I want a better reputation, particularly online. What about you?

We're a couple of weeks into my 90 day experiment - 'Zero to Hero'. I'm looking to see how I can raise my visibility and build an 'extreme reputation' using online social media. Here's what I've learned so far:

1. Tap Into Knowledge. Everything you need to do, there are people doing it, probably better than you! There are some very clever people out there. Gurus, experts, geniuses and authorities on all aspects of online networking and social media. They are all willing to share their tips and insight. Use them!

2. Define Your Objectives. Know what you want to be famous for and with what audience. Set appropriate goals and make plans to achieve them Here is my activity grid for three networking platforms: I'm going to show you it completed tomorrow with seven tasks I'll be doing with each one on a daily basis.

3. Do Something Every Day. It doesn't have to be hours. It could just be an update, a message, a few replies or a couple of tweets. Little and often! I've cleared some time in my calendar to deliberately apply some pressure and concerted effort to this experiment. While you may not be able to do that, you must do something daily to mainain your presence. People like to see you hanging in there, sticking around, making contributions and building trust. You can't do that by binging with your online networking.

4. Be Patient. It's not going to happen every night. "Unless you're a celebrity, gaining huge amounts of followers overnight is unlikely", says social media guru Robert Umpleby. "You have to grow organically and slow." While I'm not a fan of slow (hence the Extreme Reputation approach of this experiment), I'm having to be patient for my desired results!

A formidable reputation must be earned. If it's worth having, it's worth fighting for and it's worth working hard for. That's what I'm doing. What are you doing?