As a marketer, part of your role is to stay up-to-date on current trends. But between constant changes in AI, the ever-growing rise of influencers, shifting SEO “rules”, and so much more to keep track of, it can be easy to get distracted with what to spend your time and resources on. To cut through some of the noise, below are three marketing trends I believe are positioned to most impact association marketing this year, pulled from Wix’s Top 8 Marketing Trends to Embrace in 2026, along with simple ways to put them into practice.
Trend #1 : Human Storytelling to Remain at the Heart of Success
AI content is indisputably on the rise and going to keep rising this year. Whether it’s social media posts and blogs written by ChatGPT, AI influencers, or even AI-generated music, there’s an even stronger desire for human-centered storytelling. Associations and organizations are inherently human by nature, and it’s important to maintain that authenticity by prioritizing marketing content with members at the center.
This trend in practice: Whether your marketing campaign is focused on driving membership renewals, event attendance, or volunteer applications, make sure you’re highlighting testimonials from other members. This could look like short video interviews, telling a member’s story through a write-up, or even asking your members to help you with outreach by extending more personalized invitations to people they know.
Trend #2: AI Optimization > Search Optimization
Search for something on Google nowadays, and you’ll automatically get an AI answer at the top of your results page. But what does it take to make it into that box? While there are a number of factors and techniques to optimize for AI, one of the easiest and most helpful starting places is to make sure that messaging on your website is clear. Is your mission statement clearly stated on the home page or “About” page? Is it easy to find information on your benefits and membership structure in just a few seconds of being on your website, or is information buried between industry jargon, links to PDFs, or down a rabbit hole of pages?
This trend in practice: Ask an AI chatbot about your association, including common questions a potential member might have, such as the benefits of joining, how much it costs, and what your mission statement is. If a chatbot can deliver clear, accurate answers, you’re on the right path! If it offers confusing information – or worse, can’t find the answer – try to adjust where information is placed on your website or revise any language so that it can be found more easily by AI tools. Note: Make sure you sign out of any accounts you may have with an AI tool to ensure you’re getting a true, unbiased experience.
Trend # 3: Newsletters as an Industry Lifeline
If you regularly send out newsletters to your members- whether physical or digital- you’ve likely asked yourself at some point if they’re still relevant today. According to Wix, they’re even more important today than you might expect. As an association, your communications might be the lifeline that keeps members informed about what’s going on in your industry, however large-scale or niche it is. Being able to provide information specifically targeted to your unique members is going to reaffirm their trust in you as their way of staying connected within their industry.
This trend in practice: Reassess the current state and performance of your newsletter. Is there a section you could add that would make it even more relevant to your members? Perhaps this could be articles on recent industry news, legislation, or even open job postings. Try experimenting with your newsletters, or better yet – ask readers if there’s anything they’d like to hear more of.
Read through lists of marketing trend predictions for 2026, and you’ll find dozens and dozens of suggestions. But starting off by focusing on the three easy-to-implement tips above will help set your association up for even greater marketing success this year, without exhausting your marketing resources or yourself.
What will you start with?
Angelina Valente
After initially joining the RGI team as a Meetings and Events intern and a Marketing and Communications intern, Angelina stayed on to become a Marketing and Communications coordinator in 2025. With experiences in marketing and hospitality, she enjoys working in the association industry to foster connection and community among members from diverse backgrounds who are brought together by a shared passion.