Content strategy
Smashly AI
AI platform for padel players, coaches and clubs
“The AI brain behind every padel player's next move”
Smashly AI shows up as the platform that actually understands padel: not just a booking tool, not just a directory, but the intelligent layer that connects players, coaches and clubs in ways the sport has never had before. Every piece of content should reinforce one idea: padel has a dedicated AI built for it now, and Smashly is that AI. That story fits because the brand is category-creating, not competing on features alone.
Who this is for
Smashly's content reaches three overlapping groups: recreational and competitive padel players hungry for better play and easier logistics, coaches building their client base and credibility, and sport-tech early adopters who follow what is next in AI and sports.
The ambitious club player
Plays 2-4 times a week, tracks their level seriously, frustrated by WhatsApp chaos to organize games. Based in France or another active padel market.
- Find partners at the right level without the back-and-forth
- Improve their game with accessible coaching
- Stay informed on padel news and tactics
- Be part of a community that takes the sport seriously
The independent padel coach
Certified coach, runs their own sessions, struggles with visibility and payment admin. Wants to grow a loyal student base.
- More discoverability with the right players
- A professional profile that signals credibility
- Time saved on booking and payment logistics
- Content they can share to attract new students
The sport-tech early adopter
Follows AI product launches, plays padel recreationally or follows the scene, excited by what technology does to sports culture.
- See how AI is reshaping sports ecosystems
- Be among the first to try and recommend new platforms
- Content that explains tech without dumbing it down
Brand voice
Smashly speaks like a sharp, confident product team that actually plays the sport. Short punchy lines, bilingual French and English, a sporty tone that never takes itself too seriously but always sounds like it knows what it is talking about.
Do
- Write short declarative sentences that land a clear point
- Mix French and English naturally, not as a gimmick
- Speak from the player or coach perspective, not from a boardroom
- Use specific padel vocabulary to signal insider knowledge
Don’t
- Don't pad copy with filler adjectives or marketing speak
- Don't explain AI features as if the audience has never heard of tech
- Don't use generic sport motivation quotes that could apply to any sport
- Don't write long captions that bury the lead
Content pillars
The themes everything you post should ladder up to. Aim to keep your content balanced across these.
Find your game
Content about the real frustration of organizing padel: finding the right partner, the right level, the right side. This pillar makes the matchmaking problem visible and shows how Smashly solves it in a way that feels native to the sport, not like a software demo. It is the highest-awareness pillar because it speaks to every player immediately.
Example ideas
- "Tu cherches un partenaire côté revers à ton niveau? On a réglé ça." (short Reel showing the match flow)
- Poll: "Combien de messages WhatsApp avant de trouver un partenaire?" with exaggerated answer options
- Carousel: The 4 types of padel partners you always end up with (vs. the one Smashly finds you)
On court with Smashly
Technique, tactics, and gear answered by the AI, brought to life as content. Short Q&A clips, tip breakdowns and tournament context that demonstrate the breadth of what the platform knows. This pillar builds habitual return visits because players always have a question.
Example ideas
- "Smashly, comment défendre une bandeja croisée?" (AI answer shown on screen, coach confirms in overlay)
- Carousel: 3 tactical adjustments for playing into the wind on an outdoor court
- Short Reel: Gear question of the week, answered in under 30 seconds
Coach spotlight
Real verified coaches on the platform, their stories, their specialties, and their teaching philosophy. This pillar builds trust for players choosing a coach and credibility for coaches considering the platform. It humanizes the ecosystem Smashly is building and gives coaches a reason to share the content themselves.
Example ideas
- "Meet [Coach name], spécialiste du jeu au filet, maintenant bookable sur Smashly" (30-second intro Reel)
- Static: Coach profile card with their level, specialty and one piece of advice they give every student
- Story Q&A: Coach answers three player questions submitted through Stories
Building padel's future
The bigger picture: how AI is changing how padel is organized, coached, and experienced at club level. This pillar is aimed squarely at clubs, sport-tech followers, and LinkedIn audiences. It positions Smashly as a category creator, not just a product. Posts here can be more analytical and longer-form on LinkedIn.
