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Apple could owe more than $8B in back taxes if European Commission ruling goes against it – Bloomberg

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 15, 2016 | Apple

apple-tax-ec

With a recent European Commission ruling making it look more likely than ever that Apple’s tax arrangements in Ireland will be declared illegal, Bloomberg has been doing the sums on how much the company may owe in back tax. The total? More than $8 billion.

Apple funnels all its European revenue through Ireland, where a special agreement with the Irish government means that it pays just 2.5% tax instead of the normal 12.5%. A long-running European Commission investigation into the legality of this arrangement was recently extended and expanded its scope.

Assuming the agreement is ruled to be illegal, it would be the Irish government – and not Apple – who broke the law, but Apple would still have to pay the difference between the tax it actually paid and the full amount that would have been due without the deal. The company warned shareholders last year that it may have to pay ‘material’ back taxes, but the figure calculated by Bloomberg is much larger than earlier estimates …

The total liability could even be greater than $8B. In addition to the extra tax payable in Ireland, Apple may also face back-tax bills from each individual EC country where sales were recorded – at rates typically far higher than applicable in Ireland even without the deal.

This has already happened in Italy, where Apple recently agreed to pay €318M ($347M) claimed by the Italian tax office for just two years. If each European country with Apple Stores billed Apple for taxes due for all sales made in the country for the full period, it’s not hard to see how the total bill could be rather impressive.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: AAPL, Apple Inc, European Commission, European Union, Government of Ireland, Ireland, Irish tax arrangements, Italy, Tax

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Bad news if you watch Netflix content from other countries: proxies will soon be blocked

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 15, 2016 | Apple

netflix-proxy-block

There’s bad news for anyone who uses a proxy service to access Netflix content from outside their own country: the company says in a blog post that it will be blocking proxies within the “coming weeks” …

Outdated licensing agreements with content owners – still based on the old days of selling content to local TV networks – mean that Netflix offers access to different TV shows in different countries. Many Netflix users use a proxy app like VPN Unlimited to spoof the location of their device, especially to gain access to the huge U.S. catalog from elsewhere.

Netflix has so far made only the most cursory of attempts to block these, meaning that both iOS apps and browser plugins have generally worked. With the recent rollout to more than 130 new countries, however, it’s likely that content owners have required the company to take real steps to tackle the issue.

The move will be something of a gamble on the company’s part. Many Netflix subscribers outside the US pay for membership specifically to get earlier access to shows first launched in the US, and may now cancel their subscriptions – but Netflix will be hoping that this is more than offset by revenue from the new countries.

Netflix was one of the services featured in a recent Apple TV promotion while Apple continues to work on developing its own streaming content package.

Photo: The Verge

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Apple TV, Netflix, Netflix proxy, Proxy, VPN Unlimited

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Flux responds to iOS 9.3’s Night Shift feature, asks for its app to be allowed in App Store

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

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Apple earlier this week introduced the first beta of iOS 9.3 and included in it is a new feature called Night Shift. Night Shift uses your iOS device’s location and clock to automatically adjust the colors in your display, making them warmer and easier on the eyes at nighttime, which ideally would allow you to sleep better. When Apple announced this feature, people immediately noticed the similarity to the popular third-party app Flux, which was only briefly available for iOS last year before Apple shut it down. Now, the developers behind Flux have come out and offered a comment on Apple’s new Night Shift feature…

In a blog post, the Flux team acknowledged that it’s a big step for Apple to acknowledge the health risks that go along with looking at a bright display late at night. Flux, however, wasn’t going to let its own contribution go unnoticed and reaffirmed the fact that it is the “original innovators and leaders” in the market.

Flux didn’t stop there, though. The developers said that they are now calling on Apple to allow them to release Flux on iOS and to open up access to the API used to power Night Shift. As I mentioned before, Flux was briefly made available for iOS via side loading with Xcode last year, but not through the App Store as to not break Apple’s policies. The app, however, was removed from the developer’s website at the request of Apple a day later.

Whether or not Apple responds to Flux’s argument remains to be seen. Even if Apple were to allow Flux to be available in the App Store, it would be hard to convince the average user to download it as opposed to just using built-in Night Shift feature, even if Flux offers considerably more customization. Nevertheless, Flux remains available for Mac.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: flux, iOS, iOS 9.3, Night Shift

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‘Nerds’ musical about Steve Jobs (& Bill Gates) heads to Broadway w/ onstage holograms, in-show app experience

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

Jobs-Gates

A new musical called “Nerds” about Steve Jobs and Bill Gates is set to hit Broadway and at the same time be the first show of its kind to feature an in-show app experience, onstage holograms, and other new technologies.

An announcement on Broadway.com describes the show as “the story of the rise of computer technology and the two men that made it all possible—Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.” And Hollywood Reporter notes that the show will feature a number of new technologies that include onstage holograms, projection mapping, and in-show app integrations that will allow the audience to select how the show ends.

The production follows the founding fathers of personal computing as they transform from nerds to billionaires.

A cast hasn’t yet been announced, but the show’s book and lyrics are penned by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner (of Robot Chicken fame), while music is by by Hal Goldberg.

Tickets for the show are already on sale ahead of an opening at the Longacre Theatre on April 21. The announcement comes at the same time that the recent Steve Jobs movie cast gets several Oscar nominations for the upcoming 88th Academy Awards.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Apps Tagged: april 21, Bill Gates, Broadway, holograms, musical, nerds, Robot Chicken, Steve Jobs, Tickets

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Hands-on: Square Contactless is an Apple Pay payment terminal for any business

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

Square Apple Pay Reader

Late last year Square released its updated Square Reader for accepting contactless and chip payment methods on iPhones and iPads, which means small businesses and pop up shops can take Apple Pay payments from iPhones and Apple Watches without expensive terminal systems. The new Square Reader goes for $49 with transaction fees set at 2.75% so you keep $97.25 out of every $100 sent through Square. Square’s app lets you create mobilized businesses on iPhones and iPads, and we’ve tested the new Apple Pay-ready reader to see just how easy it all is.

