# Instagram DM Templates for Creators: 9 Messages to Copy

Source: https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/instagram-dm-templates-for-creators

# Instagram DM templates for creators that don't read as spam

By the RecruitAffiliates.ai team · 29 October 2026 · 8 min read

Facts about other tools come from their own sites, with the date we checked. [Our editorial policy](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/editorial-policy) · [About us](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/about).

In short

Nine Instagram DMs in plain text for a Shopify brand writing to creators: a first message, a reply to a tag, a note to someone who posted about a rival, a gift, a request for an email, two follow-ups, a rate reply and a fee reply. A welcome message and a spam table are included. In our scan of 30 Shopify brands, Instagram gave a floor of 17 of 2,924 people.

A **direct message** (DM) is a private message on Instagram. To invite a creator to your affiliate program by DM, keep it under 50 words. Say one true thing about their work. Name the offer in plain numbers. Ask one small question. The nine messages below follow that shape. Copy one, swap the details in `[brackets]` and send it.

An **affiliate** is a person who earns a **commission**, a cut of each sale they send you. This page covers DMs only. For email, use the [influencer outreach email template](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/influencer-outreach-email-template).

**On this page 8 sections**

1. [What makes a DM read as spam?]
2. [When is a DM the right channel?]
3. [The nine templates]
4. [What to send after they say yes]
5. [How do you personalise a DM fast?]
6. [Where RecruitAffiliates.ai fits]
7. [Frequently asked questions]
8. [Sources]

## What makes a DM read as spam?

A DM reads as spam when it could have gone to anyone. The words are rarely the problem. The sameness is. Here is our reading of what tips a message over, with the fix.

| What it looks like | Why it reads as spam | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Hey babe, love your content!" | It praises nothing, so it fits any account | Name one post and one detail |
| A link in the first line | It looks like a phishing message | Offer to send the link after a reply |
| A long block of text | Nobody reads it on a phone | Stay under 50 words |
| The same message sent to 50 people | Creators compare notes and spot it | Change the first line each time |
| "Collab?" with no terms | They can't tell what you want | Say the rate and the gift |
| Three follow-ups in three days | It feels like pressure | One follow-up, then a last note |

This is our advice, not an Instagram rule. A stranger's DM gets a few seconds of attention, so the first line must earn the tap.

## When is a DM the right channel?

Use a DM when the profile lists no email, or when the creator lives on Instagram. Use email when the profile lists an address, because it leaves room for the full offer and a clear thread.

Our scan gives one data point. On 22 October 2026 we ran RecruitAffiliates.ai's normal first search for 30 public Shopify brands, six in each of five categories. It showed 2,924 people. An email was found for 916 of them (31%). Instagram gave 17 of the 2,924. Only seven of the 30 shops had any Instagram result ([the 2026 data report](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/research/who-promotes-shopify-brands-2026)).

Treat 17 as a floor, not a total. Instagram data came mostly from a lookup service, and one brand's Instagram search timed out. The scan also ran no YouTube pass. It does not measure how many creators a DM can reach or how many reply.

So our advice, not a finding, is this: email first when you can find an address, and keep DMs for the rest. See the [method and limits](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/research/shopify-affiliate-scan-2026). The sample was small and hand-picked, and no email was checked.

## The nine templates

Each message below is plain text. The offers use example numbers (20% commission, 10% off for followers, a free product), so use your own. The 20% is double the 10% median in our count of 137 public Shopify programs, so pick a rate you can afford. [What to offer affiliates](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/what-to-offer-affiliates) helps you pick a rate.

### 1. First message to a creator you found by search

Hi [Name], your post on [the specific post] was the clearest take on [topic] I've seen this month. We make [product] and pay 20% on every sale to people who share it. Can I send you the details?

About 40 words. It names the post, states the rate and asks a yes-or-no question.

### 2. Reply to someone who tagged your brand

Hi [Name], thank you for tagging us in your [post or Reel]. It made our day. We run a small affiliate program that pays 20% of every sale plus a free [product]. Would you like the details?

Send this before any cold message. People who already tag you are the warmest list you have.

### 3. Message to a creator who posted about a rival

Hi [Name], I watched your [post] on [rival or topic]. We make [product] for the same buyer, with [one real difference]. We pay 20% on each sale. Want me to send a free one to try?

