I can see when my message is getting out to people who are in places where I would like to get that message to, says Tom Elko, today’s interview guest. Tom writes about Minnesota’s environment and agricultural sector at his blog the sky blue waters report, and his audience and influence — are growing steadily. So why does he do it? How does he do it? Let’s find out.

Asked why he started the blog, Tom answers simply I saw a niche that needed to be filled, basically. But before turning to the environment, Tom honed his skills in the highly competitive political blogosphere and the sky blue waters report reveals the telltale signs of someone familiar with the medium and committed to it: a disciplined focus on the chosen topic, frequent short posts, extensive linking, and a wide range of sources.

I myself deal with pretty serious, detailed issues, Tom says.

And like other online community leaders profiled in this series, he is methodical at gathering material to sustain the effort: getting up each morning at the crack of dawn to cull through newspapers, trade journals, and other blogs. His efforts have paid off with a growing readership and impact on the debate in the state.

The opportunity for feedback, that’s a huge part of it, Tom says about the emotional rewards for this effort. As with others profiled in this series, he extends that desire for dialogue to those who disagree with him, recalling with pride when opposing interests have turned up in his blog’s tracking logs, or even written him directly. It was nice that I could give my message directly to them.

Download or listen to the full interview: click here

To ask Tom a question, leave a comment below