The updated kit includes two pieces of hardware. Square Contactless is a rechargeable Bluetooth reader that takes contactless payments and cards with secure chips. The other is the classic Square Reader that connects to headphone jacks and lets you swipe traditional debit and credit cards. If the iPhone 7 starts the death of the headphone jack, Square Contactless will be all the more important for small shops.

Inside the box you’ll also find a short microUSB cable for recharging the Square Contactless. Mine came fully charged according to the four green LED lights found on the new hardware. A battery indicator button next to the microUSB port along the back lets you check battery life anytime.

You’ll also find a Square payments decal to present to your customers. This lists the six different payment methods Square allows businesses to accept: Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. I’ve seen at least one small coffee shop around where I live present this decal. I think the Apple Pay logo will be pretty good marketing, and it’s great to see Google Pay right there too.

Setting up the new Square Contactless reader takes just a few minutes. Sign up for or sign in with your Square account, the hit the settings section of the app to look for new hardware for pairing. Square Contactless connects wirelessly via Bluetooth so ensure that’s on first then let the app locate the hardware. iOS will ask for permission to pair with the hardware, then you’re ready to go. The longest step in the process was updating the firmware on the hardware from the app, but the whole setup was ready to go in under 10 minutes.

Once you’re ready to charge a customer for any transaction and you’ve entered the total amount in the Square Register app, the Square Contactless fires up its NFC radios and looks for nearby contactless payment devices like iPhones and Apple Watches. A single green LED lights up to let you know the hardware is ready to go, and it stays ready for about a minute until it lights up four red LED lights to let you know nothing was detected. Back in the Square app, you can optionally tap a dialog button that appears to turn on the Apple Pay reader for another 60 seconds or so.

Similarly, you can insert a chip-enabled debit or credit card in the Square Contactless reader as well. I’ve used chip terminals at places like Target that don’t accept Apple Pay yet and the experience is always very archaic. Insert the chip end of the card, hear a loud tone, wait what feels like forever, enter your pin, hear another loud tone, then pull your card out but not toon soon! The Square Contactless reader handled my chip-enabled debit card much more gracefully. No tones or long waits and the Square app nearly instantly presented a signature screen. You can even sign with the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro, although it’s not yet optimized and noticeably doesn’t feature palm rejection.

Check out our hands-on video below:

As someone who knows nothing about setting up payment terminals and even less about what’s required to accept chip and contactless payment methods, I found Square Contactless to be super easy to use after just a few minutes of setting up. Apple Pay is a joy to use whether it’s from the iPhone or Apple Watch, and Square’s $49 solution makes it possible for small businesses and pop up vendors to easily impress customers and take the latest payment methods. During the early days of Apple Pay, I might even see a business or vendor using Square Contactless and decide to buy something just for the chance to pay with my iPhone or Apple Watch. You can still find Square’s classic Reader as well, which is included in the new kit. The updated kit is shipping to new reservers in March at the time of writing.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple pay, mobile payments, Square

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11 Well-Made Print Advertisements From the Last Century (And How They Hold up Now)

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Marketing

In the history of American advertising, print has played a vital and interesting role.

Print advertising has been around as long as any medium, surviving the advent of radio, television, and internet, maintaining its steady influence all the while. There’s something truly iconic about a well-crafted print ad, and the agencies and brands that have done it well over the years have seen immense benefits as a result.

Here’s a look at some well-designed print ads from the last 115 years (one from each decade) and an attempt to understand what we can learn from the progression. Changes in taste, disruptive new technologies, and the natural evolution of our cultural propriety have completely transformed the way brands use print mediums to advertise – but certain patterns and threads hold true.

Using a modern interpretive lens to reexamine those strategic patterns (and the ads that made use of them) makes for an interesting case study of where we’ve been and where we’re headed – as advertisers and consumers.

1) 1906 – Kodak Story

Using content marketing to ‘tell the story’ of a brand is nothing new. While the platforms we use to display our content marketing change drastically, the same underlying concepts have been exploited by businesses as far back as the turn of the 20th century.

In this ad from 1906, camera-maker Kodak (whose continued success, over a century later, serves as evidence that they were and continue to be ahead of the curve marketing-wise) created a series of print advertisements that targeted parents buying gifts for their adolescent children. The ads promised a technologically advanced way for young people to capture the essence of their experiences with Kodak cameras, requiring little-to-no expertise but delivering reliably breathtaking results.

While the model’s hair and fashion choices betray the ad’s century-old status, the concept could apply to a magazine ad today. She is contentedly going over the stunningly mounted prints that she took with her Kodak. The background is accented by a beautifully somber twilight scene, which gives the viewer an idea of what her photographic subjects might have been. Another connection to today’s modern marketing is the call-to-action at the end of the ad: “The Kodak catalogue tells the details. Free at the dealers or by mail.”

Free ebook download, anyone?

2) 1917 – Our Boys in France Tobacco Fund

Throughout World War I, American advertisers used the contextual backdrop of the war to promote their products. This glorified propaganda was used by companies in many industries to put their brand in the good graces of the American people. If the buying public believed a company was in some way supporting the war effort in a meaningful way, they’d be much more inclined to spend their hard-earned dollars on it. This was based in factual reality for many industries: gramophones, for example, vital to Allied soldiers’ communication while in the trenches, sold extremely well during the war years.

