The Target Collab + DM Strategy: Why TikTok Shop's Best Sellers Hit Creators Twice

When we asked Sebastian Nelson, founder and CEO of CRUVA, about the single biggest breakthrough that transformed his TikTok Shop affiliate program, he didn't hesitate: "Learning to hit creators twice instead of once." In this conversation, he walks us through the dual-channel outreach strategy that increased his response rates from 2% to 12% overnight—and why most brands are still missing half the equation.

"Let me tell you about the most expensive mistake I made in my first three months on TikTok Shop," Sebastian begins, settling into what's clearly a story he's told before—because the lesson was that valuable.

"I was doing everything right—or so I thought. Great product. Competitive commission rates. Clear brand guidelines. I was sending out target collabs like crazy through TikTok Seller Center, hitting all the filtering options, targeting creators with solid follower counts and decent engagement."

The results? "My response rate was about 2%. Two percent. Which meant for every 100 creators I reached out to, I was getting two sample requests. And I'm sitting there thinking, 'Is my product just not interesting? Is my commission rate too low? Am I targeting the wrong people?'"

The breakthrough came from an unexpected source. "Then I talked to another seller who was crushing it in the same category as me, and he told me something that changed everything: 'You're only hitting them once. You need to hit them twice.'"

Sebastian admits he had no idea what that meant at first. "Turns out, I was missing the entire second half of the outreach strategy that top sellers were using. And once I fixed it, my response rate jumped from 2% to 12%. Same product. Same commission. Same creators. Completely different results."

The Target Collab Graveyard: Where Most Outreach Goes to Die

When we ask Sebastian to explain why single-channel outreach fails so consistently, he paints a vivid picture of the creator experience.

"Here's what you need to understand about how creators interact with TikTok Shop: they're overwhelmed," he explains. "Every single day, creators with any kind of following are getting bombarded with target collaborations. Sometimes dozens per day. Sometimes hundreds. And they're all sitting in this one tab in the TikTok app, just a massive list of brands all screaming for attention."

He walks us through what that looks like from a creator's perspective:

Brand A: "Hey Sarah, we'd love to work with you!"
Brand B: "Hey Sarah, check out our amazing product!"
Brand C: "Hey Sarah, interested in a collaboration?"
Brand D: "Hey Sarah, we have a great opportunity!"

"It's the same message over and over. Different products, same approach," Sebastian says. "And after you've seen 50 of these, they all just blur together into visual noise. Your brain starts filtering them out automatically, the same way you scroll past ads on Instagram without even registering what they were advertising."

This creates what Sebastian calls "the target collab graveyard"—hundreds of outreach attempts from well-meaning brands that never stood a chance because they got lost in the noise.

"For the first three months I was selling on TikTok Shop, that's exactly where my outreach was going. Straight to the graveyard."

The DM Difference: Why Direct Messages Cut Through the Noise

Sebastian's explanation of why DMs work differently is rooted in basic human psychology.

"Think about how you use TikTok," he prompts. "When someone sends you a direct message, you get a notification. It shows up on your screen. It's immediate and personal. Even if you don't read it right away, you know it's there. There's a little red dot telling you someone wants to talk to you specifically."

The psychological difference is significant. "DMs feel different than target collabs. Target collabs feel like mass marketing—because they are. DMs feel like someone actually reached out to you personally, even if logically you know it might be automated."

But Sebastian cautions against the obvious trap: "TikTok doesn't want you spamming creators in the DMs. If you just start cold messaging random creators without any context, you're going to get reported, blocked, and potentially flagged by the platform. Plus, creators hate it. It feels invasive and desperate."

This is why most brands either avoid DMs entirely or use them so sparingly that they never build momentum. "The answer isn't choosing between target collabs or DMs," Sebastian clarifies. "It's using both. Together. At the same time."

The Double Touch Strategy: How It Actually Works

When we ask Sebastian to break down the exact mechanics of the strategy, he keeps it surprisingly simple.

"Step 1: Send a target collaboration through TikTok Seller Center. This is your official invitation with all the details—commission rate, product info, sample offer, everything."

"Step 2: Immediately send that same target collaboration as a DM to that creator. Not a separate message. Not a random 'hey what's up.' You're literally sending them the target collab link in their DMs."

