Tricia Meyer

Affiliate Marketer, Blogger, and Consultant

5 Reasons I Work with CPA Networks

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5 Reasons

Over the years there have been MANY conversations/arguments/discussions about the differences between CPA networks and “traditional” affiliate networks. Most of my friends tend to come down on the side of not working with CPA networks. However, I have found that there can be great value in working with CPA networks if you do your homework to find the right ones. I’ve worked with probably 75+ in my 11 years as an affiliate marketer, and here are some of the reasons. (If you are shaking your head at me while you are reading this, at least give my reasons some thought!)

1. Disney Offers

My sites appeal to a lot of Disney fans, but Disney doesn’t run many traditional affiliate offers outside of Disney Shopping. In the past you could find Disney games, Disney Movie Club, and others through the traditional networks. Now everything like that is run through CPA networks. In addition, you can usually find offers for Disney Park information and Disney Cruise Line. My post “Free Build Your Disney Side Stickers” is a great example of a popular post that I often monetize with CPA links.

These are a perfect fit for my audience and tend to convert well. In particular when they run the freebies like the family stickers and the park maps I can offer my readers something I know they will love, and I can make money off of it.

2. Multiple Tracking Methods and Postbacks

One of the biggest complaints in affiliate marketing is not knowing how well transactions are tracking for any particular merchant or network. A number of the CPA networks allow for you to track in multiple ways so that you have more control over the data. For example, you can use the CAKE API to pull reports or you can actually place your own pixel to fire at the end of a transaction and report back directly to you. As a cashback site, I love these options. However, anyone could use them as a method of getting information faster and in various formats. [Read more…]

Affiliate Program Options for Brands Like Disney

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Disney Affiliate Programs
Affiliate Programs with Disney Merchandise

Sometimes as affiliate marketers we feel like we are stuck promoting specific merchants, even when we think the terms of those merchants are not exactly “affiliate friendly.” It may be that the commissions are low or that the cookies are short. Or maybe we just cannot get the attention of the affiliate managers when we have problems. If the merchant fits our niche well, do we just accept the terms and promote anyway? Do we give up on the niche? I don’t think we do either. Instead, we get creative and look for alternatives.

One of the merchants that I hear a lot about (because of my own personal interests and those of my friends) is Disney. There have been a lot of complaints in forums about the Disney Store affiliate program as well as the Disney Movie Club affiliate program (which I do not think is even managed by Disney and shows up on a lot of CPA networks). It’s the perfect example of an opportunity to find alternatives because there is no shortage of Disney merchandise, especially when you widen your search. Here are some great merchants to look at not just for Disney but for any niche you want to find alternatives for. [Read more…]

Universal Studios (The “Other” Orlando Resort)

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Home from vacation and ready to share! The first part of our trip was to Universal Studios in Orlando. I have to disclose from the outset that we are a Disney family. We go at least once a year and are pretty fanatical. So a trip to Universal was really strange for us, and we were constantly comparing the two. I was surprised at what we thought!

The Hotel: We stayed at the cheapest of the three Universal-owned resorts on property, the Royal Pacific. I got a good deal booking directly through their site and it was worth it for two main reasons. First, we were close enough that we could go back and forth to the parks during the day via a quick 10 minute walking trail. Second (and most important), we got Express passes to ride almost all of the rides with very little lines and were able to enter the park an hour early. Aside from those two perks, the hotel was pretty average for its price range. It was themed much like Disney’s Polynesian. The rooms were kind of small, and I didn’t like that we didn’t have a separated bath. But the pool area was very nice with a huge play area for the kids, beach sand, and plenty of lounge chairs. They had refrigerators and internet access in the rooms for a fee, but we didn’t use them. We had groceries delivered by Mr. Grocers (bottled water, cereals, snacks) and it worked out perfectly. We ate in the restaurants a couple of times and the price was a little high considering what we got but not far out of line with other hotel restaurants. I would definitely stay there again but might try one of the others just to see what it is like. [Read more…]

Disney’s New Summer Nightastic Fireworks

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I love Disney fireworks! My favorite part of our trips is always the chance to see fireworks over the Magic Kingdom. “Wishes” always brings a tear to my eye, and the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party fireworks are not to be missed. I was upset when I found out that we were going to miss the new Summer Nightastic Fireworks by only one night on our recent trip. We had stayed a week and on our last night, we went to see “Wishes” and I loved it as usual.

The next day, we sent the kids off to my mom’s house and planned on spending our anniversary dinner at the Polynesian and then watching “Wishes” one last time from the beach. However, when we checked in at the Poly, I found out that they were doing a soft opening of the new fireworks one night early and we could, indeed, see it! We headed to Kona an hour early and were lucky enough to get in so that we could make it over to the Magic Kingdom to see the new parade (which was too short, in my opinion) and then the fireworks. We parked in front of the castle about 3 hours before the fireworks to ensure a great spot.

We were not disappointed! I loved the fireworks–even more than “Wishes.” Maybe not quite as much as MNSSHP, but probably close. The fireworks were definitely less traditional than “Wishes.” There were some interesting effects regarding Cinderella’s Castle.

I found this video from Inside the Magic on YouTube. It’s not one that I took but is from about where I was sitting. If you are not going to make it to the Magic Kingdom for the Summer Nightastic Fireworks this year, you should definitely check it out!

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Underground City at Walt Disney World?

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Everyone who knows me knows that I am an absolute Disney fanatic. I cry when I go to a Disney movie and see the castle before the movie starts because it reminds me of my Disney trips. I love the precision of Disney, the attention to detail, and the way that everything moves so smoothly. More than that, I love the memories that I have of my kids having birthdays in Disney, my husband and I running from ride to ride before we even had kids, and the true family time that we have spent together.

But the other thing that I love are the mysteries of Disney. So many things that you don’t know what to believe. Am I just seeing “hidden Mickeys” everywhere or are they placed there? Is there really an elite, member-only restaurant above the shops in Disneyland? (I know the answer to that one!) Is there really an underground city under Walt Disney World?

To answer that final question, check out this video from Disney Parks that I found on Youtube. It’s only 5 minutes but you actually get a glimpse “behind the magic”!

Edited: If you found this post because you are looking for places to have sex in Disney (which obviously a lot of you are), I don’t have any tips for you. But I found this article that may be of help. Okay, I do have one suggestion. That Bill Nye and Ellen Degeneris ride in EPCOT. I haven’t tried it, but there’s a lot of time in the dark, it’s hardly ever busy, and the benches are roomy.

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