Paid Social Advertising Is a Game Changer for Pickleball & Padel Facilities

As competition among pickleball and padel facilities becomes increasingly fierce, operators are realizing growth doesn’t just happen organically anymore. The clubs that are winning are the ones using paid social media to consistently drive awareness, fill courts, and build community.

According to Chase Wicklund, founder of Stack 11 Marketing, the biggest advantage is reach.

“With paid advertising, you can get your club in front of hundreds of thousands of people per month—targeted within a five to ten mile radius,” he explains.

That precision matters. But for operators who have never run paid social campaigns before, the concept can feel intimidating.

What Is Paid Social?

Organic social is the content you post naturally to your followers—photos, reels, announcements, event recaps, and updates that appear on your page.

Paid social is when you put advertising dollars behind content so platforms like Instagram and Facebook show it to people who do not already follow you.

That’s the game changer.

Instead of hoping the algorithm shows your post to enough people organically, paid social allows facilities to target:

People within a specific radius of the club
Certain age groups or interests
Tennis, pickleball, padel, fitness, or wellness audiences
Parents, young professionals, retirees, or corporate groups
Players who previously visited your website or engaged with your content

“You’re no longer waiting to be discovered,” says Wicklund. “You’re proactively putting your club in front of the exact people most likely to walk through your doors.”

Which Platforms Work Best?

For most pickleball and padel facilities, Facebook and Instagram remain the most effective platforms because they share the same advertising system through Meta.

Instagram tends to perform especially well for:

Younger demographics
Lifestyle content
Video and reels
Energy-driven event promotion

Facebook still works extremely well for:

Local community targeting
Older player demographics
Event registrations
Retargeting campaigns

TikTok can work for awareness and viral reach, but most operators still see the strongest return from Meta’s advertising ecosystem because of its local targeting capabilities.

How Much Should Clubs Spend?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that paid social requires huge budgets.

According to Wicklund, most facilities can begin seeing meaningful traction with surprisingly modest spend levels.

A typical starting structure might look like:

$10–20/day promoting intro offers or beginner clinics
$300–600/month for consistent awareness campaigns
Additional short-term spend around tournaments, grand openings, leagues, or special events

“The key is consistency,” Wicklund explains. “A small, steady budget almost always outperforms random bursts of spending.”

Facilities should also think about paid social differently than traditional advertising. If a $300 campaign helps fill recurring clinics, memberships, or leagues, the long-term value of those players can far outweigh the initial ad spend.

What Content Actually Works?

The best-performing ads usually don’t look like ads.

Highly polished graphics often underperform compared to authentic, high-energy content showing real people playing, laughing, competing, and socializing.

Facilities see the best engagement when content feels active and community-driven.

Successful content often includes:

Short reels of packed open play sessions
Beginner clinics with smiling new players
Social nights and mixers
Food and beverage atmosphere
Quick testimonials from members
Tournament energy and crowd shots
Coaches interacting with players
“Day in the life” style clips around the facility

How Should Operators Structure Their Paid Spend?

The most effective clubs don’t put all their money behind one campaign.

Instead, they layer their spend across different goals:

Awareness Campaigns

Designed to introduce the club to local audiences and build recognition.

Conversion Campaigns

Focused on specific actions:

Booking a court
Registering for a clinic
Signing up for an event
Claiming a free trial

Retargeting Campaigns

One of the most powerful tools available.

These ads target people who:

Visited your website
Watched your videos
Engaged with social content
Started registration but didn’t complete it

Retargeting keeps your club visible after initial interest—often dramatically improving conversion rates.

Filling Off-Peak Hours

For Molly Hansen, owner of Premier Pickleball in Herriman, Utah, social media has become an operational tool as much as a marketing one.

“Honestly, it’s been a game changer for filling courts during slower hours,” Hansen says. “We can throw up a quick post about open play or drop-in availability and within a short time people are showing up who had no idea a court was open.”

By reframing slower daytime hours as a perk—less crowded, easier court access, more relaxed play—clubs are turning downtime into revenue opportunities.

Driving Energy Around Events

Social media has also transformed how facilities promote programming and events.

“Social nights are all about energy and turnout, and social media helps us build both,” Hansen explains. “A good post or quick reminder can pull in people who’ve been on the fence.”

The impact compounds when members begin sharing content themselves. Tagged photos, Instagram stories, and event check-ins create a modern version of word-of-mouth marketing that spreads through communities rapidly.

“People want to picture themselves there,” Wicklund says. “The more real the experience feels, the better the response.”