Duct tape on wet fabric is the problem. Tape sticks to dry stuff, and once the tarp is soaked nothing will hold on it for long. Seam sealer is not the fix you are looking for either. That stuff works great on tents with taped seams and coated nylon, but a $40 tarp is probably just woven poly with no real coating. Sealer will bead up and peel off in those spots. Your best bet is getting a tarp that has seams already sealed or one made of silnylon with taped seams from the start.

The "3 lines with one clear question" part is what makes the whole thing work, because it flips who has to do the work. Same reason asking "Do you still want the logo by the 15th or should I hold off?" beats "Just checking in, hope to hear from you soon!" One gives them a yes or no, the other gives them a chore. I started ending every follow up with a real question that they can answer in five seconds, even something like "Should I keep the files warm or close this out?" and the reply rate jumped hard. People don't ghost because they hate you, they ghost because your email feels like homework.