.  Video allows you to express your passions effectively as well—passion is communicated much more clearly through video than through text or pictures.

3) Video is fun and easy for your audience. Let’s face it, reading takes more effort than watching a video.  For better or worse, most of us enjoy being able to lean back and simply watch the computer screen rather than actively read.  In addition, video is easy to share, both on your website and on social media.  Take a look at this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQKng6ummN4) that we created introducing our “Generation U” marketing services for an example!

Today’s technology makes establishing a video identity achievable for every single business owner.  YouTube and other video-based websites are dramatically growing in popularity every day, so don’t wait until it is too late to jump on this bandwagon.  If you have questions or would like further advice regarding using video for personal branding, please feel free to get in touch with me today.  I look forward to seeing you on YouTube!

This article was recently featured on Fastcompany.com