Other, less impactful industries took part in in the strategy as well. This ad in (and for) The Morning Telegraph, a daily newspaper that was devoted primarily to horse racing results and theatre news, shows how widespread the practice had become by 1917. Since the paper itself couldn’t rightly be positioned as benefitting American soldiers in any direct way, they positioned themselves as the “Official Organ in New York City for the ‘Our Boys in France Tobacco Fund.’”

Today, this would likely be seen as exploitative (or at least lacking in subtlety). Brands like McDonald’s, for example, have been rightfully reprimanded by the public for being a bit too heavy-handed while linking their brand to American crises and national spirit. Patriotism still sells – it just requires a bit more subtlety from the brands using it, lest the buying public react negatively.

3) 1929 – Dr. West’s Toothbrushes

This ad presents an interesting case study in the cyclical nature of visual design trends. In many ways, this toothbrush company (or whomever it hired to do its advertising) shows itself to be well ahead of its time aesthetically.

As far as color palette, the full rainbow is used for a strikingly immediate visual effect. The way the toothbrushes overlap in a grid-like fashion makes the ad feel symmetrical and comfortable. It’s interesting to think about how visual symmetry is now seen as an important design tool to evoke a brand’s strong organizational structure and trustworthiness. Being used in this context, almost 90 years ago, lends legitimacy to the theory itself. If it’s been working for that long, there really must be some innate truth to it.

The only aspect of this ad that would make today’s design experts cringe is the decentralized positioning of the brand itself. If modern viewers were to give this ad a 2-3 second gander and then look away, a very small percentage of them would be able to recall the name of the company. Not only is “Dr. West’s” relegated to the bottom of the page, but it’s depicted at such an angle that it makes it less memorable. Aside from that, this is a particularly forward thinking example of ad design considering when it was created.

4) 1938 – Carefree film poster

Historian Carlos Stevens offers the following about American filmmaking during the Great Depression: “The movies offered a chance to escape the cold, the heat, and loneliness; they brought strangers together, rubbing elbows in the dark of movie palaces and fleapits, sharing in the one social event available to everyone.”

During the time this film was made, the average movie ticket was $.27, offering struggling families a relatively cheap way to escape the harsh realities of their daily lives. Along with the pricing and promotional efforts of the theatres, Hollywood filmmakers recognized that there was a demand for a cheap product: one light on dramatic intensity and heavy on comedic gags. The filmmakers of the era recognized this demand and adjusted: resulting in titles like Carefree.

The ad for the film fits its tone extremely well, with a happy, dancing couple surrounded by swirling patches of bright pink, yellow, and orange. This colorful arrangement – especially in its use of adjacent pastels – would actually come back into fashion in the advertisements of the 1990s. The film’s stars – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers – were among the biggest draws of the era, starring in ten films together from 1933 to 1949. In an era when financial security was lacking for a majority of the movie-going audience, films like Carefree (and the accompanying advertisements) provided a welcome escape.

5) 1946 – Spam ‘n’ Limas Recipe

In 1946, America was reaching the height of its World War II involvement. Much like during WWI, the advertising of the era was greatly affected by the nation’s wartime status. Consumers were confronted with government-enforced rationing practices that affected the way they purchased everything from gasoline to meats and cheeses.

Enter: Spam. Spam is a canned, precooked ham product that was created by Hormel in the late 1930s and became popular throughout the country for its price and convenience. For a time, the tag of being a canned, precooked, processed meat meant modernity, not unhealthiness and questionable meat sources. This ad is representative of the product and the era in its arrangement – with all prominent real estate devoted to the end result of the recipe included below. Throw in a punny 1940s-friendly catchphrase and – voila – there’s your ad.

In this case, though, I think the end result is far from “‘Ah’ inspiring” – no matter how much “sugar lard” you add.

6) 1950 – Truval creative like the men who wear them

Much like visual elements of design can be cyclical, fashion trends can be as well. Popular fashions for today’s millennials borrow extensively from that of previous decades, and this 1950 ad from shirtmaker Truval is no exception.

The men in the ad are all donning colored plaid shirts, seemingly both comfortable and durable. They appear to be architects and/or engineers, standing around blueprints discussing the best way to get some kind of building job done. The copy reinforces these themes of strength and resourcefulness: “Creative … like the men who wear them.”

This ad holds up surprisingly well (other than the overtones suggested by its all-male, all-white cast of characters) against today’s fashion advertising standards. The shirts themselves are exactly the kind of hipster-chic flannel numbers you’d seen populating any number of New York City graphic design firms. The layout evokes the spreads seen in magazines like GQ, with most of the space devoted to highlighting the product itself and leaving the copy down below. Aside from the aforementioned demographic issue, the only element that really dates this example is the illustration style: heavily bordered and cartoon-like, these types of drawings were great for ads of the time because they were similar to what one would find in the popular fiction of the day – think Hardy Boys books and Superman comics. Now, brands are far more interested in allowing high-quality photography to highlight the product being sold.

7) 1968 – Sony personal televisions

The effect of technology on modern relationships has been well documented. Smartphones and the apps contained therein have revolutionized the way we meet, date, and communicate with significant others, for better or worse. Movies, TV shows, and advertisements have all parodied the now ubiquitous extreme of this phenomenon: a couple out to eat at a restaurant, paying no attention to each other, instead staring at their phones. The reality, though, is that technology has always affected our collective approach to romance.

In this Sony advertisement from 1968, a couple is shown lying down in bed, each facing the opposite direction and glaring into their own personal televisions. The humor isn’t missed on the makers of the ad, with the caption reading: “There comes a time in everyone’s life when they just want to be alone with the person they love.”

