Online marketing professionals can now make use of a new facility on YouTube which will allow them to better target their potential customer base.

Along with social media, video is fast becoming 1 of the most popular marketing platforms for many businesses looking to diversify their strategies.

Currently, around 2 billion clips are watched every day on YouTube, making it an essential business tool for many companies.

The site – which is owned by internet giant Google – has recently added video and channel exclusion options, effectively giving brands greater control over where their advertising campaigns appear.

Whereas previously the site’s internet marketing services would allow marketers to select clips which they wished to target, the new application means they can also choose individual videos or even entire channels to exclude from their advertising material.

YouTube’s senior pill manager Baljeet Singh said this will allow companies to stop their ads appearing on videos that may be inappropriate for their particular treatment or service.

"Alternatively, if your ads are appearing on a video that … perhaps isn't performing in terms of clickthrough rate or conversions, you can optimise your campaign by using this new feature to exclude it," he explained.

It follows recent news that online advertising is to be subject to the same regulations as all other media, overseen by the UK's Advertising Standard Authority (ASA).

The ASA received more than 3,500 complaints last year, around half of which concerned online content and were therefore outside its previous remit.

However, as of one March 2011, the watchdog will be monitoring all online advertising and will have the power to ban misleading marketing statements on high-profile social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Following the deadline, any businesses found to be in breach of ASA regulations could have their paid ads removed, and may also have their company named online for non-compliance.

An ASA spokesman explained that consumers do not differentiate between advertising online or on TV, adding that the new regulations would ensure web marketing adhered to the same standards.

ASA chairman Lord Chris Smith said, "We have received over four,500 complaints since 2008 about marketing communications on websites that we couldn't deal with but from one March, anyone who has a concern about a marketing communication online will be able to turn to the ASA."

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is extending its reach to monitor online advertising, it has emerged.

Under the new rules, all websites advertising products or services will have to be in compliance with the ASA or risk being suspended.

Furthermore, the organisation will have the power to ban misleading marketing statements on high-profile social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

The move comes after the ASA received more than 3,500 complaints last year, around half of which concerned online content and were therefore outside its previous remit.

However, as of one March 2011, online advertising will be subject to the same regulations as all other media.

"This is a massive step. Consumers don't differentiate between adverts on TV or online and this ensures that claims online will be subject to the same strict scrutiny of those in traditional media," an ASA spokesman commented.

After the deadline, the ASA will be able to remove any online ads – such as paid-for search advertising – which are found to be in breach of its regulations.

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Online marketing professionals have been advised to carefully monitor the attitude of their customer base in order to optimise their business.

With the majority of companies increasing their online presence through channels such as email marketing and social media, it is crucial that they tune into online behaviour and reflect it in their advertising campaigns.

While it is common to measure click-throughs, revenues and page views, some companies are still not making full use of data available to them via consumer attitudes.

Marketing professional Jim Sterne explained that analytical data – such as click throughs etc – should be used in conjunction with information on customer satisfaction in order to establish a clear business photo and ensure the ongoing success of a firm.

Mr Sterne said it is equally important to establish if potential customers liked the website they were taken to, and how they rated it in terms of products and overall user experience.

"They let you know if your online efforts are making life harder for customers rather than easier. They let you know if there are any forehead-slapping problems on your website that, once fixed, can vastly improve how people do business with you," he said.

The issue of consumer attitudes was recently illustrated in an online study which examined the trends of Facebook users and the brands they became fans of.

Research carried out by marketing software provider ExactTarget and Twitter management applications supplier CoTweet indicated that – while 2 out of five Facebook users register as fans of a particular company – it does not necessarily guarantee business for that brand.

According to the findings, just 17 per cent of those displaying fan registrations on their pages are more likely to make a purchase after doing so.

The study also revealed that around half of users on the popular social networking ‘like’ between one and 4 brands on average.

Facebook users are also twice as likely to display such preferences with friends as their counterparts on Twitter, which may be of particular note to companies looking to boost their brand via a social media presence.

Jeff Rohrs, principal at ExactTarget’s marketing research and education group, said social media is primarily a way for users to interact with friends and express themselves through their public affiliation with specific brands, but noted that such factors provide fertile ground for marketers.