Shaun Groves
I spent the week with Tyrus Morgan, an indie artist who came along on this latest run of college chapel speaking gigs. At some point he asked how on earth Ben manages to book me in 80+ cities every year without a record deal or radio support.
Truth is, I’m not just an artist. I’m a mom blogger.
I have certain tools on loan from the CIA that allow me to know more about other people’s websites than they may know themselves. And that knowledge is pretty dang eye opening.
Where They Go
For instance, I know the sites Mercy Me‘s audience frequents most often: ticketmaster.com, foxnews.com, walmart.com, mapquest.com ands weather.com.
And Chris Tomlin‘s crowd? biblegateway.com, mapquest.com, about.com, go.com
Jeremy Camp? amazon.com, yahoo.com, walmart.com, mapquest.com
Casting Crowns? biblegateway.com, ticketmaster.com, sing365.com, foxnews.com, walmart.com
As you can see, Republican pundits and falling prices are popular with fans of Christian artists. I must not be a Christian artist. Or you’re not a fan of Christian artists. Or you’re all Democrats. Or you’ve got something against the smiley face or bargains. Or something like that.
Where You Go
What sites are you guys visiting most? KellysKornerBlog.com, Boomama.net, AHolyExperience.com, AudreyCaroline.blogspot.com, Simplemom.net, Beth Moore…you get the idea.
How does Ben keep me busy year-round without a record deal or radio play? Women. Lots and lots of women reading this blog (for reasons I’ll never understand) and linking to me from their blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Walmart and Fox News and Mapquest don’t do that. They don’t care about you in the least. But mom bloggers? Even if you have a beard and lack a set of ovaries, they’ll treat you like one of their own. All you have to do is talk trash about boys and frost the occasional cake.
My name is Shaun Groves and I’m a mom blogger dang it.
(Thanks, ladies.)
Molly Piper says:
Heck yeah! (Am I doing that secondary cussing thing again? Or is heck yeah acceptable on this blog?) 😉
Shaun Groves says:
“Heck yeah” is Texas speaking in tongues, Molly. Not only acceptable in these parts but encouraged.
cshell says:
I’m not a lady, am i still allowed to follow? I have a mom, married to a mom, and respect what mom’s do?
Okay, i get it….back to espn.com….
Shannon says:
You’re welcome! We’re glad to have you.
(But can you be a mom blogger and big brother at the same time? ‘Cause I think it’s a bit creepy how much you know about where we go on the interwebz. Just saying.)
Heather EV says:
That is funny…and a little creepy…
Lindsay says:
🙂 Own it, baby!
Tiffany says:
I feel a little vulnerable after reading this! Ha!! And I normally do not leave a comment here, but I figured I might as well since I am sure you knew I was here anyway. Sheesh. {grin}
And I really enjoy reading your “mom” blog, but you already know that, too, huh?
Shaun Groves says:
Omniscience is my job.
; )
Lindsay says:
P.S. To all the bloggers out there who would like to know more about your traffic (where they’re coming from, where they’re going, how long they’re staying on your site, which pages they visit most frequently, etc…), you can check out http://www.google.com/analytics. It’s free, and it’ll give you all that info.
That’s how I found out that someone once visited our site because they searched “how to spank your husband” on Google. No joke. 🙂
Michelle says:
Yeah, I had traffic coming from a Google search on “girls wear plastic pants” Eek!
Amy says:
I would be too embarrassed to say where one of mine came from. But it’s something about my name and a body part. What the hey?
Shelley says:
This made me all kinds of happy. 🙂 You da man!
Jennifer, Snapshot says:
You fit in well. You put many of us to shame 🙂
Kelly says:
It’s the hair. We mom bloggers are jealous of how you get your hair to fix so well. 🙂
Cindy says:
And once again, you’ve proven just how full of awesome you are!
😉
We are THAT family says:
Just don’t start saying does this skirt make my butt look big, okay?
You wear it well.
The blog (um, not the skirt).
Angie says:
hahaha!!
Christy T. says:
Hahahaha
This is great. And ironically, I read this from my iPhone while I nursed my 5-week-old son. If that doesn’t say mom blogger, I don’t know what does!
You’re a welcome addition to the fold, Shaun.
Ble5sed says:
I would rather shop at Target. And why read about politics when I can read about your opinions (which are much more entertaining)!
Tj says:
Wow. It is scary. All of it. Where they go, how you know it.