The result? "Now the creator sees your outreach in two places: in their collaboration invitations where it might get buried, and in their DMs where they'll get a notification."

Sebastian emphasizes the psychology at work: "Even if they ignore it in one place, they might see it in the other. Or they see it in both places and think, 'Okay, this brand is really trying to reach me. Maybe I should actually look at this.'"

The key insight? "You're not doubling your outreach effort. You're doubling your visibility. And that makes all the difference."

His personal results validate the approach: "When I started doing this—sending the target collab AND the DM simultaneously—my response rate went from 2% to 12% overnight. Same product. Same creators. Just better visibility."

The Psychology Behind Why This Works

Sebastian has clearly thought deeply about the psychological principles underlying the double touch strategy. When we press him on why it's so effective, he outlines four key principles:

Principle 1: Repetition creates legitimacy

"When someone sees your brand once, you're just another option. When they see your brand twice in a short period, you start to look like a real opportunity. There's something about that repetition that signals, 'This is legitimate. This brand is organized. They're serious.'"

Principle 2: Multi-channel presence equals professionalism

"Brands that show up in multiple places look more established," Sebastian explains. "A random target collab could be from anyone. But a target collab AND a DM? That feels like a brand that has their stuff together."

Principle 3: Notification psychology

"DM notifications trigger different behavior than in-app browsing. When creators are scrolling through target collabs, they're in 'scan mode'—moving fast, making snap judgments. When they get a DM notification, they're in 'check mode'—more likely to actually read and consider."

Principle 4: The double confirmation effect

"When creators see the same opportunity in two places, it creates a mini confirmation bias loop," Sebastian says. "'I saw this in my collabs AND my DMs, so it must be important.' They're more likely to take action because it feels like the universe is telling them to pay attention to it."

He's quick to add: "None of this is manipulation. You're just working with how human attention and decision-making actually function. You're making it easier for creators to notice you and harder for them to ignore you."

The Hook That Actually Gets Responses

When we ask Sebastian about the biggest mistake he sees brands making, he doesn't hesitate: "Starting your message with 'Hey [affiliate name]' is useless. Every brand does that. You're trying to be personal, but you're actually being generic because everyone else is doing the exact same thing."

According to Sebastian, creators see right through it. "They know it's automated. They know you're sending this to hundreds of people. And there's nothing in 'Hey Sarah' that gives them a reason to keep reading."

His alternative approach is value-first: "Your hook—the first 4-5 words they see—needs to communicate value immediately. It needs to answer the question every creator has when they see your outreach: 'What's in this for me?'"

He shares examples of hooks that actually work:

"70% commission this month" → Immediate financial incentive
"Already in 500+ Target stores" → Social proof and legitimacy
"$20K GMV max budget" → Shows resources and seriousness
"Product going viral on TikTok" → FOMO and momentum
"100+ creators earning $1K+" → Proof of success

"Notice what all of these have in common," Sebastian points out. "They're specific, they're benefit-focused, and they create curiosity or urgency."

Compare that to typical approaches like "We'd love to work with you!" or "Check out our amazing product!"—generic statements that add no value and create no urgency.

"The hook is your first impression. Actually, it's your only impression because most creators won't read past it if it doesn't grab them. So you need to make those first few words count."

Crafting the Body: Expanding on the Promise

Once the hook gets attention, Sebastian explains, the body needs to deliver context quickly and efficiently.

"If your hook was '70% commission this month,' your body should be something like: 'We're running a special promotion this month with 70% commission on all sales—normally 50%. Our product is [brief description], currently selling [X units/day], and our top creators are averaging [X dollars] in earnings. We'd love to send you a free sample to try. Interested?'"

The structure provides:

Context on the commission (it's special, not permanent)
Quick product description
Proof of performance (sales velocity, creator earnings)
Clear next step (sample offer)

"The body should be 2-3 sentences maximum," Sebastian emphasizes. "Any longer and you're asking them to invest too much time. Remember, they're probably reading this on their phone while doing something else. Make it scannable."

The Follow-Up Sequence That Converts Fence-Sitters

When we ask about follow-up strategy, Sebastian reveals another layer to the approach.

"Most creators won't respond to your first message. Not because they're not interested, but because they're busy, they forgot, they meant to respond later, or they wanted to think about it. Life happens."

