On Instagram, Julie Burton’s bio reads in part, 'Mom, Writer. Bacon-hater-please don’t drop me as a friend.”
While her distaste for salt-cured pork may raise eyebrows, this KC native has managed to bring a new type of sizzle across popular social media platforms.
“There’s a lot of people that use social media and show the best parts. Some people just show Easter and Christmas pictures of their kids looking perfect,” said Barton, “It’s a natural thing, you want to show off your life and you don’t want to really talk about the real stuff.”
Shockingly, @ksujulie profile isn’t flooded with pictures of her posing next to trendy cocktail bars or pictures of her latest vacation spot. Instead the single mom of two uploads witty remarks or summarizes comical thoughts she came across while balancing her everyday life. Some of her most popular posts are of her unfiltered and walking her followers through her latest OBGYN visit, take on popular movies, or her first mammogram experience.
“I think the more real I am, the more people can relate —it’s vulnerable. I am putting myself in front of my mom and old teachers. You’re really getting into my life but people like that,” said Burton “it's just the voice in my head honestly, I'm a very shy person, in real life. I'm soft spoken, and when I write it's just everything that I think in my head.”
The KC native's inner-voice seems to work. She's won several People’s Choice awards for her entertaining use of social media while building an audience of more than 120,000 people. Each of her posts generate hundreds of comments which are mostly accompanied by a laughing emoji.
“People call me an influencer, but I don't like that name. I don't try to sell anything, I don’t go and get cute pictures because it's all about the words,” stressed Burton.
As a writer, Burton says she’s influenced by her daily routine and love for all things Kansas City. At times, she uses her platform to answer questions outsiders may have about Kansas City, battle misconceptions, or stress to people (surprisingly enough) that Kansas Citians do more than watch the ‘Wizard of Oz’ on repeat.
"We have everything. We don't have mountains or beaches, but that's what makes it even better,” explained Burton. “We have everything a major city does, and people often think that this is just a cow town or a suburban town. We’re just much bigger than that.”
The World Cup and NFL Draft are set to bring Kansas City under a global spotlight, but some argue Burton has been helping shine a light on the City of Fountains for years. Some of her followers will reach out to get her perspective on what family-friendly activities they can do while visiting KC, popular food destinations, or where they snap the best pictures.
“I think Kansas City loves Kansas City, and I'm just a part of that story,” explained Burton. "I just happened to have a lot of followers where I can amplify that, and I’m always trying to share things about it. It’s one of the best places to grow up and live in.”
As for what’s next, Burton said she’s committed to her social media presence and did have the following piece of advice for people wanting to break the cycle and start an online platform.
“Be authentic when you’re online because I know it can be hard for people to look at your highlights and see what's good, and that's not necessarily all true. I just feel like, if you're authentic online, it kind of helps everyone else around,” said Burton.