JessicaBowman says:
Guilty Mom Blogger, with a Pentecostal Hair Link!
Jennifer says:
As for us CAMPers (aka Jeremy Camp fans) at least for me, replace Amazon w/ Christianbook.com…I go there often. Yahoo is only when I click on a link for a news story at air1/klove. walmart=occasionally if I’m checking on the possibility of an item before I go to any store to buy it (ie household organizers) and mapquest= all the time…mostly out of curiosity as to how far apart 2 cities are so I can get an idea of travel times
Jennifer says:
so it might work…as for your blog…It’s some good reading…fun, educational, interesting, thought provoking…maybe occasionally random (at least the titles of the entries might be 😉 )
JessicaBowman says:
I just realized my page has been linking wrong, too. You’re like a website jedi!
Kristie says:
Last time I was reading one of your posts, my husband came in, looked over my shoulder as I was reading the comments, and said, “Dang! –a word I would never say 😉 –look at all the women commenting on this blog! Must be Beth Moore!” When I told him it was your blog, he was totally dumbfounded. He said, “Shaun Groves must be super-ripped.” To which I replied, “Babe–you just totally confirmed that you DON’T understand women! Even if he WAS “ripped” (whatever that means), I’m sure that isn’t why women would read his blog.” I know he’ll appreciate this post.
Michelle says:
Mom Bloggers rock and we’re glad you have you among us! 😉
Katie says:
Female: Check
Blogger: Check
Mom: Not yet
Katie
Sarah says:
hahahahaha! This post makes me giggle. I love it!
Kelli says:
Hi I’m Kelli, and I’m a Mom Blogger. And I love your blog…and your hair. And now I feel a little nervous because what do people know about me?
Incidentally, I was at a funeral the other night and I found out that I have a reasonably sized male base of readers. And that totally freaked me out and made me want to reread all I’ve written and make sure I didn’t say anything that would totally embarrass myself. Then I figured that I probably embarrass myself all the time and for some reason they keep coming back so no worries…
But it’s still a little weird.
Ruth Ann says:
hilarious! And I would say a compliment to you…considering mom bloggers only visit the best sites in their “free time”! 🙂
Angie says:
Admitting is the first step….Glad to see you made it. Ha!!
No really, the reason you attract so many mom-blog-readers is because you show us the need for more nurture/compassion for the third world, which is right up our alley!! 🙂
However, I sometimes wonder about our culture. Precept ministries reports that only in America do they have a majority of women students…Anywhere else in the world, it’s men. Why is that? Do we women have our men working so much that they don’t have the time that we do to…study the word deeply, read blogs like this, etc?! Hmmm.
meghan @ spicy magnolia says:
Welcome to the club! We’re always looking for guys to understand us. 🙂
Shaun Groves says:
I’m trying!
If I figure it out, I could make a mint explaining you all to the man world. ; )
Lindsee says:
I’m not even a mom, but I’m a blogger, and this made me laugh terribly hard. So thank you!
Prairie Rose says:
Why?
Why are you followed by women who follow mommy bloggers?
Because most of your posts have to do with Compassion.
And compassion for children is something women, and especially mommies, naturally have a ton of.
Tell those other men to be more compassionate and maybe they’ll have flocks of women following them too. 🙂
Shaun Groves says:
Nah…I think it’s because the
biggestmost popular female bloggers in the Western Hemisphere have linked to me on those Compassion blogging trips. That sure helps ; )But, yes, we need more compassionate men and less machismo nonsense. Regardless of genitalia, Jesus is our role model right? Come on, men!
Amanda says:
What if Shaun was one of us…
Shaun Groves says:
Nicely played.
Kit says:
Tell me something interesting about my blog! I’m fascinated by this. I checked the Google Analytics link posted here by Lindsay, but it is too much for me. I get my blog feedback the old fashioned way– people write me letters or call me. Seriously.
Shaun Groves says:
That link won’t tell you everything either…Muwahahahahah!
(You have to have quite a bit of traffic for these tools to work. They need a larger sample size.)
Kit says:
I couldn’t even read the site to try to use it. I’ve been blogging for 4 years but it hasn’t helped me overcome my technology-phobia apparently. And maybe I don’t want to know how much traffic I’m getting after all. That way I can really enjoy those phone calls and letters in response to what I’ve written 😉
Meredith Dunn says:
Identity crisis… I hear those happen at your age. Good news though, they make pills for it.
Praying for you.
misty says:
Yes a little intimidating but very cool!