Say the real difference in a few words. Do not run the rival down.

### 4. A gift with no strings

Hi [Name], I'd like to send you a free [product]. There's no post expected. If you like it, we'd also love to talk about a 20% commission. If you post, please say it was a gift. Where should I send it?

Our [gifting note examples](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/influencer-gifting-note-examples) go deeper on the gift.

### 5. Ask for their email

Hi [Name], I have a longer offer than fits in a DM. What's the best email to send it to? A short note is enough.

Use this when you want the full terms in writing. Then follow up with the [email template](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/influencer-outreach-email-template).

### 6. First follow-up, four days later

Hi [Name], a quick nudge on my note about our 20% program. If it isn't a fit, no problem at all. Should I send the details?

### 7. Last note, a week after that

Hi [Name], I'll stop here so I don't clog your inbox. If you ever want the details on our affiliate program, just say the word. Good luck with [something they're doing].

Send nothing after this one.

### 8. Reply when they ask "what do you pay?"

Thanks for asking. It's 20% of every sale from your link, and your followers get a code for 10% off. We track each sale to you and pay monthly. I can send the link today.

Quote real numbers. On 23 October 2026 we read the public pages of 168 Shopify brands. Of those, 137 named a base rate, and the median was 10% ([commission data](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/research/shopify-affiliate-commission-rates-2026)). The 10% off and monthly payout here are examples too. See [what a Shopify program should pay](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/what-commission-should-my-shopify-affiliate-program-pay).

### 9. Reply when they ask for a flat fee

Thanks for the rates. We don't pay flat fees right now. We pay 20% of each sale, and you also get a free [product]. If that works, I can set you up today. If not, I understand.

Don't argue. A creator who wants a fee may be a better fit for a paid post, which is a different deal.

## What to send after they say yes

Send the tracked link, the code and one line on disclosure. A **tracked link** is a web address that records which sales came from one person.

Great, welcome aboard. Here is your link: [link]. Your code is [CODE]. If you post, please say it's a gift and that you earn a commission. Any questions, reply here.

The disclosure line matters. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says a financial relationship includes a brand giving you free products. Creators should disclose it even if they weren't asked to mention that product ([FTC, Disclosures 101](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers), November 2019, checked 29 October 2026).

Its question page adds two points. A label like "commissionable link" is probably not a clear disclosure. And brands need reasonable programs to train and monitor their network ([FTC, Endorsement Guides questions](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking), checked 29 October 2026). This is US guidance, not legal advice. Our [disclosure examples](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/affiliate-disclosure-examples-for-brands) give wording to copy.

## How do you personalise a DM fast?

Spend two minutes on the first line and copy the rest. Open the profile and pick one recent post. Write what you noticed in one plain sentence. A detail such as "your tip on layering a serum under SPF" proves you looked. Let's say your first line is for a night-cream brand. For one creator it is "your 3-step night routine". For the next it is "your Sunday skin reset Reel". The offer stays the same.

For a longer list, [personalise outreach to 100 creators](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/personalise-outreach-to-100-creators) shows how to do it without losing a day. To find the accounts first, read [how to recruit affiliates on Instagram](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/blog/recruit-affiliates-on-instagram).

Send a few at a time. Five to ten a day is easy to keep up. Read each message before it goes, and keep a sheet with the date you sent it.

## Where RecruitAffiliates.ai fits

RecruitAffiliates.ai finds the people and sends the first email. It does not send DMs for you. That part stays by hand.

You enter your website. It finds websites, blogs, review sites, newsletters, podcasts, YouTube channels, and Instagram and TikTok creators chosen to fit shops like yours. Each one comes with the page that shows why. It looks for each person's email and checks it, so you get a [verified email](https://docs.recruitaffiliates.ai/credits#what-each-result-means). AI drafts a personal first email. You approve it, and it sends from your own inbox. The [Shopify page](https://recruitaffiliates.ai/for/shopify) has the five steps.

Launch is $79 a month for one brand, with a 7-day free trial and no card.

Try it on your store

See who would promote a shop like yours.

Type your store's website. We find the bloggers, review sites and creators who already cover shops like yours, and show the page we found each one on. Keep the affiliate app you use now.