Do you think Twitter is all about procrastination? You’d be wrong. Following a wide range of Twitter users, sourcing information from a variety of accounts and really engaging with posts can have considerable benefits for your professional life.

A recent five year study taken by over 200 Twitter users discovered some fascinating insights into the impact the social network has had on their professional lives. Twitter offered a range of benefits to the study’s respondents, yet by far the most important was that they were more likely to innovate and suggest new ideas. The study discovered that the more diverse a person’s network of friends and sources on Twitter, the more innovative their ideas tended to be.

Twitter is all about sharing news, ideas and cutting-edge stories. It’s therefore no surprise that by accessing all this information first, you’ll be able to act on it in your professional life.

The report’s authors highlighted two specific ways Twitter increases our ability to assimilate – and then use – all this new information:

1. Idea scouting – when you identify new ideas by following experts on Twitter.

2. Idea connecting – when you see new ideas on Twitter and relate to how these could be used in your own organization as a business opportunity. Typically, this will involve sharing the new idea with the most appropriate stakeholders in the business.

It’s clear that when used wisely, Twitter can give a real boost to your career. So, if you’re a developer who works with SharePoint, how can you use Twitter to scout and connect new ideas? By following some of the experts in our list of the five best SharePoint pro Twitter accounts, that’s how!

Office 365 Community is a developer focused Twitter feed from Microsoft. It provides all the latest news and updates in technical aspects of Office 365 and SharePoint. By following Office 365 community you’ll be informed about:

The latest news about Microsoft events around the world.

General community information.

Information on previews and other releases.

Information about webinars, Twitter-jams and Q&A’s.

How will it help you?

Office 365 Community can give you direct insight into the latest news relating to SharePoint and related products. You’ll have an idea of what’s going on before anyone else and will be able to impress your boss with knowledge on new products and patches.

SharePoint MVP, blogger and all-round expert; UK-based Chris O’Brien is definitely one to follow. With years of experience as a SharePoint consultant, and making regular appearances at Microsoft and SharePoint events, Chris is a big deal in the SharePoint dev world. By following Chris you’ll get all the latest on:

Reports and news on problems and fixes.

Responses to your burning SharePoint dev questions.

The latest news on webinars and related events.

Hot-off-the-press blogs by Chris himself.

How will it help you?

Following Chris will provide you with insights into SharePoint development and you’ll be made aware of Chris’ latest blogs as soon as they’re released. From great in-depth blogs to an insightful how-to, Chris shares plenty of his expert knowledge. Who wouldn’t want to access that?

As corporate vice-president of SharePoint and OneDrive, Jeff Teper is about as close to the SharePoint action as can be. He has enormous expertise and insight into the product’s future, which makes following Jeff a wise idea. Expect doses of:

Insights into the world of Microsoft.

A lot of love for developers!

The latest news on product development.

How will it help you?

We highlighted Jeff in our recent ‘SharePoint Experts’ post. With Jeff’s updates popping up in your newsfeed, you’ll always have the latest authoritative insights into the future of SharePoint - extremely useful if you want to know the direction SharePoint is headed.

Vesa Juvonen is a Microsoft-certified solution master and Senior Program Manager for SharePoint and Office 365. What this means is that the Helsinki native spends his days developing the vision for the future of SharePoint. You need to follow Vesa for:

Up-to-the-minute product release details.

Information about new version updates.

Insights into changes, plans and policy in Redmond.

New podcasts and webinars.

How will it help you?

Put simply, following Vesa will give you all the latest news right from the heart of SharePoint and Office 365. As a core member of the Office 365 Dev Patterns and Practices team, which provides regular blogs, documentation and best practice advice for developers, you’ll know how and where to get the latest updates and make your environment the best it can be.

An MVP and founder of influential development tools company Rencore, Matthias is a force to be reckoned with in the SharePoint world. Tweeting regularly on a wide range of news and updates, Matthias engages with the community about:

App development

Tips and tricks to improve your environment

Interesting and noteworthy news and articles from other sources

Info on the latest events

How will it help you?

Following Matthias will provide real insight into best practice around SharePoint development, and introduce you to a range of new ideas and innovations – key to giving you the inspiration you need to improve your own environment.

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