Example ideas
- "Why padel needed its own AI (and why generic booking tools don't cut it)" as a LinkedIn post
- Data graphic: How many sessions are lost each week due to partner-matching friction in a 500-member club
- Reel: A day in the life of a club before and after Smashly integration
Early access community
Behind-the-scenes content about the pilot rollout, the people joining early, and the feedback shaping the product. This pillar turns early adopters into public advocates and documents the brand's origin story in real time. It also creates urgency around joining the waitlist or pilot program.
Example ideas
- "100 premiers joueurs. Voici ce qu'ils ont dit." (reaction compilation Reel)
- Story series: "Week 1 in our pilot club" showing real usage moments
- Milestone post: First X coach bookings completed through the platform
Content mix
A simple split to keep your feed valuable, not salesy. Think of it as your 70 / 20 / 10 rule.
Educate and entertain
70%Content that teaches, informs, or entertains the padel community without asking for anything in return, covering matchmaking frustrations, technique, coach stories and the broader padel ecosystem.
Build credibility
20%Content that proves the platform works: pilot milestones, coach profiles, early user reactions and data-backed claims about how Smashly changes the padel experience.
Convert and prompt action
10%Direct calls to join early access, book a demo, or follow the platform, used sparingly so they land with weight rather than blending into noise.
Channel plan
Where to show up and how often. Start with your primary channel before adding the rest.
Instagram is where the active padel player community lives and scrolls; Reels are the primary awareness driver, Stories maintain daily touchpoints with existing followers.
TikTok
primary 4-5 posts / weekTikTok reaches younger competitive players and sport-tech early adopters fast; raw, fast-cut content outperforms polished production here, so lean into quick takes and real court footage.
LinkedIn is the right home for the B2B side of the story, reaching club managers and coaches who make platform adoption decisions; tone can be more analytical here while keeping sentences short.
What’s winning in your niche
In the padel-tech and sport-platform niche, content that wins is either hyper-specific to on-court problems (technique clips, match breakdowns) or community-driven social proof showing real players and real results. Generic product feature posts consistently underperform.
Pain-point-first short video
It stops the scroll by naming an exact frustration before offering a solution, making the viewer feel seen immediately.
For you: Open every awareness Reel with the problem (finding a last-minute partner, chasing payment after a lesson) before showing the Smashly flow that resolves it.
Creator and coach co-production
Borrowed audiences trust endorsements from people they already follow in the sport, and co-produced content signals community over advertisement.
For you: Partner with padel coaches and padel content creators for one co-produced post per week on TikTok and Instagram during the first 90 days.
Niche vocabulary as a trust signal
Using sport-specific language (bandeja, vibora, side preference, federated level) signals authenticity to the core audience and filters in the right followers.
For you: Write all captions and on-screen text using real padel terminology rather than generic sport language, in both French and English.
Milestone and momentum posts
Numbers create social proof and FOMO around early-stage platforms, turning growth into news.
For you: Publish a short update post each time Smashly hits a meaningful threshold (coach sign-ups, matches made, clubs onboarded) to keep the early-access narrative alive.
What to measure
Reel / video reach (non-followers)
Brand awareness is the primary goal; reach to people who do not yet follow Smashly is the clearest signal that content is breaking into new audiences.
Target: 60% of total video reach from non-followers within 60 days
Follower growth rate
Sustained follower growth across Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn shows that awareness content is converting casual viewers into an owned audience.
Target: 15% month-over-month follower growth across all three platforms in the first quarter
Saves and shares per post (Instagram and TikTok)
Saves and shares are the strongest signal that content is useful or resonant enough to bookmark or pass on, indicating real value beyond passive views.
Target: Average share-plus-save rate of 3% of reach per post within 90 days
LinkedIn post impressions from outside network
For the B2B pillar targeting clubs and coaches, impressions beyond the existing connection graph show the thought-leadership content is earning organic distribution.
Target: 50% of LinkedIn impressions from outside first-degree network by end of month two