I love your blog and I am not a mom!
Deirdre says:
ha hah hahahhaa….
Yes you are a mom blogger. being the queen..um I mean King of birthday cakes and party planning is what sent you over the edge.
welcome to the other side of the cliff edge. 😉
Deirdre
Lori says:
Oh My Goodness!!! Thank you soooo much for the grins tonight! I really needed a laugh. Yes, I’m a mom blogger… and yes, I LOVE your blog! Your sense of humor sends me into tears frequently!
Denise Carter says:
You mom blogger you!! I can’t go to the stores that I use to go to with out thinking about how much money one blouse costs or pair of shoes cost and….. how many lives can be changed if that total is divided by 38 dollars a month.
When the pull of the world and ‘things’ start to pull me back to where I was so unhappy…. Here you come almost on cue to remind me of our Great God’s plan for us , we who call ourselves true lovers and follower of Gods calling and will. I am glad to know my first Mom Blogger!! Blessing to you!
Stacy says:
Now that I know you’re a spy you scare me a little.
*grin*
I’ll keep coming back, though!
Kristy K says:
Well, this sort of proves my husband’s theory that most mom bloggers are just men pretending to be moms. I think.
Kat @ Inspired To Action says:
Rock star to Mom blogger…
Nice to to see your moving up in the world. 😉
Kim says:
I feel a bit like you are big brother and you are watching me, sort of like Tiffany said up there, I read, but I rarely leave a comment. Today I figured I would leave a comment so as to save you the trouble of backtracking to see whose IP address clicked on your blog. 🙂
Keep on blogging and we moms and us Democrats, not to mention TEXANS will continue to read.
Kim
se7en says:
Thanks for the chuckle – clearly I need to add your link!!!
Shaun Groves says:
Clearly ; )
Sharon O says:
I have enjoyed this so much.
First of all I was introduced to Shaun by the ‘compassion blogger team’ then I just followed as a blog reader. Blog world is much bigger than one thinks and it is amazing how the support system can be met just through the computer.
And Shaun I think you are very funny.
Welcome to the world of mom’s, grandma’s (I have six little ones who call me grandma) and other readers. You are one ‘genuine gentlemen’
God Bless you as you serve him….
wanda says:
It’s good to be loved by mom bloggers!
You have a great way with words and you’re blessed with a big heart!
Thanks for helping us THINK outside the box!
Kristen says:
No joke, just yesterday I was with a group of mom bloggers talking about you. (I’m in Austin at an adoption conference). We were all wondering your secrets on knowing everyone’s blog stats. Everyone is stumped. 🙂
(I can see my own blog stats, though, and I’m ashamed to say a lot of people land there by googling “I hate my husband”. Especially since I don’t).
karen says:
If it will make you feel better, I promise to visit fox news and Wal-marts websites as soon as I finish commenting. 🙂
Brandy says:
Oh I needed that laugh. Rock the Mom Blogger status.
I’m helping … though very little, I’m sure. New blog, but you’re linked lol
Carrie says:
hey, we search out the best! lol. hilarious
QuatroMama says:
Yeah, but do you have Mom Blogger Cards?
Do you drive a mini van w/ a mommy blog address on the back w/ decal cutouts of children?
Didn’t think so…
Nice try. We still love ya.
Dan "da man" says:
Whoa… I guess I really am in the minority. But heck, I’m not going to stop reading.
Shaun, I started keeping up with you a bit back when you toured with Bebo and Katy and came to a Catholic college in Minnesota. I was also there a bit later in Minnesota when the Jars and Jennifer “pranked” you by giving “Welcome Home” a beautiful, rock star ending. And you came back to that Catholic college with a couple years later and headlined the show, I think.
I enjoy your blog for the commentary on music and the thoughts on Christianity. I don’t read too many other spirituality blogs but I definitely like yours. And I do like seeing what God is doing around the world through Compassion as well. Most of the other blogs I read are technology-related news and programmers getting geeky. But that’s my occupation and I like it.
So there’s a little bit about one of your minority. Don’t change the blog. It’s cool for women to love soft rock. I’d have to say I don’t really listen to your music regularly (because I like harder rock and other crazy stuff), but it always struck me as honest and sincere and I’m all about supporting that.
Ohh, also, I think it’s great what y’all are doing with the cult-de-sac. That’s how life in Christ should be lived, especially with families, I think. Maybe one of these days I’ll get first-hand experience on that front……