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Metrics Matter, But Rebelle Management CEO Says There’s More To Success Than Numbers

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Metrics Matter, But Rebelle Management CEO Says There’s More To Success Than Numbers

Metrics Matter, But Rebelle Management CEO Says There’s More To Success Than Numbers

“We can’t just depend on the algorithm or on hashtags to be found anymore,” says Tanisha Colon-Bibb, founder of Rebelle Management. “The relationships and being really communicative about what this talent does, what they offer – that’s how you win.”

As social media platforms increasingly rely on automated systems for content distribution, Rebelle Management takes a different approach. Since its founding in 2018, the talent management company has grown from representing New York-based content creators to establishing a worldwide network of what Tanisha describes as “influential creatives” – professionals whose impact reaches beyond social metrics to create meaningful conversation.

Redefining Talent Management for Today’s Creators

“We’re not just an influencer agency; we’re a talent agency,” Tanisha explains. “The space has grown a lot, and so the language has grown in a way that feels comfortable for us, especially with our talent who do so many things.”

This perspective shapes every aspect of Rebelle’s strategy. Instead of solely prioritizing view counts and engagement metrics, Rebelle also focuses on creating lasting connections between creators, brands, and their audiences.

This relationship-centered philosophy has propelled the company from its regional beginnings to international expansion, marked by establishing its Johannesburg office in South Africa in 2023. “I’ve always had a global mindset about management,” Tanisha shares. “Right now, we’re having global conversations. I’m now talking to local brands but thinking about global – how can we take our international talent and make them more marketable to a bigger stage?”

Combining Data with Personal Connection

While metrics remain essential in creator partnerships, Rebelle integrates them with meaningful relationships. “Data is still number one,” Tanisha notes. “You can’t lead a conversation with ‘this person is cool.’ Marketing is not that. Especially when people are allocating money and funds to campaign.”

The agency has developed “brand partnership kits” that go beyond traditional media kits. “I’ve sat down with brands and said, ‘What do you want to see? Tell me straight up.’ They say, ‘Keep it short. Keep it to the point. Keep it about the data.'”

These kits emphasize metrics that correlate with business outcomes: “Engagement matters. Comments, shares, saves – those things matter to me because that means your community is actually looking and engaging with your content, not just looking.” Tanisha particularly values impressions: “Impressions mean more than views because doom scrolling is a real thing… If you would think about all the pages and things you looked at versus what you actually liked and commented on, there would be a great disparity.”

The team maintains strict update schedules: “We update that brand kit every 60 and 90 days; last 90 days for Instagram and last 60 days for TikTok. What is their best-performing content? What does their feed look like? What do they give off in their feed?”

Visual presentation remains crucial despite the industry’s data focus: “People say feeds don’t matter, but I think they do. A brand has specifically told me, ‘I want to know your aesthetic. Are you a luxury girl? Are you a fun girl? Are you a beauty girl?’ It shows on your last nine posts your cover photo really does show what you want people to see when they first look at this.”

Metrics Matter, But Rebelle Management CEO Says There’s More To Success Than Numbers


Rebelle creator Filah Lah Lah for Jean Paul Gaultier Divine

Creating Strategic Opportunities

Rebelle has transformed from accepting incoming deals to actively creating opportunities. “Probably the most significant change has been pitching marketing teams versus getting inbound,” Tanisha reveals. “Influencer marketing teams are usually small; one to two people dedicated to those specific deliverables in marketing departments. And so there are not many people working on these campaigns, but there is so much creative work to be done, which is why I like to be a partner in the creative process instead of just a talent manager.”

The agency has become more proactive, internally creating marketing campaigns to share with brands in an effort to generate more business for their talent roster: “We’ve turned into an internal marketing team of our own, thinking about what brands work well with our clients, what kind of ideas and campaigns we can pitch.” 

This includes strategic partnership discussions: “We ask, ‘Is this a campaign just for looks? Do you just want the views? Is it a campaign where you’re looking actually to make some money?’ We ask them what their ROI is because that affects the content.”

This consultative approach has resulted in stronger partnerships with major brands like Maybelline and Shea Moisture. “Beauty cares because beauty is such a personal thing,” Tanisha observes. “They’ve definitely been very interested in what a partnership creatively could look like. They care about your unique voice because beauty is so unique.”

Creating Integrated Experiences

Rebelle envisions creator partnerships that combine digital influence with real-world impact. “What excites me is how we can connect experiential and digital,” Tanisha shares. “How can we make it more than just a post? How can that brand integrate into the client’s brand?”

She emphasizes comprehensive talent integration: “If the client wants to start women empowerment events, how can that brand be influential or helpful? We’re literally plugging in pieces for each other and building this really strong connection.”

The challenge involves helping brands understand multi-talented creators. Tanisha provides an example: “One of our clients, Ty Alexander, is an amazing DJ but also a content creator in the beauty and lifestyle space – we had a really tough time getting brands to understand because she can DJ your event and create content around your event. In their mind, it was one or the other… If you’re doing an event, let our client be on the panel, and then let them write about it, and then let them DJ.”

Metrics Matter, But Rebelle Management CEO Says There’s More To Success Than Numbers


Ty Alexander at Essence Fest

Looking Forward

As creator partnerships mature, personal connections become increasingly vital. Tanisha advises focusing on core strengths: “Nowadays, people are multi-hyphenate. That’s just what it is. And I think brands still quite don’t understand how to fit a multi-hyphenate. Really targeting the one or two things that your client does well and leading with that.”

Rebelle continues expanding its relationship-focused approach. “I spent all of January reaching out to contacts from 2018, looking on LinkedIn, seeing if they still work there, where they worked, and reconnecting,” Tanisha explains. “Because I feel like that’s going to be the game changer for us this year, especially as opportunities have kind of dwindled.”

The company has ambitious plans: “We’re rebranding. We have a new name coming. Because we have expanded into musicians and actors, we’re also now expanding into sports players and looking at influencers – people who actually do influencing solely – differently.”

“We picked a fun industry, so let’s have fun,” Tanisha says, emphasizing genuine connections over automated processes.

Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.

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