New Now were approached by Hot Tap Media to develop a back end for their Squidz social media marketing and rewards app, where users promote brands in order to earn virtual currency that can be exchanged for rewards.

A system was created to monitor users’ social media posts made from the app, to verify they included the required content and were not being deleted. Their reach was also calculated, based on the number of followers, reposts, likes and so on. Sentiment analysis was incorporated to gauge the tone of users’ posts. Users earn virtual currency based on the reach of their branded posts.

A back-end system was also required to manage brands, users, rewards, transactions and report on participation by users. Firebase was selected as the database platform, which also offered an API for the app. A suitable schema was designed, and a node.js-based web app was created that integrated with Firebase, allowing brands and Squidz staff access to intuitively manage their social media content, users and offers. Reporting on transactions and redemption of virtual currency for rewards was also implemented.

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