The room surrounding the couple’s bed is completely dark, highlighting the alluring glow of the screens and the zombie-like entrancement of the man and woman. The screens themselves offer a glimpse into the nature of that entrancement as well, with the man’s screen showing a beautiful woman and the woman’s showing the reverse. Ultimately, the ad does a good job of addressing the negative viewpoints many would’ve had about personal televisions: not inclusive enough, too isolating, etc. Instead of shying away from those claims, Sony decided to embrace their comedic weight.

Generally speaking, companies today are less willing to do this. The companies that make smartphones and the apps that power them tend to advertise in ways that showcase how we connect via the technology, as opposed to poking fun at the ways we isolate ourselves with them.

8) 1972 – Tareyton Cigarettes

If you’ve seen the mega-popular AMC show Mad Men, you’re familiar with the interesting and controversial history of advertising in the cigarette industry. Precisely when tobacco companies became aware of how dangerous their products were is the subject of much contention and many legal battles throughout the last four decades. Ultimately, there was no contest. It became overwhelmingly clear to the companies, the Surgeon General, and the American public that, without exaggeration, cigarettes are killers.

As that process unfolded, however, there were many different phases during which those companies had to constantly adjust how much they were willing to admit. After the 1964 Surgeon General’s report officially recognized the health risks of cigarettes, the fight for respectability took a turn for the worse for those brands. Despite this, it still wasn’t anywhere near the situation we have today, with less than 7.5% of 12th graders identifying themselves as daily smokers (versus about 30% in 1972.) So how did they pull this off? Well, the Surgeon General’s reports – while well researched and vital to maintain public health – don’t always have the immediate influence we would like them to. In the aftermath of that report, the companies were still able to jostle for position amongst the public opinion as the “healthy” cigarette brand. That’s precisely what you see in this ad, with Tareyton using the drinking water analogy as a way to prove how much of a cleansing effect its charcoal filters had.

This, of course, was a hoax. And a morally repulsive one, at that.

9) 1983 – Yamaha piano

As disco died on the dancefloor and the 70s turned into the 80s, design trends started to change dramatically as well. The color schemes that were in vogue in the 70s were immediately ditched for a sleeker, more simplistic approach. Stark contrasts were king, and glossy finishes helped brands deliver messages that popped right off the page.

In this ad from Yamaha, we see the beginning of another advertising design trend that began around the same time and has continued to this day: product integration. As more and more homespun companies gave way to global corporations with tentacles reaching many different industries, it became more difficult for ad-men and women to capture the essence of a brand with a single concept. To accomplish this, they would use visual analogies that linked the different product and service types they offered.

Here, we see Yamaha (a multinational conglomerate that deals in musical instruments, electronics, motorcycles, and power sports equipment) trying to demonstrate the engineering prowess of their most recent model keyboard synthesizer, as reflected by the shiny, modernistic glare of a motorcycle helmet. The ad works extremely well because of its crisp design and well-written copy. “Because this machine is so powerful, it can take you places just standing still.”

10) 1990 – Absolut 19th

Much as we saw the cyclical nature of aesthetic fashion trends with the Truval ad from 1950, the aesthetics of advertising can be very cyclical as well. With this ad from Absolut Vodka from 1990, we see a return to the hand-sensibilities of the 1950s.

This is a smart matching of form and content, as the concept behind the ad is based on the allure of sharing some Absolut-based cocktails with your golfing buddies after a long day out on the links (the relaxing drinks being the “19th,” following 18 holes of golf.) This comes in a series of ads on which Absolut places a bold image that takes up most of the print space, supplemented by “Absolut _______” at the bottom (always in that same bold white font). Recurring ad themes are great for the print medium because you can constantly tailor the concept to your audience. In this case, the “19th” wordplay is clever, but not overwhelmingly so – in other words, the perfect dad joke.

What’s the audience being targeted here? You guessed it – dads. Throw in the fact that the aesthetic framework – the hand-drawn golf course, the heavy-handed visual “bottle as island” pun – is also perfectly tailored for that demographic, and you’ve got yourself a perfect example of a tried-and-true theme that’s been smartly remolded for its intended audience.

11) 2002 – T-Mac Got Milk

While the vodka -> milk transition may seem a bit abrupt, in this case it’s fitting.

The “got milk?” campaign – created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board – ran throughout the 90s and early 00s and aimed to promote milk as a healthy source of calcium for kids and teens. The ads became iconic for their uniquely written copy and larger-than-life spokespersons.

As compared to the Absolut ad, it provides a perfect counterexample in terms of audience. Here the advertisers are targeting adolescents; they want to strip milk of its old, lame connotations and repurpose it as a cool drinking option for kids who want to grow up to be like their heroes. Aesthetically, it couldn’t be more different from the classic illustration of the Absolut ad. NBA legend Tracy McGrady is seen mid-flight against a black and grey background (reminiscent of high school yearbook backgrounds), ready to finish one of his trademark slam dunks into an unseen net.

The copy is smart and achieves the perfect tone for its audience – coming off like the popular kid in a sitcom without being too sappy. Also, it’s always a good idea to match an iconic catchphrase with a similarly memorable visual callback. It unifies the campaign and helps tie all of the different ads together, making them easier to engage with. In this case, the milk mustache couldn’t be more perfect for accomplishing this – it makes the ads playful without being childish; funny without being frivolous.

Ultimately, despite all of the recent claims that its time has passed, print maintains its influence in the American cultural landscape. While the internet has changed the way we engage with all forms of content, there remains (at least for now) a market for the printed word.

That doesn’t mean things aren’t changing, though. In all likelihood, we will continue to spend more and more time engaging with digital content as our lives become busier and our tools become more connected. The lessons of print advertising, though – be they aesthetic, conceptual, or even emotional – will continue to influence the way we engage with brands and each other.

