When I launched Magic and Motivation, I had a pretty picture in my mind. I would share my love for Disney, share my cooking and meal prep videos, snippets of real life home workouts, and little pockets of encouragement for fellow moms. I assumed that if I created helpful, authentic content, people would naturally just see it.
Then came my crash course in social media.
If you’re currently standing in your kitchen holding your phone, staring at a Reel or TikTok draft that took you two hours to edit, only for it to hit 100 views and freeze, let me be the one to tell you… I get it. You are NOT doing it wrong, and you are NOT crazy.
Here is what the first few months of trying to “Beat the Algorithm” actually look like, along with the mindsets helping me stay sane through the process.
1. The “Algorithm” Feels Like a Moving Target (Because It Is)
In the beginning, everyone has advice. You’ve seen the videos:
- “Post 3 Times a Day!”
- “No, post once a day but only use trending audio.”
- “Don’t use trending audio, speak directly to the camera!”
- “Keep it under 7 Seconds!”
The list is endless… You quickly realize that trying to cater to the algorithm is like trying to guess what a toddler wants for lunch. The rules change fast, and every ten minutes it seems like. One day a quick 5 second video of your morning routine gets pushed out to thousands. The next day a carefully filmed tutorial gets zero traction.
The turning point that I am currently at is realizing that the algorithm isn’t a person judging my worth or content. It’s just trying to match patterns. When a post flops, it doesn’t mean the idea was bad. It just means it didn’t find the right room of people for that specific post or time.
2. The Mental Energy of “Being Visible” Is Real
Before you post regularly, you don’t realize how much mental space it occupies.
- Did I set up the tripod at a weird angle?
- Is my house too messy or dark or old in the background?
- Does this sound helpful, or am I just shouting into the void?
Balancing content creation alongside drop offs, household management, meal preps, and family schedules takes genuine effort. (Example: a child is currently yelling for me as I type this.)
Trying to capture “everyday magic” while actually living it is a delicate dance. Some days you film the routine, the menu, the prep, the shopping list, the décor… and some days you just need to live without a phone in your hand. Balance is key.
3. Shifting the Mindset
It’s easy to get hooked on view counts and follower numbers. But if you shift the perspective from “only 50 people watched” to “50 real people watched my video,” they stopped scrolling and watched.
A funny comment from a viewer, or the people who like, comment, or share. That is the best.
The goal was never to impress a robot. It was to share your dreams, build a community, and share practical videos that hold value.
4. Advice from what I have learned so far
Measure consistency, not virality. Did you show up three times this week? Did you publish the post? These are wins. Celebrate what you can control and worry less about what you can’t.
Remember why you’re doing this! You started this to show a passion, share experiences, or show something real that you have to offer.
Final Thought
Building something from scratch takes time, effort, patience, and a whole lot of trial and error! If your views are low today, keep posting anyway. The right people will find your table. It just takes time to set it.
Tools I use for content creation
A few favorites that make filming in the kitchen (and everywhere else) a little easier:
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