Ben Wilde, SharePoint Program Manager, discusses how to take advantage of SharePoint’s new Social features by posting rich messages to the newsfeed and making sure the right people see them.

Why Social?

I’ll admit it: when I started working on SharePoint’s social features, I didn’t understand the value and was worried that we’d be building something that distracted people from getting their work done.

As we near the end of the release, my view on what social features are and what value they bring couldn’t be more different. After I grab my morning coffee, the first thing that I do is bring up my Newsfeed to scope out what’s happening with my co-workers and projects, and to see what’s being discussed across the company. My Newsfeed gives me a sense of comfort, a reassuring feeling that I’m up-to-date on the things that I care about and the things that are happening around me. In fact, I love reading my new SharePoint Newsfeed so much that I already wrote a blog post that includes a description of how I use it. 

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I’ve tuned in. You should too.

After using the Newsfeed every day for the past year, I can’t imagine getting work done without it. I’m way more informed at work than I’ve ever been before, and I feel empowered to get quick answers to my questions and feedback on ideas that I share. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the team that’s built such a great set of features which, contrary to my initial concerns, have proved to be a huge productivity boost for everyone who uses them.