8 técnicas de Email Marketing que aumentarán tus tasas de apertura

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Social Media

¿Quieres conseguir que tus suscriptores abran los emails que les envías? ¿Quieres conocer técnicas para crear asuntos de email con gancho?

Uno de los grandes problemas de quienes nos dedicamos a marketing online es que nuestros suscriptores no abren todos nuestros emails.

Aunque el estándar de aperturas en el sector suele estar entre el 20% y el 25%, esos no dejan de ser números relativos, pues cuanto mayor es la lista, más difícil es mantener una tasa de apertura elevada.

Hace un tiempo publicábamos un post sobre 7 tácticas para conseguir que tus suscriptores abran más tus emails. Se trataba de tácticas centradas en el “contexto”, es decir, en todo lo que deberías tener preparado antes de empezar a enviar tus emails: evitar que los servidores no te consideren spam, conseguir que tus suscriptores confíen en ti en un largo plazo y que la newsletter ofrezca más contenido de valor que el que presentas en el blog.

Hoy te quiero hablar de asuntos de email que enganchan. Títulos que harán que tus suscriptores no solo quieran abrir tus correos por la confianza que tienen en ti, sino también por la curiosidad que les ofrecerá tanto la forma en que está redactado el asunto como determinados elementos que aparecen en él.

Aquí tienes las 8 técnicas para escribir asuntos de email que debes conocer.

# 1. Pon la palabra clave al principio

No abuses de esto en todos tus emails, pero si quieres centrar al suscriptor en el asunto del que vas a hablar, la palabra clave puede ser un elemento que le llame la atención entre todos los emails que recibe al día.

Esta misma técnica te puede servir para los post. Incluso a veces, si el titular de tu post es lo suficientemente llamativo, puedes utilizar el mismo como asunto del email.

# 2. Juega con elementos visuales

Si quieres que tu mensaje destaque, utiliza elementos visuales. No digo que cargues el asunto de emoticonos -a veces viene bien utilizar alguno- sino que emplees corchetes, paréntesis u otros elementos que sirvan para destacar una palabra o frase clave específica que te interese.

Por ejemplo:

[Contenido Exclusivo] ¡Aquí tienes todos los materiales!
[Herramientas gratuitas] Ya puedes descargar las herramientas que te prometimos

# 3. Utiliza el nombre del suscriptor en el asunto

Esta acción nosotros la solemos limitar a aquellos emails que realmente queremos que llamen la atención del usuario por alguna razón: una promoción, una suscripción o una campaña.

Cuando escribas uno de estos asuntos, tienes que conseguir que la frase sea fresca. No es necesario que pongas siempre el nombre del suscriptor al principio: encájalo en el discurso.

Por ejemplo:

David, ¿sabes que…?
¡Por fin lo hemos conseguido, David!

# 4. Imagínate que le estás escribiendo a un amigo

Si quieres transmitir frescura, una técnica muy buena es pensar en un receptor del mensaje que sea alguien de confianza.

Nosotros lo que hacemos es pensar en amigos concretos: Jonathan, Álex, Félix… Y nos imaginamos qué asunto les pondríamos de forma espontánea si quisiéramos llamar su atención sobre una cuestión específica.

Evidentemente, son amigos que responden a un perfil determinado: el de potenciales clientes interesados en nuestro nicho y con quienes mantenemos una comunicación bastante frecuente.

Aun así, te recomiendo que no abuses de asuntos con el nombre de usuario, por 2 razones:

Pérdida de efectividad. Si siempre utilizas el nombre del suscriptor, perderá efectividad cuando realmente te interese llamar su atención (por ejemplo, en una newsletter general del blog puede resultar redundante).
Beneficios del contenido. Muchas veces conviene más incidir en los beneficios del contenido que vas a ofrecer que en llamar la atención del suscriptor.

# 5. Un asunto bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno

Siempre se recomienda que el asunto sea breve. Y hay 2 razones, en mi opinión, que hacen de esto una buena máxima:

Lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno.
¿Cuántos caracteres crees que puede ver un lector en su smartphone? Con un iPhone en posición vertical, en Gmail, no llega a 40 caracteres. Si en esos 40 caracteres no consigues que tu suscriptor entienda por qué tiene que leer tu mensaje, es posible que pierdas una oportunidad de que abra tu email.

Si quieres ir un paso más allá y saber cómo verán los usuarios tu asunto en distintos dispositivos móviles, puedes utilizar la herramienta Mobile Subject Line Previewer. Esta herramienta te indica no solo cómo ven el asunto sino también el nombre del remitente, tanto en vertical como en horizontal.

Por ejemplo, el título de este post, si lo utilizásemos como asunto de un email, se vería bien en todos casi todos los dispositivos (en horizontal) menos en iPad 2, Nokia Lumia y Surface:

En vertical no cabría en prácticamente ningún dispositivo, pero tampoco tienes que hacer asuntos tan cortos que no puedas transmitir nada (y más en español, que suele ser entre un 10% y un 20% menos sintético que el inglés). El uso de elementos clave al principio (palabras, números o signos) puede llamar la atención lo suficiente como para que, por lo menos, pongan el móvil en horizontal.

# 6. Utiliza la “técnica del número”

Si sabes que el asunto no va a ser breve y puedes aprovechar la ocasión, utiliza la técnica del número: utiliza números para concretar los beneficios del contenido.

Ejemplo:

Esta técnica, de forma muy sutil, te permite conectar en el propio asunto con 2 perspectivas psicológicas interesantes desde el punto de vista del lector: información y profundidad.

