Online video marketers wishing to maximise their return on investment could be advised to do more to target women, a new study indicates.

According to a report by eMarketer, two-thirds of women on the internet view video content, compared to 78 per cent of men.

However, with six million more females online than the opposite sex, the report suggests video advertisers must do more if they are to attract women.

Author of the study and senior analyst for eMarketer Debra Aho Williamson said: "Getting the female audience engaged is crucial for the success of online video and over the next few years, marketers and online video content providers will need to figure out exactly how to get that job done."

Ms Williamson also pointed to research by InsightExpress for Advertising.com which suggests that news clips are the most popular form of online video content among both sexes.

Earlier this week, a study by Double Click revealed 0.32 per cent of users play internet video advertisements, compared to 0.15 per cent of those who click on an image in Jpeg or Gif form.