It's become quite archaic to categorize advertising as Above-The-Line and Below-The-Line. In modern marketing communication, the lines are no longer as rigid as before, and forward-looking agencies would rather take the Integrated Communication Approach - harmonizing all their activities and creativity into coming up with one holistic solution for the client. Yet, with particular focus on copywriting, it's definitely useful to atleast know the parameters of BTL. What it entails, the tricks of the trade in writing specifically for BTL, and so on. Having this basic knowledge certainly helps in crafting copy and devising a communication strategy which has the potential to make a big impact below the line.

There are a few opinions as to what constitutes BTL communication. But typically, it involves promotions, direct marketing, sponsorship and public relations – focusing on direct means of communication, often inviting customers to 'Touch & Feel' the product in question.

Economical - As compared to extensive print and television campaigns, a streamlined BTL campaign can really be a boon for the company's purse strings.

Unique - a BTL platform allows you the freedom to come up with oft-kilter marketing strategies, achieving 'cut-through' in the supersaturated advertising environment.

Personal - BTL allows you to get up close and personal with your target segment, making for a more meaningful relationship in the long run.

Modern - with changing demographics, the importance of traditional mass media is being reduced to a large extent. In such a scenario, unique BTL marketing can appear to be fresh and futuristic, leaving an impression in customers' minds.

Focused - with an increased availability of information, BTL is able to facilitate precise customer targeting, offering intelligent purchasing choices.

Pay attention to the medium: Are you writing for an event? Will the message be delivered as a mailshot? Tailor the quantity of your content accordingly.

Opt for brevity: If your message is appearing outdoors or at a place where people don't have time to sit and go through an entire story, keep it mercifully brief. Land your punch within the third or fourth word.

Keep it personal: Talk to your audience 1-on-1. BTL brings you directly in contact with your end consumer, be it through a personalized e-mail newsletter, or a product promotion event. Use the opportunity to talk to them directly, in a personal tone of voice.

In a remarkable trend, Internet advertising reached nearly $9 billion in the first nine months of 2006, up 22.5% from that period a year earlier, and increased another 15 percent in the fourth quarter.

Within the next ten years, Internet ad spending is expected to account for 15 percent of all advertising spending, more than double what it currently accounts for. It has also been projected that Internet ad spending will surge 22 percent in 2006, while newspaper ad revenue will rise a sluggish 3 percent.

Clearly, all this points to a seminal shift from traditional ATL marketing to unique, guerilla-type BTL campaigns.

Interactive marketing is fast becoming the bastion of a BTL surge, allowing customers to make immediate purchases - without calling toll free numbers etc, while at the same time, allowing advertisers to target specific readers that fit their demographic profile.

Online Banners, Online Text Ads, Opt-In Email Lists, Instant Web Flash Ads and the like are the windows to an exciting new revolution in BTL advertising. Something you need to be clued in on and utilize, to ride the wave of revolution sweeping through the advertising world.