Partner With Us
GROW WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
Exclusive partnership opportunities on Amherst Now, the go-to local platform for guides, notices, and what’s trending in Amherst.
The Amherst Now Story
In 2025, we launched Amherst Now as an experiment. Could a dedicated community platform serve Amherst better than a Facebook group or a regional news site that treats us as an afterthought?
The answer was yes, and then some.
In our first year, the Amherst community posted over 2,000 notices, and Amherst Now is now showing up as a go-to resource in Google and AI searches. People are finding us when they’re looking for what’s happening, what’s available, and what matters in Amherst.
In 2026, we’re building on that foundation and we’re inviting a small group of local businesses to grow with us as Founding Partners.
A Platform on The Rise
In 2025, Amherst Now grew entirely on its own; no paid advertising, no social media strategy, just word of mouth and organic search. We reached over 8,400 readers and 14,000 page views in our first year, and we’re already showing up in Google and AI searches as a go-to Amherst resource.
In 2026, that changes. We’re launching paid advertising and building a dedicated social media presence to actively grow our audience. Our goal is to hit 100,000 page views by the end of 2026.
As a Founding Partner, you’re getting in at the ground floor; locking in today’s rates while the audience around your sponsorship grows.
What That Means for You
As a Founding Partner, your business gets exclusive sponsorship of one of our community sections or guides. That means your banner appears at the top of the section and on every single post within it. You also get a backlink to your website, and one featured post every quarter with up to two links to pages of your choosing.
One partner per section. No competitors. No noise.
A Note on Partner Selection
We take the integrity of Amherst Now seriously, and we’re thoughtful about who we bring on as partners. We reserve the right to select businesses that are a good fit for the platform and the community we serve. If you’re interested in a section, we encourage you to reach out — we’d love to have a conversation.
Founding Partner Pricing
Commit as a Founding Partner in 2026 and your price is guaranteed through the end of 2027. Should you choose to renew, you pay exactly the same rate — no increases, no surprises — while Amherst Now continues to grow around you.
Section / Guide
Tier
Quarterly Price
Annual Price
Annual Savings
Food and Shopping
High
$750
$2400
20% off
Home & Auto
High
$750
$2400
20% off
Health & Wellness
High
$750
$2400
20% off
Business & Work
High
$750
$2400
20% off
Events & Entertainment
Mid
$563
$1800
20% off
Sports & Outdoors
Mid
$563
$1800
20% off
Family & Education
Mid
$563
$1800
20% off
Pets & Animals
Low
$375
$1200
20% off
Community & Civic
Low
$375
$1200
20% off
Lost & Found
Low
$375
$1200
20% off
Late Night Guide
Guide
$750
$2400
20% off
How to Start a Business
Guide
$750
$2400
20% off
Guide to Living in Amherst
Guide
$1,250
$4000
20% off
Ready to Claim Your Section?
Founding Partner spots are limited; one per section, first come first served. If you’d like to learn more or reserve your spot, let’s talk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a featured post?
A featured post is a piece of content we write and publish on Amherst Now about your business. It’s not an ad, it reads like editorial content and lives on the site permanently. Each quarter you receive one featured post, and you can include up to two backlinks pointing to any pages on your website you choose; a specific service, a seasonal promotion, a menu, whatever is most useful to you.
Can I choose which pages my backlinks go to?
Yes, completely. For your banner, we’ll link to your homepage or wherever you’d like to send traffic. For your featured posts, you choose up to two destination pages per post, and you can change those each quarter as your priorities shift.
What does exclusive mean — are there any exceptions?
Exclusive means exactly that. Once a section or guide has a Founding Partner, no competing business will be accepted into that same section. Your category is yours for the duration of your partnership.
Can I sponsor more than one section?
Yes, if slots are available and it’s a good fit. Some businesses may find it makes sense to sponsor two complementary sections. Reach out and let’s talk about what makes sense for you.
Why do you reserve the right to select partners, and what does that mean in practice?
Amherst Now is a community platform and our readers trust us. We want to make sure every partner is a business we’re proud to associate with and that makes sense for the section they’re sponsoring. In practice this means we have a brief conversation before any partnership is confirmed. It’s not a high bar; it’s just due diligence on both sides.
What is the cancellation policy?
Founding Partner agreements are for a full year and are non-refundable. We ask for that commitment because we’re holding your section exclusively for you and turning away other potential partners. That said, if something changes for your business, reach out; we’re reasonable people and we’ll have a conversation.
Will I get any reporting on how my sponsorship is performing?
Yes. We’ll provide you with a quarterly summary showing page views for your sponsored section, impressions on your banner, and any engagement data we have on your featured posts. We believe in transparency and want you to be able to see the value of your partnership over time.
What if Amherst Now doesn’t hit its growth targets?
We’re committed to being honest with our partners. If growth is slower than projected, you’ll still have everything you signed up for; exclusive placement, featured posts, and backlinks, and your rate will still be locked through 2027. We’re building this for the long term and we stand behind that commitment.