There's no value to working hard on being really popular.
Walt Disney believed in himself instead of worrying what others were saying.
No matter what, the very first piece of Social Media Real Estate I'd start with is a blog.
Never try to be a thought leader. There's no value in that. Instead, try to add value.
Email is a system that delivers other people's priorities to your attention. It's up to you to decide when that priority should be managed into your world. It's not the other way around.
Between your brain and your mouth (or your fingers) is magic: your power to choose what you say next. Use that magic.