Números elevados. Cuando creas un contenido con gran cantidad de herramientas, por ejemplo, lo que percibe el lector es que vas a resultar para él una fuente de información a partir de la cual tendrá mucho sobre lo que investigar y probar.
Números bajos. Si por ejemplo el asunto contiene números como 2 o 3, el lector entenderá que te vas a centrar con mayor profundidad en un par de casos relacionados con tu sector.

Utiliza, por tanto, los números de forma estratégica:

Para captar la atención del lector en el asunto.
Para hacerle entender con qué se va a encontrar en tus contenidos.

# 7. ‘Re:’ para emails de venta

Te tengo que advertir de que tengas mucho cuidado al utilizar ‘Re:’ delante de tu asunto. Es una técnica que cada vez emplea más gente. Nosotros la hemos testado en una única ocasión (durante una venta) para conocer su efectividad, y notamos un incremento del 5% de apertura con respecto a los emails que estábamos enviando.

PERO –y lo pongo en mayúsculas- no a todo el mundo le parecen bien estos emails.

Piensa que lo que entiende tu suscriptor al ver este mensaje es que estás respondiendo a un email que él te ha enviado, y eso, en realidad, es falso. Por tanto, si quieres hacer alguna prueba de análisis, vale, pero no abuses de este recurso porque puede acabar yendo en tu contra.

De hecho, otra cosa que percibimos fue que la tasa de usuarios que eliminaban su suscripción era mayor… Aumenta la apertura pero pierdes clientes potenciales. Cuidado.

# 8. Utiliza el “Time Machine” de GetResponse

Hace tiempo que utilizamos y recomendamos GetResponse como herramienta de email marketing. Es la que nosotros empleamos en Socialancer, y son muchas las razones por las que creo que conviene con respecto a otras herramientas.

Desde aquí puedes acceder a nuestro Centro de Recursos de GetResponse, donde encontrarás artículos y vídeos (en español) en los que te expongo por qué trabajamos con esta herramienta.

En relación con las aperturas, GetResponse tiene 2 funcionalidades que me gustan mucho:

Perfect Timing. Con esta característica puedes enviar los mensajes a cada suscriptor en el momento en el que es más probable que abra tus emails. Para ello GetResponse utiliza un algoritmo propio que se basa en cuándo cada suscriptor ha abierto los mensajes que le has enviado anteriormente. Es decir, si un suscriptor tuyo suele abrir los emails que le envías a media mañana, mientras está en el trabajo, GetResponse esperará el tiempo necesario desde que envías el email hasta que llegue la media mañana de ese suscriptor, sea cual sea la zona horaria en la que se encuentre. De este modo te aseguras de que le llega el email cuando le viene mejor.

Time Travel. Si utilizas esta función, GetResponse enviará tu emails en la hora exacta en la que tú decidas, dependiendo de la zona horaria de cada suscriptor. O sea, si envías un email a las 7.00 h de la mañana en España, un suscriptor de Colombia lo recibirá a las 7.00 h de la mañana de Colombia, con lo cual las probabilidades de que lo abra serán mucho mayores, pues no lo habrá recibido a la 1:00 h de la madrugada. Si tienes claro sobre qué horas suelen abrir tus emails tus suscriptores, esta funcionalidad lo que hará será ajustar más la entrega y mejorar la tasa de apertura.

Como ves, hay muchas fórmulas para aumentar la tasa de apertura de tus mensajes.

¿Has probado alguna de ellas? ¿Cuáles son las que mejor te funcionan?

Este artículo se publicó originalmente en inglés, en el Blog de GetResponse: 8 Email Subject Lines to Increase Your Open Rate.

Imagen de portada: Shutterstock

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OS X 10.11.4 public beta with Live Photos in Messages, secure Notes, and more is now available

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

Live Photos Mac

Public beta testers can now try the new OS X 10.11.4 prerelease that first hit developers earlier this week. New features include Live Photo viewing and sharing in Messages, secure password protection for individual notes in Apple’s Notes app, and other improvements. Check out our full coverage of OS X 10.11.4 and other betas released earlier this week below:

iOS 9.3 for public beta testers and iOS 9.3 beta 1.1 for developers are also available from today.

Filed under: iOS Devices

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iOS 9.3 public beta + 9.3 dev beta 1.1 w/ Night Shift, Touch ID Notes, more now available

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

iOS 9.3 3D Touch

The public beta version of iOS 9.3 for non-developer testers is now available. The first iOS 9.3 beta was first released earlier this week to registered developers and includes a number of new mid-cycle features and enhancements. These include secure passwords and Touch ID protection for Notes, a new Night Shift feature to adjust display temperate in the evening, and expanded 3D Touch quick actions on the latest iPhones. iOS 9.3 Beta 1.1 is also available for registered developers.

Check out our full coverage of iOS 9.3 and other betas released earlier this week below:

OS X 10.11.4 is also available today for public beta testers.

@9to5mac @apollozac this is what’s been fixed in 1.1 update http://pic.twitter.com/Y3I0ypfDoc

— Vladislav Kuznetsov (@v1597psh) January 14, 2016

Filed under: iOS, iOS Devices

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Guitar Hero for iOS $50, Philips Hue Bloom $100, Harman refurb Bluetooth Speaker $70, more

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

9to5toys-header

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Games/Apps: Guitar Hero Live (all platforms) $50 (Orig. $100), XCOM Enemy Unknown Elite for Mac $10, iOS freebies, more

Philips Friends of Hue Bloom Luminaire Starter Kit: $100 shipped (Orig. $180)

Bluetooth Audio Deals: Harman Kardon Speaker (refurb) $70, Over-Ear Headphones $17, more

A Dark Room for iOS goes free as IGN’s Game of the Month (Reg. $1)

Lifeline text-adventure game goes free for the first time (Reg. $3)

