GrayKitsune Interview

GrayKitsune, a YouTuber and Twitch Streamer focused on gaming and Pokemon, talks about how to grow both platforms at once.

For gamers nowadays, the struggle is real. With the plethora of personalities on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, many are torn between the worlds of streaming and video content creation. Usually, gamers who like to discuss tutorials and reviews find their home with YouTube videos; on the other hand, streamers on Twitch like to build an audience by providing the live, play-by-play action.

But as the content world continues to expand rapidly, many creators find a new niche between the worlds of streaming and video creation. GrayKitsune is one of those creators. He has both a YouTube channel and a Twitch stream, and while he’s only recently returned to YouTube, he actively produces content on both platforms.

This is certainly one of those feats that is easier said than done. We used Worthyt Ask to interview Gray and learn more about the work involved in managing both platforms, and what different strategies he’s noticed between the two when trying to grow both at the same time.

While the channels are both focused on gaming, that’s about the only similarity there is between them; otherwise, it seems like trying to play a game of chess and checkers simultaneously. According to Gray, for example, growing a Twitch channel requires critical thinking around which games are more likely to get eyeballs, while growing a YouTube channel requires brainstorming on SEO ideas, since those videos are meant to stick around for a longer period of time.

Take a look at our interview with Gray below. Most of the questions we asked him focused on learning more about the subtle differences between growing a Twitch vs. YouTube channel. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask him through Worthyt Ask.

Hey GrayKitsune! Welcome to the Worthyt community. Can you tell us more about what your main YouTube channel is about? And how about Twitch?

My YouTube channel primarily focuses around the game series “Pokemon” either doing challenges/play throughs, as well as informational videos about the franchise (currently in the works). While my Twitch channel is gaming as a whole, it’s focused on experiencing a game I haven’t played before with the viewers and connecting with them through that. There is some overlap as I do Pokemon on Twitch but it is about 90% other gaming content!

So you’ve been in the game for about 4 years now, what do you think is one of the biggest mistakes you made when trying to grow your Twitch or YouTube channels? And what was one of the best decisions you’ve made in doing so?

One of the biggest mistakes, which I made on my previous channel, was associating my brand with a group I didn’t know much about. I thought the group would be a great opportunity overall, but needless to say it was more bad then good. Meanwhile, I have to say the best thing I’ve done is associating myself with brands I know are good. I learned from my previous interactions that I needed to research brands before saying I’ll slap their name onto my content. Learn from the mistakes you make to make sure that they don’t become mistakes again!

Do you prefer streaming or video creation more? Why?

I personally prefer streaming to video creation. Streaming gives me the opportunity to really connect with my viewers and interact with them live, while with recorded content there is only so much interaction that can happen between a viewer and myself.

Did you feel nervous with your first Twitch livestream? If so, how many streams did it take you before you got over that feeling? Any tips for soon-to-be streamers that might feel the same way?

The first live streams I remember doing, I don’t remember feeling nervous while doing them. It was more excitement than anything. I loved the idea of streaming and the first one was nerve wracking in terms of the feeling of “It’s finally happening!”. One tip I can give to any streamer who is just starting out, no matter the platform, is if you’re feeling nervous don’t use a facecam. That added stress of “Do I look good? Is lighting good? etc” isn’t needed in the beginning, or even in the end. Just keep talking, relax, and be yourself!

How much time does it take for you to create a typical YouTube video?

That depends on the YouTube video. For a let’s play, or play through, it will typically take about an hour. 30 minutes to record, and then 30 minutes to edit. Meanwhile, if it’s something that requires a bit more editing, or even scripting, the video could take anywhere from 6 hours to 4 days to complete!

What is one piece of advice you would give to streamers starting off and trying to grow their presence?

Honestly, the best thing I can tell them is to just stream. Streaming is a difficult field to grow in. So streaming is the best thing you can do, but a little bit more in depth into it, you need to know what game (or content) is going to be good for growth. For a current real life example, if you’re starting out and getting about 3 viewers in your stream, Fortnite would be a terrible choice to play due to the over saturation of the content. No one would discover you. But at the same time, you shouldn’t play really obscure games like Hello Kitty: Island Adventure, cause no one is looking for that game. The best thing I can say when choosing the game to play is take into account 3 things: Is this game relevant in someway? Is the game over saturated with other creators streaming it? And finally, and most importantly, Do I enjoy this game?

What is one piece of advice you would give you YouTubers trying to grow their channel?

Look into SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and use tools like Tubebuddy and VidIQ that help you with tagging your videos properly. Also, don’t “link dump” your content. Link dumping is when you go and post your video somewhere unsolicited expecting to get views. You’ll get a couple 1–10 second views, but that’s really about it. Link dumping will hurt your channel more than it will help.

What makes the difference between a good streamer and an okay streamer? And does that also mean the difference between a good and okay YouTuber?

For me, a good streamer is entertaining and interactive with their chat. You’ve got to keep the conversation going even when no conversation is happening at all! For the most part, that does translate over to YouTuber’s as well. No one wants to watch a video that is someone sitting in silence for 3 minutes or even longer.

How often do you try to stream? Or push video content? Do you have a schedule for doing it, and would you recommend one?

I personally try to stream at least 4 times a week, and aim for more if possible. Video content I can usually push daily for projects that don’t require scripting or editing for, but if I need to script and edit heavily it’s usually about a once a week production. At the moment, I currently don’t use a schedule due to my schedule in day to day life being hectic, but if you are able to have a schedule I highly recommend it. Consistency is so importing with creation, both videos and live streams. Consistency tells your viewers “This is when I’m doing this, so you can expect it on this day at this time each week”. Then they know when to be paying attention to your channel!

What motivates you to keep streaming and creating videos? Are the motivations one in the same?

For me, video creation and live streaming, are both something I’m passionate about. I took classes all through high school to learn how to improve my craft, and then translate that into my content. The monetary gain is nice (when it actually happens), but it’s by far not what I’m interested in. I just like creating content!

If you could create videos on anything else, what would it be?

The only thing I could see me wanting to create videos on, and it’s crossed my mind to do so, is making videos on budget content creation. Showing people they don’t need to spend $600 on equipment in the beginning when they can spend $25 to achieve a similar effect.

If you had the power to time travel backward or forward once, where would you go and why?

I’d probably go back in time to either the Renaissance or around the time YouTube started. I mainly want to go back to the Renaissance to experience it, and I would go back to the time YouTube started just so I could avoid starting with all the saturation of content that’s currently there!