I refuse to spend another year listening to business leaders obsess over AI. Read the room: people are tired of talking about something that feels like a vague buzzword.
Yes, AI matters. Yes, it’s changing how people discover information. And yes, associations need to understand how large language models and answer engines work.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth no one wants to say out loud: If your content isn’t strong, AI will not save you. In fact, it will expose you.
As we move into 2026, the organizations that win won’t be the ones chasing the newest AI tool. They’ll be the ones that finally get serious about their content: what they create, why they create it, and how it supports real organizational goals.
This is the year content stops being “something we know we should do” and starts being treated like the strategic asset it is.
Generative AI Isn’t Intelligent, And That’s the Point
Before we get too far into this post, let’s level set on what is and isn’t “artificial intelligence”. What most people call “AI” is really just large language models. These systems don’t think. They don’t reason. They don’t understand your mission, your members, or your value.
LLMs predict. They process patterns in existing information and surface the most likely answer.
That means two things for associations:
- LLMs and answer engines can only work with what exists
- Your content is the raw material they rely on
If your website content is thin, outdated, not structured well, or unclear, AI-driven discovery will not work in your favor. Answer engines are lazy. They won’t stick around to figure it out. They’ll simply look elsewhere.
When organizations understand how these systems process information, content becomes an advantage. Clear, well-structured, purpose-driven content helps LLMs and answer engines work for you, not against you.
This isn’t an AI problem. It’s a content problem.
Investing in Content Always Pays Off
Unlike campaigns, content compounds. This isn’t something new. Every piece of strong website content (think, strong pages, insightful blog posts, even the description of your events) supports:
- SEO and discoverability
- AI visibility (AEO/GEO)
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Sales, membership, and engagement conversations
When content is done well, it becomes the foundation every other channel stands on.
Yet many association marketing teams are stuck in a cycle of producing content reactively, publishing without a clear purpose, and trying to keep all departments happy.
On the flip side, marketing teams that distribute the responsibility of creating and publishing website content across departments end up with a mixed bag of content on the site that can take longer to fix than it would’ve taken to create. All while hoping that something sticks and never having time to dive into the data because they have more “urgent” content to create.
It’s not that the time spent on content isn’t valuable.
It’s that content without direction is just noise. Spending time creating noise burns smart marketers out and doesn’t allow them to make the measurable impact they’d like to.
Organizations that invest intentionally in content, especially foundational website content, will see returns across every channel they already use, and will likely have a happier marketing and communications team. All with no new technology required.
Content Can’t Be Strategic Without Goals (or KPIs)
Here’s another hard truth: If your content isn’t tied to goals, it isn’t strategic.
Many association marketers are producing content constantly while still struggling to secure resources, get leadership buy-in, and prove value.
That’s not a content volume issue. It’s a measurement and alignment issue.
Content strategy only works when goals are clearly defined, KPIs are realistic and measurable, and those KPIs connect directly to broader organizational objectives.
If leadership doesn’t see how content supports membership growth, retention, revenue, or influence, content will always be under-resourced and deprioritized.
Stop Asking for Permission, Start Showing Impact
What this might look like for some organizations is actually creating less content and leaving room in a workday for marketers to spend on research and meaningful reporting.
For others, making an impact will require a ramp-up in content production.
Regardless, a strategic communications plan is the best way to get organized, document KPIs, and secure leadership buy-in. Even if you don’t get formal buy-in or approvals, a formal plan can serve as a CYA if and/or when questions arise about the value of content.
Sound good in theory, but not sure how to execute? Download and fill out Accella’s strategic communications evaluation – it only takes five minutes to complete (and you don’t have to give us your email to get it). It really only scrapes the surface, but at least its something.
If nothing else, a strategic plan helps you resource your content team appropriately so they aren’t ripping their hair out by February 1.
Once your strategic plan is completed, it becomes a lens through which you can and should look at all website content requests. This enables easier feedback on content ideas that don’t align with goals and helps educate the rest of the organization on what successful content looks like.
If the idea of “doing more content” feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Most association teams are understaffed and overallocated for work. The solution isn’t more content. It’s better content.
Start by improving what you already have:
- Audit high-traffic pages using free tools like Google Analytics 4, Microsoft Clarity, and Google Search Console
- Identify outdated or duplicative content
- Clarify messaging and structure (this will often require an evaluation of the “templates” you are using for different kinds of content on your site)
- Optimize for both humans and answer engines
Small, strategic improvements to existing content often deliver more value than publishing something new every week.
Because the reality is: If you don’t have the resources to do content strategically, it will be nearly impossible to do AI well.
The Shift Associations Can’t Ignore
AI may be shiny. It may be loud. It may dominate conference agendas and boardroom conversations.
But content is what determines whether any of it works.
In 2026, the associations that stand out will be the ones that stop chasing trends, start treating content as infrastructure, and build clarity before complexity.
My prediction: associations that spend a year heads down, acing the fundamentals of content, will be positioned for much stronger AI success than the ones convinced AI will solve all of their problems.
This isn’t about choosing content or AI.
It’s understanding (and helping your leadership understand) what is actually needed for successful and engaging AI experiences. If they aren’t ready to invest in the content foundation, any AI built on top will not reach its full potential.
But I’m going to stop talking about AI because 2026 isn’t the year of AI.
It’s the year content finally gets the attention it deserves.
