A mom TikToker went viral teaching viewers how she vlogs in public and commenters were divided on whether it was helpful or 'embarrassing'

• The TikToker Sydney McDonald nabbed nearly 700,000 views on a tutorial video about vlogging in public.
• She touted various phone mounts and urged viewers to record their door slams, seatbelt clicks, and drink sips.

Sydney McDonald, a mom and TikToker who's gained 186,000 followers teaching viewers how to make money on social media, shared a behind-the-scenes look at how she captures content while running errands with her family.

Some aspiring influencers applauded McDonald's tips, while others called the process laborious or found it to be cringe-inducing to do in public.

McDonald, who sells various online tools for social media growth in addition to doling out free advice, told Insider the varied responses were unintended — but ultimately welcome.

"I would say the mix of opinions is exactly what you're looking for in a viral TikTok video," the creator said. "Controversy sparks virality and while my goal wasn't controversy, it helped the video reach more people who found it helpful."

In the viral clip she shared last week, McDonald begins by saying she uses a suction phone mount to capture different angles in the car. For non-talking or ASMR-esque vlogs, she suggested recording door slams, seatbelt clicks, or drink sips.

McDonald also advised keeping another standalone phone mount handy, which can be placed on the dashboard or center console of a car for different angles — or on grocery store carts or shelves to capture real-time shopping.

"Get creative and film some casual clips ... like closing your trunk!" she added, demonstrating how she sets up her camera inside her car trunk to get the shot.

Finally, McDonald suggested capturing some 0.5 angle selfies, which has become trendy for wide-angle portraits that harness a fish-eye view.

"Thanks for showing the BTS of content creators because I wonder about these things all the time!" one commenter wrote. Others said they found her tips "super helpful," adding that they'd purchased the mount she was promoting, which has led McDonald to share additional tips about vlogging on-the-go.

Others said her TikTok made them suddenly aware of how discomfiting it would be to do all that in a public setting. "Do you feel super awkward recording yourself in public? Because I always feel super awkward trying to do that," one commenter wrote. "God this is so embarrassing," another added.

Some critiqued the job of being an influencer in the first place. "Real question," a third commenter asked. "Why would people need to film themselves shopping? Or putting on a seatbelt. Or opening a car door. Or driving?"

While these tedious details might baffle some people, they're seminal to vlogging culture online. And mega-successful YouTubers and influencers have gained notoriety for their unique video edits in mundane vlogs. Creators say they're surprised how much work is required to pull together a simple video, but that viewers enjoy these ASMR-like details and that they ultimately pay off.