You can finally use a Bluetooth keyboard with your Apple TV. Here are our favorite options: wp.me/p1xTlR-IWM https://t.co/00cM9VJc1I

—
9to5Mac  (@9to5mac) January 11, 2016

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Add Milanese Loop style to your Apple Watch for a fraction of the price: $17 Prime shipped (Reg. $25)

USB Power: Lumsing 40W 5-Port Charger + Braided Lightning cable $20 (Reg. $30+), more
Daily Deals: LG 34″ UltraWide Monitor $375, Timbuk2 13″ MacBook Messenger Bag $40, more
Monoprice coupon takes $20 off $100+ orders: Bluetooth Party Speaker for $80 (Reg. $100)
Download the Very Best of Grateful Dead MP3 album for free (Reg. $10), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cables: 10-ft. Braided $10.50 (Reg. $17), Dual-Port Car Charger + 3-ft. $12, more

It’s 2016, stop renting your cable modem: Motorola refurb DOCSIS 3.0 deals from $40 (Orig. up to $220)

10 PopCap Mac games for $10: Plants Vs. Zombies, Monopoly, Scrabble, more ($80+ value)
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Headphones + Blue Microphones Snowball Mic $105 ($150 value)
NetSpot Pro helps you improve the coverage of your Wi-Fi network: $19 (Orig. $149)
SoundPEATS’ Q9A Bluetooth earbuds offer solid value at less than $20, exclusive discount
Lenmar MFi Apple-Certified 3,000mAh Battery Case for iPhone 6/s: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)
iPhone 5s 16GB in Silver or Gray (No-Contract) from $100 shipped (Reg. $300)
View-Master Virtual Reality Starter Pack for iPhone/Android: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)
USB Power: Lumsing 16,000mAh Dual-USB Power Bank $20, more
Kingtop Waterproof Solar Powered Motion Sensor Light $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $16)
Audio-Technica’s ATH-M50x headphones + Apogee Groove headphone amp $329
Google Play offers 21 Classic Rock Favorites for Free: Santana, Boston, Meatloaf, more
Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members – Final Fantasy XV, more: $48 ea (Reg. $60)
Motorola Nexus 6 factory unlocked 32GB in blue/white: $250 shipped (Reg. $330)
Pick up a copy of Moby Dick as a Kindle download and audiobook for free (Reg. $6+)
iPhone 6/s/Plus and Android Cases from $1: Dual-Layer $4.50 (Reg. $10), more
iPhone 6/s/Plus Accessories w/ Prime shipping: Dual-layer Cases from $3 (Reg. $8+)
NES30 Bluetooth controller gives the latest titles a retro twist: $37 shipped (Orig. $50)
Hawkeye-I remote controlled quadcopter drone w/ 720p HD cam $46 shipped (Reg. $79+)
FitBit’s Charge HR fitness tracker available for just $110 shipped (Reg. $150)
Download the iPad at Work for Dummies eBook for free (Reg. up to $17)
Your Choice of 10 Top-Rated Mac Apps for $20 (up to $500 value), more
Keep your Macs running smoothly with a CleanMyMac two-pack: $36 (Orig. $60)
Add Bluetooth capabilities + a dual-port USB charger to your car for $16 (Reg. $28)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The Kiba camera wants to sit on your shelf and record life’s biggest moments

LEGO did everything right with its new 2,500-piece vintage Batman set
This new touchscreen Smart Remote controls your devices just by pointing at them
Report: Amazon planning to launch smaller, more portable version of its Echo speaker
Segway and Intel got together to create a futuristic robot butler
Activeon’s new 4K action camera uses solar power to provide six hours of recording
Satechi adds pass-through charging to its USB-C hub
Bang & Olufsen releases a new aluminum soundbar with AirPlay and a big price tag
Reddit has compiled the best AMA sessions into a limited edition book, order now
Nostalgia runs high on Kodak’s modern take of the Super 8 camera
Polaroid’s new Snap+ is the beneficiary of a touchscreen display
Sony takes to CES 2016 with new 4K HDR Ultra HDTVs, multi-room audio, more

Catch up on our CES 2016 coverage: DJI 4K Drones, new 4K UHDTVs, action cameras, more bit.ly/1mL10rd https://t.co/zcclfFgilU

—
9to5Toys (@9to5toys) January 08, 2016

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Best Buy, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, Guitar Hero, Philips hue, video games

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Steve Jobs movie cast among Oscar nominees for upcoming 88th Academy Awards

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

Steve Jobs movie 16-9

Aaron Sorkin’s mixed reviewed Steve Jobs movie already won a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and was nominated for even more, and now the film is showing up on the 2016 Oscar nominees list. The Steve Jobs biopic could win two Oscars as the upcoming 88th Academy Awards.

Michael Fassbender, who portrayed the title character in the movie is nominated for Best Actor for his role in the film. Fassbender is competing with Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), and Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl). Interestingly, DiCaprio was once on board to play the role of the late Apple co-founder before dropping out.

In the Best Supporting Actress category, Kate Winslet is being nominated for her part in the Jobs film. Winslet, who played Joanna Hoffman, already won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for the movie. The actress is up against Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Rooney Mara (Carol), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl).

The 88th Academy Awards where the Oscars are recognized takes place on February 28, 2016. We’ll stay tuned to see if the Steve Jobs movie racks up any new awards next month.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Aaron Sorkin, academy awards, Kate Winslet, Michael Fassbender, Oscars, Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs movie

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Wallpaper* magazine names Apple Watch Hermès ‘Life enhancer of the year’ in design awards

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

hermes

The Independent reports that Wallpaper* magazine has listed the Apple Watch Hermès as one the winners of its 2016 design awards. The category? ‘Life enhancer of the year.’ I guess that’s the kind of category you have to expect from a magazine with an asterisk in its name.