His solution is a structured follow-up sequence:

Day 3: "Hey [name], just checking in on the sample offer. Still interested?"

Day 7: "Wanted to follow up one more time—we'd love to work with you. Here's what other creators are saying about the product: [quick testimonial or result]"

Sebastian is careful to distinguish between spam and professional persistence. "Spam is sending the same message repeatedly without adding value. Professional persistence is checking in with additional context or information that might help them make a decision."

He shares a telling anecdote: "I've had creators respond to the third follow-up and say, 'Oh sorry, I totally meant to respond to this earlier! Yeah, send me a sample.' They weren't ignoring me. They just needed a reminder."

The key, according to Sebastian, is making each follow-up feel natural and add something new. "Don't just resend the same message. Add a customer testimonial, mention a new feature, share a recent viral video, or highlight a limited-time commission boost. Give them a reason to reconsider."

Targeting: Who Deserves the Double Touch

Sebastian is adamant that not every creator warrants the full double touch treatment.

"You can't hit everyone with this strategy. It's too resource-intensive, and honestly, not every creator is worth the effort."

He breaks down his three-tier targeting approach:

Tier 1: High-priority creators (full double touch + follow-up sequence)

10K+ followers with 5%+ engagement rate
Already promoting TikTok Shop products
Content style matches brand aesthetic
Perfect niche alignment

Tier 2: Medium-priority creators (target collab + single DM, light follow-up)

5K-10K followers with decent engagement
Some TikTok Shop experience
Good but not perfect niche alignment

Tier 3: Low-priority creators (target collab only, no DM)

Under 5K followers
No TikTok Shop experience
Questionable niche fit

"You're always better off spending more time on fewer high-quality creators than spreading yourself thin trying to reach everyone," Sebastian advises. "The double touch strategy works best when you're selective about who you use it on."

The Automation Question: Scaling Without Burning Out

When we ask how to implement this at scale, Sebastian acknowledges the obvious challenge.

"When I was doing this manually, I could maybe send 50-100 double touch outreach messages per day before my brain turned to mush. That's not bad, but it's not enough if you're trying to build a real affiliate program."

His solution? "Smart automation. Not just blasting messages to everyone, but creating systems that filter creators based on your targeting criteria, send the target collab through TikTok, immediately send that collab as a DM, schedule follow-ups based on response, and track who's responding."

But he's careful about the balance: "The goal isn't to remove the human element. It's to remove the repetitive, mechanical parts so you can focus on the high-value interactions—like personally following up with creators who've posted content, or building relationships with your top performers."

Sebastian has seen both extremes fail: "I've seen brands try to automate everything and it feels robotic and impersonal. I've also seen brands refuse to automate anything and they burn out in three months. The sweet spot is automating the process but maintaining the personal touch where it matters."

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When we ask Sebastian about the mistakes he sees brands making most frequently, he rattles off five immediately:

Mistake 1: Using the same message for everyone

"Even with automation, you should have different message templates for different creator types. Your message to a 100K-follower beauty creator should be different than your message to a 10K-follower lifestyle creator."

Mistake 2: Not updating hooks

"What works this month might not work next month. Test different hooks, track response rates, and rotate them regularly."

Mistake 3: Being too formal

"TikTok is a casual platform. Your outreach should match that energy. Don't write like you're sending a business proposal. Write like you're texting a friend about a cool opportunity."

Mistake 4: Giving up after one attempt

"The money is in the follow-up. Most creators need to see your message 2-3 times before they respond."

Mistake 5: Not personalizing DMs enough

"Even if you're automating, try to include one personal detail when possible. 'Saw your recent video about [topic]—loved it!' Little touches like that dramatically increase response rates."

The Data: What This Looks Like in Real Numbers

When we press Sebastian for concrete data, he provides a clear comparison from his own experience:

Target collab only:

1,000 messages sent
20 responses (2% response rate)
12 sample requests (1.2% conversion)

Target collab + DM (no follow-up):

1,000 messages sent
80 responses (8% response rate)
48 sample requests (4.8% conversion)

Target collab + DM + follow-up sequence:

1,000 messages sent
120 responses (12% response rate)
72 sample requests (7.2% conversion)

"Same product. Same commission. Same targeting criteria. The only difference was the strategy," Sebastian emphasizes.

The math is compelling: "That 12% response rate means instead of sending 1,000 messages to get 20 responses, I'm sending 1,000 messages to get 120 responses. That's 6X more sample requests. Which means 6X more potential creators posting content. Which means significantly more sales."

And the operational efficiency? "The crazy part? It doesn't take 6X more work. Because once you set up the systems, it's basically the same effort to send one message as it is to send 1,000."

The Creator Experience: Why This Doesn't Feel Pushy

Sebastian is thoughtful about how creators perceive the double touch approach. "I want to talk about this from the creator's perspective for a second because I think it's important to understand how they experience this strategy."

His description of the creator journey is detailed:

"When a creator gets your target collab + DM, here's what they're thinking: 'Okay, I got a collab invite in my collaboration tab. Let me check... okay, the product looks interesting. Wait, I also got a DM about this? Let me read that.'"

"Then they read your DM, which has your hook and your value proposition clearly stated. They click through to the target collab to see the full details. They check out your product listing. They look at your commission rate."

"At this point, they're doing research. They're taking you seriously as an opportunity. They might even look up your brand on TikTok to see what kind of content other creators are making."

This, according to Sebastian, is the behavior brands should want. "This is engaged interest."

The contrast with single-touch outreach is stark: "'Okay, I got a collab invite. Eh, I'll look at it later.' Later never comes. They forget about it. It gets buried under 50 other invitations. You never hear from them."

"The double touch strategy doesn't feel pushy to creators. It feels professional. It signals that you're a real brand with real systems, and that makes them more likely to take you seriously."

Strategic Use: When to Double Touch vs. Single Touch

Sebastian is selective about when to deploy the full strategy versus holding back.

Use DMs when:

The creator is a perfect fit for your brand
They have strong engagement and proven TikTok Shop performance
Your product is highly relevant to their audience
You're willing to invest in building a relationship with them

Skip DMs when:

The creator is borderline in terms of fit
You're doing broad outreach to test interest
They have very low engagement or follower count
You're not sure they're worth the extra touch

"Remember, quality over quantity," Sebastian advises. "It's better to send 100 double-touch messages to perfectly targeted creators than 1,000 single-touch messages to anyone with a pulse."

The Long-Term Relationship Play

When we ask Sebastian about the strategic value beyond immediate response rates, he talks about relationship foundation.

"The double touch strategy isn't just about getting more sample requests. It's about starting relationships on the right foot."

"When a creator sees that you've reached out in two places and followed up professionally, they remember that. They think, 'This brand actually cares about working with me.' And that first impression matters."

The long-term effects compound: "Later, when you're managing dozens or hundreds of affiliates, the ones who started with a strong first impression are the ones who are more likely to respond to your follow-up messages, post multiple videos about your product, give you feedback on what's working, and stick with your brand long-term instead of jumping to the next opportunity."

"You're not just optimizing for short-term sample requests," Sebastian concludes. "You're building a foundation for long-term partnerships. And in the TikTok Shop world, where creator relationships are everything, that long-term thinking is what separates brands that plateau at $50K/month from brands that scale to seven figures."

The Bottom Line

As our conversation winds down, Sebastian returns to the simplicity of the core strategy.

"The target collab + DM strategy is the simplest high-impact change you can make to your TikTok Shop affiliate outreach. It doesn't require new products, better pricing, or revolutionary marketing genius. It's just basic human psychology applied to creator outreach."

The execution is straightforward: "Hit them twice instead of once. Make your hook compelling. Follow up professionally. Track what works. That's it. That's the strategy."

But Sebastian is quick to emphasize that simple doesn't mean optional. "If you're still doing single-touch outreach in 2025, you're competing with one hand tied behind your back. The brands that are crushing it—the ones doing six and seven figures per month—they figured this out months or years ago."

His final challenge to brands is direct: "The question is: are you going to keep doing what's comfortable and familiar, or are you going to adapt to what actually works?"

"Your competition already knows the answer."

Sebastian Nelson is the founder and CEO of CRUVA (formerly UPTK), an AI-powered creator management platform for TikTok Shop brands. His own experience scaling a candle warmer lamp business from zero to six figures in monthly GMV through creator partnerships informed the development of the dual-channel outreach methodology now used by hundreds of brands.