How to Re-Engage a Team That Tried the Platform and Quit
Geoffrey Short explains how to re-engage teams that tried MarketScale and stopped. The fix starts with repositioning content creation as a tool that makes their job easier.
Transcript
Hey there. My name is Jeffrey Short. I'm our senior director of client services here at MarketScale. Today, I'm going to talk about reengaging people. Maybe they have heard about content and didn't have the best experience, whether that's from a technical side or just not really understanding the value at the time. So I'm going talk about how to reengage these people. The common expectation is that they're going to say, Oh, I tried that, didn't work for one reason or another, or no, I'll get to it later. But how do we actually get them to buy in? And so the first way I would go about it is finding an avenue that's actually going to help them in their job. When we go to the sales team, when we go to HR or your customers even, if we are pitching something to them that is too much like a favor for the marketing team, they're naturally going to repel that. That's not my job. I'm not in marketing. That's what you're going to hear. Or they're to mail it in. So finding ways to create content that actually helps them remove a meeting because they can answer a frequently asked question in a video, right? Or get that extra touch point with a prospect. So getting them to understand that what we're creating is not necessarily just for LinkedIn or the YouTube page, but it's a tool that they can use in their job to give them time back, to take something off their plate, etcetera. So finding those topics that work for them will be more attractive naturally. Now, the second thing I would say is when you are asking them to reengage for the first time, keep it simple. Do not make it a ten step process. I would simply set one question in a media request to them that's very easy to answer, low hanging fruit. You have to understand that creating content like this, it should be a sustainable process And it should be something that continues to proliferate over time. So the first video that they're going to create is not going to be the best video possibly, but it should give them confidence. And that question that you're asking them, should be something about or it should be a question that they're an expert in, right? Allow them to just speak off the cuff. If they have to prepare a script, if they have to think about it too much, obviously, you're creating barriers that are gonna prohibit them from doing it. So keep it easy, make it relevant to their role in helping them, and you will find more success in time.
Overview
In this 2:39 training video, Geoffrey Short addresses one of the most common challenges internal champions face: reviving participation from team members who tried the MarketScale platform, created little or no content, and quietly disengaged. He identifies the root cause of that drop-off, offers a reframing strategy that makes content creation feel useful rather than obligatory, and outlines a low-friction re-entry approach designed to rebuild confidence and establish a sustainable habit.
What Is This?
Re-engaging a disengaged team means returning to contributors who previously attempted UGC participation but stopped, and resetting their relationship with content creation by connecting it to work they already find valuable — rather than treating it as an additional marketing obligation.
What You'll Learn
- Identify the core mistake that causes teams to disengage from UGC platforms after an initial attempt
- Reframe content creation as a job aid that reduces friction in a contributor's existing workflow
- Find practical use cases — like replacing repetitive FAQ conversations with short videos — that give contributors a genuine reason to participate
- Position video content as an extra touchpoint with prospects rather than a task performed for the marketing team
- Design a re-engagement ask that is simple, low-stakes, and requires no script preparation
- Understand why the first video after re-entry does not need to be perfect, and how momentum matters more than polish
Key Insights
- The most common re-engagement mistake is pitching content creation as something the team does to help marketing — contributors disengage when there is nothing in it for them personally
- The reframe that works is showing contributors how a short video can eliminate a repetitive task they already resent, such as answering the same question in meeting after meeting
- The re-entry ask should be as frictionless as possible: one question the contributor is already an expert in, no script, no preparation required
- The goal of the first video back is not quality — it is confidence-building and habit formation, which create the foundation for consistent long-term participation
Deep Dive
When a team tries a content platform and quietly stops using it, the instinct is often to push harder — send more reminders, escalate through management, or emphasize the company's content goals. Geoffrey Short argues that this approach makes the problem worse. The original disengagement usually happened because participation was framed as a favor to the marketing department. That framing creates a low-priority task with no clear personal benefit, and it is the first thing to get deprioritized when schedules tighten.
The more effective approach is to step back and find where content creation naturally intersects with work the contributor already does and values. One of the most reliable use cases is the FAQ video. If a sales engineer, product specialist, or subject matter expert answers the same three questions from prospects or customers every week, a short video that answers those questions on camera is not extra work — it is a replacement for repetitive work. That reframe shifts the conversation from 'can you do this for us' to 'this will save you time.'
Another strong use case is the prospect touchpoint. A brief, personalized video from a technical expert gives a sales conversation more depth and credibility than a follow-up email alone. Contributors who care about their relationships with prospects often respond well to this framing because it connects directly to outcomes they already own.
Once a compelling use case is identified, the re-engagement ask itself needs to be kept extremely simple. Geoffrey Short recommends starting with a single question the contributor can answer without any preparation — something they have already answered dozens of times in conversation. The first video back will rarely be polished, and that is acceptable. What matters is that it gets made, that the contributor experiences the process as manageable, and that the habit of participation begins to take hold from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do teams disengage from UGC platforms after an initial attempt?
Disengagement most often happens when content creation is positioned as something contributors do for the marketing team rather than something that benefits their own work. Without a clear personal or professional payoff, participation becomes a low-priority task that gets dropped when schedules fill up. Reframing content as a tool that solves a problem the contributor already has is the most reliable way to address this.
What is the best way to re-approach a team member who stopped participating?
The re-engagement ask should be as low-friction as possible — ideally a single question the contributor is already an expert in and has answered many times before, with no script or preparation required. Keeping the ask small removes the psychological barrier of 'I don't have time to do this right.' The goal is to make saying yes easier than saying no.
Does the first video after re-engagement need to meet a quality standard?
No — Geoffrey Short is explicit that the first video back does not need to be perfect. Its primary purpose is to rebuild the contributor's confidence in the process and begin establishing a repeatable habit. Quality improves naturally over time once participation feels sustainable, so momentum and consistency matter more than polish at this stage.
Related Topics
Internal champions looking to build on this re-engagement strategy should also explore how to identify the right contributors in the first place and how to set realistic content expectations during onboarding — both of which reduce the likelihood of early drop-off. Additional training on structuring a first recording session and coaching contributors through camera confidence can help sustain participation once re-engagement has taken hold.
#UGCActivation #TeamBuyIn #InternalChampions #ContentStrategy #B2BMarketing #EmployeeAdvocacy #MarketScale #VideoContent #ContentCreation #SalesEnablement
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