If you’d like to enhance your own life, the Hermès collection starts at $1100, but you can get a similar look from around a tenth of this if you know where to look …

Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple awards, Apple watch, Apple Watch Hermès

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Report: Samsung to be Apple’s primary OLED display supplier as it invests up to $7.5B in readiness

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

Samsung-building-night

Korea’s ET News claims that Samsung will become Apple’s primary supplier of OLED display panels, stating that an agreement has “practically been decided.” Samsung is reportedly gearing-up for the contract with an initial investment of between $2.49B and $3.32B in plant and equipment, rising to $7.47B depending on order levels.

Apple currently uses OLED displays in the Watch. Rumors that it will switch to OLED for the iPhone have been doing the rounds for many years, but have been getting much more specific of late. The switch is said to be happening in 2018, with Apple recently reported to be ‘close to agreement‘ with suppliers. The most recent report named both Samsung and LG as likely suppliers …

KGI last year said that Apple would not be switching to OLED screens in the iPhone before 2018, key supplier Foxconn having recently invested $4B in a new LCD plant for iPhone screens. However, Jony Ive is clearly a fan of OLED, saying that LCD screens feel “very, very old.”

OLED displays are thinner, display more vivid colors and allow deeper blacks than LCD, and can also be more power-efficient – but only where the majority of the content displayed is black, as is the case for the Apple Watch. On the downside, manufacturing costs are higher, displays don’t last as long and they aren’t as bright as LCD displays. The benefits of OLED over LCD tie in neatly with display technologies Apple is said to be testing in a secret Taiwanese lab.

It should be noted that ET News is not always a reliable source of news, tending to talk-up Korean companies, but as both companies reportedly in the running here are Korean, this report may have greater credibility.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Inc, Apple watch, iPhone, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, lcd, Liquid crystal display, OLED

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Apple Music experiencing issues for subscribers across the globe

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

3D Touch Beats 1

If you’re having issues getting started with Apple Music this morning, you’re not alone. The iOS app started the day by asking subscribers to sign up and join Apple Music (a force quit fixed for me but the problem persists) and iTunes on the Mac is also serving up error messages for a great number of users.

At the time of writing, Apple’s system status page hasn’t been updated to reflect any issues, but that using happens a bit after the problem is recognized if at all. We’ll keep an eye on the status and update accordingly, but ret assured that if you’re a subscriber being asked to join again that it’s not just you and there’s a widespread hiccup in progress.

@AppleMusicHelp Hi, Music on iOS 9.2 is telling me this when I try to play a song even though I pay$15/m http://pic.twitter.com/OAN5EMdtKy

— Eytan Schulman (@eytanschulman) January 14, 2016

good morning, apple music. http://pic.twitter.com/x5xrwr4Iqf

— Coulton Vento (@coultonvento) January 14, 2016

@AppleMusicHelp radio keeps asking if I'm a subscriber. Already am. Crashes. Help.

— fabian (@fbiancceres) January 14, 2016

@AppleMusicHelp disappointed. I've been on a trial for less than a week, but now it's asking me to sign up again. http://pic.twitter.com/PmZJxjU3x7

— Laurie Callsen (@RetroLaurie) January 14, 2016

Hey @AppleMusicHelp why is apple music telling me to sign up when I paid for my subscription on 1/1/16?

— Keelan (@I_gotem) January 14, 2016

@AppleMusicHelp Is Apple Music having problems this morning? It won't play anything for me, and then it told me I needed to sign up

— Chris Langevin (@giantchristoph) January 14, 2016

.@AppleMusic I pay for Apple Music. http://pic.twitter.com/5blmrfN6hi

— Harrison Weinerman (@hrrsn) January 14, 2016

Filed under: Apple Music Tagged: Apple, Apple Music, icloud, iPad, iPhone, issues, iTunes, Mac, streaming

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Key Apple chipmaker TSMC reports that its 2015 earnings were the highest in its 29-year history

by Cristian De Nardo | Jan 14, 2016 | Apple

tsmc

While we’ve heard tales of gloom and despair from other Apple suppliers, leading analysts and media alike to suggest that the iPhone market might be contracting for the first time ever, it’s rather a different story with key Apple chipmaker TSMC. Focus Taiwan reports that its 2015 earnings were the highest in its 29-year history.

The company posted NT$306.57 billion (US$9.15 billion) in net profit for 2015, a 16.2 percent annual increase. TSMC’s 2015 earnings per share was NT$11.82, compared with NT$10.18 the previous year, and its consolidated sales rose 10.6 percent to NT$843.497 billion, it said.

Profits and earnings per share were also record-breaking …

For the final quarter of the year – the one leading to all the ‘peak iPhone’ speculation – its operating profit was toward the top end of its guidance, at 38.3% versus forecasts of 36.5-38.5%.

The news isn’t entirely reassuring, however. While its overall revenue grew, chip revenue from consumer electronics devices – the category that includes the iPhone – fell by 5%.

As ever, Apple’s mix of suppliers means that the performance of any one of them is, as Tim Cook has remarked, a poor proxy for performance of the iPhone. But this one is at least more encouraging that reductions of up to 30% we’ve been hearing about elsewhere.

KPMG suggested towards the end of last year that TSMC will be the sole manufacturer of the A10 chip for the iPhone 7, as well as the A9 chip (or A8?) for the 4-inch iPhone variously labelled the 5e, 6c and 7c. If so, this will be at the expense of Samsung.

We’ll get a far more reliable guide to iPhone performance on January 26, when Apple not only reports its earnings for the holiday quarter but also provides revenue guidance for the current quarter.

Via AI

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices