Outreach Setup and Best Practices

Outreach Automations: An Overview

Outreach automations reach creators for you, sending DMs and TikTok invite cards to the audiences you define, on a schedule, without manual work.

What You Can Automate

• DMs: Direct messages to creators, including a real first message so it counts as genuine outreach.
• Target Collaborations: TikTok target-collaboration invites for a product.

You can combine both (invite + DM) in a single automation, where it sends a link to the TC invite (TC invite Card) via DM. Lands in 2 creator inboxes to maximize response rate.

Set One Up

Open Automations and start from a template or create a new one.

Choose who to target: new affiliates matching a set of filters, an uploaded list, or a CRM group.

Fill in your product, offer, and message content.

Save. The automation is created Paused, so click Start on its card in the Automations list to begin sending.

Good to Know

• A DM automation needs real message content to count as a genuine DM. An invite card on its own is not a DM.
• Keep an eye on automation status: if messages aren't sending, the status (for example, Paused) tells you why.
• Email outreach is a separate product. Set up email campaigns on the Email Campaigns page (under Outreach in the sidebar), not in Automations.
• Start from the pre-built Best Practices Outreach template if you're not sure how to structure your first campaign.

01 · Outreach — Target Collab + DM: Your First Outreach Bot

Plans: Basic · Growth · Scale

Target Collab + DM is the bread-and-butter outreach campaign on Cruva. It sends a branded invite card together with a personalized DM to creators who match your performance and demographic filters. Set it up once, and it runs continuously.

Where to start: Go to Outreach → Automations → +New Automation (top right). Pick Outreach as the source, then Target Collab + DM.

The Four-Step Setup

Step 1: Campaign Setup. Give your campaign a title, select Outreach → Target Collab + DM, and set a sending time range. Ideally, this should be 8am to 10pm in your creators' time zones.

Step 2: Affiliate Query. Build your creator pool. Layer Performance filters (GMV, units sold, video count) with Demographics (location, follower range, niche). Tighter is better: quality over quantity.

Pro tip: Best to target the 10k+ GMV segment in your relevant category.

Step 3: Invite Details (the What & the Why).

• Invite Title: Lead with numbers. Examples: "Beauty Brand: Top Selling!", "#1 Selling…, Award Winning…, $X/Sale, X% Commission" -> Yes creators WILL see the invite title, it is not internal. Only the campaign title is internal.
• Invite Message: Use three layers: what the product is, why it'll sell to their audience, and what's in it for them. Note the invite message is not visible over DM, the invite card sends which contains the titles and the products. When they click on that target collaboration card (or view it in their target collaboration inbox) that's when the invite message shows.
• Add Products: Attach the product(s) and set 20% commission + 5% Shop Ads as defaults.
• Configure free samples: We strongly recommend enabling free samples but keeping it to "manually review" rather than "auto approve" (not to be confused with Cruva auto review rules).
  • Setting the sample rule to "auto approve" within a TC invite will automatically approve any sample request that originates from that TC invite. This can be dangerous especially if you're targeting a large audience.
  • We also don't recommend turning samples off entirely because then creators won't be able to request any samples at all.
  • "Manually review" is the best setting because your sample requests will show in the "To Review" section where you can either approve/reject/ignore one-by-one, in bulk, or using our auto review rules that run based on fine-tuned rules related to the affiliate's earnings, followers, prior history, and more. See the article here for more information on managing sample requests.

Step 4: DM Messages. Write the DM that ships with the invite card. Lead with data, since the first 5 to 6 words are the preview. Add a Follow Up on the left rail to fire if there's no response in 3 days.

Press Finish. Your bot starts paused, so hit the purple ▶ play button in the My Bots → Actions column to send the first message.

Format your DM for a 5-second skim. A creator should know in one glance: (1) what's being offered, (2) what's in it for them, (3) why they should request a sample. Bullets beat paragraphs. Test the first 5 to 6 words, since that's all they see in the preview.

02 · Creator Sourcing — AI Creator Search

Plans: Growth · Scale

Three different ways to find creators who look, perform, or sound like the ones you already love. Drop any result into a list and outreach in two clicks.

AI Search. Type a natural-language description of the exact creator you want. Filter by performance, demographics, and appearance. Example: "Mid-30s mom in suburban kitchen, talks about supplements, 50K+ followers."

Lookalike. Upload up to 25 of your top creators (or pick from your CRM). Cruva averages their performance and demographic signature, then surfaces creators who match.

Image Search. Drop a reference image: a vibe, a set, a face type. Cruva surfaces creators whose content visually matches.

Outreach from a search: Click Add All to List, then go to Outreach → Automations → +New Automation → List Upload → Target Collab + DM. Same setup flow as before, sourced from your saved list.

03 · Steal What Works — Social Intelligence

Plans: Growth (view only) · Scale (full access)

Every brand, every product, every viral video, every creator on TikTok Shop, all indexed, ranked, and searchable. Build a list of competitors' best creators in minutes, then outreach to them.

Brands. Every brand on TikTok Shop. Search competitors, click into one, scroll to Creators, hit Save List.

Products. Search any product. Pull the top creators who've already moved units, save them as a list, and outreach immediately.

Videos. Trending shoppable content right now. Filter by category and date range, then bookmark winners straight into a content brief.

Creators. Every TikTok Shop creator ranked by performance. Click into any profile to see their top brands, products, and videos.

04 · Lifecycle — CRM Automations

The six automations every shop should set up, from the moment a sample ships, through the first sale, through the creator going dark. Each one is a different condition plus a different message.

All six follow the same click-path: Outreach → Automations → +New Automation → CRM Creators → DM

Automation 1: Shipped

Fires when a sample request status changes to Shipped. Optionally scope to a single product.

Conditions: Sample Request Status = Shipped (optional: Sampled Product = your product)

Recommended message:

Hi [affiliate_name], exciting news — your sample was just shipped and should arrive in the next few days 💜 We can't wait to see what you create!

In the meantime, please review the link below. It includes top-converting videos, hooks, and guidelines to create videos that win.

👉 [creator brief link]

Automation 2: Delivered

The package landed. Acknowledge it and re-anchor the brief so the first video lands fast.

Conditions: Sample Request Status = Content Pending

Recommended message:

Hi [affiliate_name] — your [product] should have arrived 💜

So excited to see what you create, have fun with it!

💸 $10K cash contest — join below to win:
👉 [contest link]

Automation 3: First Sale

A creator just made their first sale for you. This message is a relationship-builder, so make it warm.

Conditions: Units Sold ≥ 1

Recommended message:

Congrats on your first sale! 🎉 That's a huge win — give yourself a high five, you deserve it!

Keep on creating videos just like this and have fun! Let us know if you have any questions in the meantime.

You're a small step away from the next contest tier — join below for $$$:
👉 [contest link]

Automation 4: Content Unfulfilled (7 Days)

A heads-up to creators who haven't posted yet. Use a soft tone and frame it as protecting their account health.

Conditions: Content Unfulfilled (days) ≥ 7

Recommended message:

Hi [affiliate_name] — quick heads up: TikTok shared with us that you have 7 days to post a video with your sample. Just wanted to flag so your account stays healthy 💜

Be sure to view the content brief above for top-performing videos, hooks, and guidelines.

Let us know if you have any questions — can't wait to see what you create!

Automation 5: No Post in 10 Days

Re-engage creators who posted a bit, then ghosted. Lead with money or with a proven hook.

Conditions: Number of Posts between 1 and 5, plus Days Since Last Post ≥ 10

Recommended message:

Hi [affiliate_name] — we've loved what you've created so far, great work! 💜

💸 $10K cash opportunity — we're running an exclusive contest that rewards you just for posting more. Join below:
👉 [contest link]

We want to see you win and earn the most $$ possible!

Automation 6: Rejected

Get ahead of confused or upset creators before they reach out. Keep it polite and professional, and leave the door open.

Conditions: Sample Request Status = Rejected, plus Group Entry Date ≥ Tomorrow

Recommended message:

Hi [affiliate_name], we appreciate your interest in our products. Unfortunately, we weren't able to approve your sample request at this time. This could be due to various factors including our current inventory or campaign focus.

We encourage you to apply again in the future!

Why the date condition? Without "Send only to creators who entered the group after a specific date," this fires on everyone you've ever rejected. Set it to tomorrow so only future rejections trigger.

How Many Automations You Can Run at Once

The total number of concurrent outreach + CRM bots is capped by your plan:

Plan

Concurrent automations

Example

Basic

5

e.g. 2 outreach + 3 CRM

Growth

7

most mid-size shops live here

Scale

Unlimited

run every automation, every funnel, in parallel

05 · Education — Creator Briefs

Plans: Growth · Scale

A fully branded, custom landing page you share with creators that shows them exactly what to make. Top videos, top hooks, do's and don'ts, all on one link.

Set Up a Brief in 4 Minutes

Step 1: Go to Content → Creator Briefs and click + New Brief.

Step 2: Basic info & branding. Set the brief name, headline, custom colors, and fonts.

Step 3: Build the content.

• Add video examples (URL, select from Shop, or pull from Social Intelligence)
• Add top hook examples
• Add do's and don'ts
• Optional: attach a PDF

Step 4: Click Create Brief and copy the link. Paste it into the bottom of every Shipped CRM message. By the time the package arrives, the creator already knows what to post.

Example brief content:

• Top hooks: "POV: you finally found the serum that…", "3 things I wish I knew before…", "This $32 serum replaced my $200 routine."
• Do: Show the product on camera in the first 2 seconds
• Don't: Skip the hook. TikTok scrolls in 1.4 seconds.

06 · Pay Them to Keep Posting — Creator Contests & Community

Plans: Basic (no access) · Growth (up to 20 creators) · Scale (unlimited)

Turn your CRM into a community. Run tiered contests, leaderboards, races, bingo, sweepstakes, and even retainers. The moment a creator joins, you get their email and phone number, plus the ability to broadcast to all of them at once.

Example contest structure ($10,000 cash contest, tiered rewards, first come first served):

Tier

Prize

Requirement

🥇 Tier 1

$5,000

$25K+ GMV

🥈 Tier 2

$2,500

$10K+ GMV

🥉 Tier 3

$1,500

$5K+ GMV

🏅 Tier 4

$1,000

$2K+ GMV

Setup, 8 Steps

Step 1: Go to Creator Community → Campaigns → Create Campaign.

Step 2: Choose campaign type. Contest, Leaderboard, Race, Bingo, Sweepstakes, or Retainer.

Step 3: Brand the landing page. Colors, fonts, hero copy. Creators see this when they tap your link.

Step 4: Name & schedule. Public name, start date, end date. The name shows up everywhere.

Step 5: Configure tiered rewards. Make Tier 1 attractive enough to lead with in your DMs.

Step 6: Select products. All products, or specific ones for a campaign-focused contest.

Step 7: Settings. Approval and rejection messages, plus reminder SMS at 15, 10, 5, and 1 days from the deadline.

Step 8: Create & share the link. Paste it into your Delivered CRM message, Discord, WhatsApp, or send to creators who already posted (group with Posts ≥ 1).

You also get contact data. When a creator joins, their phone and email come with them. Call your top performers. Email broadcast all of them at once for BFCM, new launches, and seasonal promos.

07 · Copy & Paste — Outreach DM Templates

Two battle-tested DM frameworks. Replace bracketed fields with your numbers and keep the structure intact: a strong 5 to 6 word opener, social proof, what's in it for them, and why it works for their audience.

Template 01: Social Proof + Benefits

[Strong 5–6 word opener with numbers]

We're [BRAND NAME], our best-seller [PRODUCT] is [EXPLAIN PRODUCT].

Proof it sells:
✓ 100K+ units sold worldwide
✓ 750+ 5-star reviews
✓ Featured in Forbes, Women's Health, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS

What's in it for you:
✓ 25% commission on GMV ($10/sale)
✓ $10K weekly ad spend put toward YOUR videos
✓ Retainers for top performers
✓ FREE [product]
✓ Personalized support, high-converting angles & creative direction

Why it'll work for your audience:
• Designed for "social drinking" lifestyles
• Doctor-backed positioning that builds trust fast
• Built for reorder (strong repeat behavior)

If interested, request a sample via the invite above — can't wait to work together!

Template 02: Lead with the Offer

25% comm ($10/sale). 50K+ Sold. [BRAND]

Here's what you get:
✅ 25% commission on every sale
✅ $10K+ weekly ad spend to drive performance
✅ FREE [product]
✅ Access to paid retainers, bonuses, and ad spend behind your top videos

Creators are already making $10K+ per month with this exact product — and when your content converts, we put serious budget behind it to scale fast across TikTok and beyond.

If you're ready to start generating serious monthly income with a proven brand, this is your sign 👀💰

Let me know once you apply and I'll keep an eye out for you!

Test the preview. The first 5 to 6 words are all a creator sees in their TikTok inbox. Lead with a number, a percentage, or a dollar amount. Never open with "Hey there!"

Shortcuts & Templates: Reuse Prior Automations

Every time you save an automation, it becomes reusable content for future automations. When building a new campaign, click the "prior automations" dropdown to select any previous automation and instantly populate the invite title, invite message, or any DM message item.

This is how templating works on Cruva. There are starter templates available to get you going, but if you want to define your own, simply build the automation once and it's automatically available in all future automations. No need to save or manage separate template files.

08 · Reference — All Features Index

Every screen in Cruva, what it does, and which plan it lives on. Use this when you're trying to remember where a specific tool is.

Dashboard

Your single source of truth for data, KPIs, and reporting. Click Stats (top right) to customize and surface the metrics that matter to you.

• All KPIs, stats, metrics: GMV, sales, commissions, video count, and 40+ more
• Top products: Best sellers and all associated data
• Top affiliates: Your highest-grossing creators, ranked
• Affiliate funnel: Stage breakdown from applied → sampled → posted → sold
• Top videos: Best-performing videos with GMV, views, and ROI

Outreach

• Automations: Create outreach or CRM bots via +New Automation
• Auto Replies (Scale): Auto-respond to creator messages with templates plus custom conditions
• Email Campaigns: Connect Gmail/Outlook. Reach any TikTok Shop creator in the database via email
• Lists: All lists from AI Search or Social Intelligence. Upload CSVs, convert handles to emails, merge lists

Affiliate CRM

• Reports: Demographics, retention cohorts, creator overview, sample funnel report
• My Affiliates: Full creator database. Filter, export, tag, set time-range performance
• Groups: Build creator segments with conditions, then use them for outreach and CRM automations
• Sample Requests: View and manage every request through the funnel
• Auto Approve (Growth · Scale): Auto-approve or reject samples based on conditions (e.g. GMV ≥ $10K)

Content

• Videos: All affiliate videos with data. Set a date range or toggle Performance Time Range
• Adspend & ROI (Scale): CPA, ROI, and adspend analytics for every video
• LIVEs: All LIVEs from your affiliates with correlation data
• Creator Briefs (Growth · Scale): Custom branded brief pages with top videos, hooks, and guidelines
• Moderation (Growth · Scale): Scan videos for keywords, with an optional date range
• Halo Effect (Scale): Connect Amazon (1p/3p) and/or Shopify to see TikTok Shop's downstream impact
• Insights (Growth · Scale): Breakdown of which format combinations drive the highest GMV and lift

Ads

• Usage Rights (Scale): Send usage-rights requests, pay out creators, download licensed content
• Licensed Content (Scale): Manage licensed content and push directly to Meta Ads Library
• Spark Ads (Growth · Scale): Capture creator spark codes via DM and push to TikTok Ads for GMV Max
• GMV Max (Scale): Auto-boost top-performing creatives based on performance

Creator Community

• Brand Hub: Overview of active campaigns; signup hub for creators (Discord, products, sample videos)
• Campaigns: Retainer, Contest, Leaderboard, Race, Bingo, Sweepstakes
• Payments: Manage balance and make one-click payouts
• Videos: All videos generated via campaigns
• Creators: Every creator in your community. Email broadcasts. CSV export with phone, email, payouts, GMV

Bottom-Left Utilities

• Creator Messages: DM all affiliates (same as cooperation chat)
• Copilot Chat: Ask anything: health check, top performers, sample overview
• Connections: Integrations plus Cruva API access (with Claude integration)
• Chat Box: Message the Cruva team directly