SPRINT: Twitter API Affiliate Program - ASAP (Code Lovers Only)

# Project Description The primary objective is to develop an affiliate marketing platform catering to Twitter influencers and affiliates. This platform will allow influencers to monetize their follower base through subscriptions and affiliates to earn income by promoting these influencers. ## Essential Concepts ### Twitter API Twitter API allows developers to interact with Twitter's functionality programmatically, which includes actions such as retrieving tweets, creating new tweets, or tracking followers. In this project, Twitter API will play a pivotal role in obtaining data related to influencers and their followers. Familiarizing yourself with Twitter API documentation and concepts such as rate limiting, authentication, and the different types of endpoints will be crucial. ### Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing strategy where an affiliate earns a commission for marketing another person's or company's products. In our scenario, our affiliates will earn a commission for every follower they bring who subscribes to the influencer's content. Understanding the various commission structures, tracking mechanisms, and promotional strategies used in affiliate marketing will be beneficial. ### Stripe API Stripe provides an extensive suite of APIs that allows businesses to handle online transactions. For our application, Stripe will be used to manage subscription payments, process payments, and distribute the earnings to influencers and affiliates. The ability to set up payment processing, handle payouts, and understand transaction metadata will be vital. ## Milestone 1: Basic Functionality ### User Registration & Account Creation Develop a secure registration system using best practices for storing sensitive information. This system should incorporate form validation to ensure the integrity of the data. Once registered, users should be directed to their dashboard that displays crucial account information like their balance, total subscribers, and total affiliates. ### Affiliate URL Generation When a user registers as an affiliate, the system should automatically generate a unique URL for them. This URL will be used to track the subscribers they bring in. Affiliates should be able to access this URL easily from their dashboard. ### Follower Tracking and Data Extraction Incorporate the Twitter API to track followers. This will require understanding RESTful API principles and OAuth authentication. Also, you might need to employ web scraping techniques if the API does not provide all the necessary data. ### Subscription Verification Ensure that the system regularly verifies new followers who have been following the influencer for at least 30 days. This process helps authenticate genuine followers and aids in accurate commission calculation. ### Payment Distribution Design a system that can calculate commissions and disburse payments to affiliates via their Stripe-connected accounts. Implement error handling for cases where a payment fails. ## Milestone 2: Enhanced User Experience ### Analytics Dashboard Upgrade the dashboard to provide more detailed analytics. Incorporate visual aids like charts and graphs to help users understand their performance better. Display a log of payments made and received for transparency. ### Intuitive User Interface Improve the platform's user interface by focusing on user-friendly design principles. The design should be intuitive, and users should be able to find what they need quickly. Make sure to test the design with users and incorporate their feedback. ### Subscription Management Build a feature that allows users to manage their followers' subscriptions, such as pausing, canceling, or renewing subscriptions. ## Design Principles Adopt a modern, minimalist design aesthetic that prioritizes user experience. The platform should be responsive, mobile-friendly, and visually pleasing. Consistency in color schemes, fonts, and iconography is crucial.