Here at GG Talent Group, we're lucky enough to represent some of the most talented YouTubers and streamers in the industry.

Building a successful YouTube channel takes more than just great content. While many creators experience rapid early growth, turning that into long-term success is a completely different challenge (you can read more about that in our latest blog).

For the first instalment of our YouTuber spotlight, we caught up with Blurbs. Best known for his innovative gaming content and love of Sea of Thieves, Blurbs has built a loyal audience by creating videos that are as entertaining as they are original.

A former software engineer, he's always looking for new ways to push creative boundaries. Whether it's ambitious challenge videos, interactive projects or bringing fresh ideas to life, no concept is too big.

We caught up with Blurbs to talk about his YouTube journey, content creation and the ideas that keep millions of viewers coming back for more.

Please can you tell me a bit about who you are and what you do?

Hello! I’m Blurbs and I’m an ex-software engineer turned creator. I mod games to do insanely nonsensical things just for the fun of it. You may have seen my YouTube series Text-To-Skyrim where I let Twitch chat voice the NPCs while I play the game. 

How did you first get into creating content, and what made you decide to turn it into a career?

I used to work in a tiny room making corporate accounting software for over 3 years (which is somehow even more boring than it sounds). I streamed on Twitch at night to decompress, and eventually I was ready to change programming jobs. I figured before applying for a new gig I’d give content creation a shot full-time. I had savings and gave myself a deadline to make it work! Fun fact: I started as a PvP guide maker for the game Sea of Thieves. It wasn’t until years later that I started modding games!

YouTube can be difficult, with many people starting out well and then plateauing - did this happen to you and if so, how did you make sure you kept growing?

This absolutely happened to me, twice in fact. I got lucky in that my early YT career grew quickly. Not many people were making PvP guides for Sea of Thieves and mine were very short and to the point. However, I knew being a main-game creator almost always has an expiration date. Around this time I posted my very first Skyrim modding video. It got 1M views in about 2 weeks. I knew this was my way out of Sea of Thieves, so I took it. I had to reset my entire community to ensure I could keep creating content for a living, which really hurt.

 Ultimately, it was the right decision. That Skyrim modding influx also plateaued eventually, and I spent the better part of the following year trying to mod other games to mediocre success. It wasn’t until I “borrowed” a video format from Ludwig (thanks for that), where I let my viewers decide what I mod. Ever since then the channel has had very healthy organic growth! In short: never stop uploading and trying new things.

Tell us about the community you’ve built and how important they are

I’ll be forever grateful to various communities I’ve built over the years. Whether I was stealing ships in a pirate game, talking to cursed Skyrim villagers, or now being told what to mod: they always show up. What I’m most appreciative of are the folks who don’t necessarily jive with the content I’m doing now, but understand why I made the change. I’m happy for the time we had together, but as a creator you have to be constantly changing and adapting to survive. And they totally get that, going as far as to pop in and say hello just to check on me. I’m very lucky.

How has your audience shaped the type of content you create?

My audience has changed more than almost any creator I know to be honest. Going from PvP guide maker to mad scientist modder is some crazy whiplash for a viewer. That being said, my audience is now core to my content. Without them being there to suggest crazy ideas or voice the next character I create, I have no content. So they quite literally shape my videos entirely - which honestly can be pretty scary at times! I like creating things that give my viewers a platform to participate, get creative, and make their own jokes. I do however have to nudge them back on course occasionally if they get too out of control!

When it comes to a brand partnership, what makes it feel authentic to you and how important is that authenticity?

I think it’s extremely important. Audiences are more supportive than ever for creators “getting the bag”. But that doesn’t mean you should accept every offer that comes through the window. Personally I try to focus on partnerships that I myself am interested in, I know my community is interested in, or at the very least partnerships I know my audience understands.  

Do you prefer when you have a clear brief from a brand or do you want full creative freedom?

I definitely prefer when there’s a clear brief of deliverables, but the freedom to arrange/present them however I want. Viewers will always engage more if it feels authentic, as opposed to reading a pre-ordained marketing script. The closer the ad read is to being an actual part of the content, the better for the brand.

Do you have advice for brands who want to work with YouTubers?

I would encourage brands to trust creators more with their ad reads. Like I said, if it feels organic to the content it’s better for everyone. Also if you are a big brand like Red Bull for instance, you should take more chances on medium sized creators. Specifically in the video game modding scene. I have some ideas, email me anytime!

Do you have any advice for people who want to start/grow their own YouTube channel?

Upload. Just start uploading. You aren’t going to hit it big on the first video. Or the fifth, or even tenth. You have to just throw stuff at the wall and see what resonates with viewers. You should have a clear idea of what niche you want to create content for, but other than that it’s a lot of trial and error. After you’ve gotten used to uploading I’d also recommend learning more about how to understand your dashboard analytics. I’ve been making videos for over 5 years now and I’ve only recently started learning more about how to use video data to my advantage. Learn what makes a good title/thumbnail. Thumbnails are so so so important, I can spend multiple days making a single thumbnail. Also, this goes without saying, actually WATCH other YouTube videos.  How can you expect to know what people like if you aren’t watching what other, more successful creators are doing in your niche?