You’re a student in the UK. You’ve been blogging for months-writing about campus life, budget meals, exam hacks, or your favourite indie bands. You’ve got traffic. Maybe even a few hundred readers a week. But you’re still living off instant noodles and student loans. What if you could turn your blog into real income? It’s not magic. It’s not for influencers with millions of followers. It’s for you-with a laptop, a few hours a week, and the right strategy.
Start with the right foundation
Before you chase ads or affiliate links, make sure your blog actually works. A student blog that looks like it was built in 2010 won’t earn anything. You need a clean design, fast loading, and mobile-friendly layout. WordPress.org with a free theme like Astra or GeneratePress is enough. Use free hosting like WordPress.com only if you’re testing ideas. Once you’re serious, switch to a cheap shared host like Hostinger or Namecheap-under £3 a month.
Your niche matters more than you think. Don’t write about "everything." Pick one thing you know well and stick to it. "How to survive on £15 a week in London" works better than "life tips." "Best free study apps for uni students in the UK" beats "random thoughts." Specificity attracts readers who care-and advertisers who pay.
SEO isn’t optional. Use free tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic to find what students in the UK are searching for. Write about "how to get a student bank account with no fees," "UK student discounts 2025," or "cheap accommodation near Manchester Uni." These are real questions with real search volume. Rank for those, and traffic comes naturally.
Join affiliate programs that actually pay students
Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to start earning. You recommend a product, someone buys it through your link, and you get paid. But not all programs are made for students.
Amazon Associates is the most obvious choice. You can link to textbooks, laptops, noise-canceling headphones, or even microwave meals. But the commission is low-usually 1-4%. Better options exist.
Check out ShareASale and CJ Affiliate. They host UK-based brands like Student Beans, UNiDAYS, and The Student Room. These companies pay 5-15% per sale. If you write a post titled "10 Student Discounts You’re Not Using (2025)," and link to UNiDAYS, you earn every time someone signs up through you.
Another smart move: promote digital tools students actually use. Notion, Grammarly, Canva Pro, and Obsidian all have affiliate programs. If you write a guide like "How I Organised My Entire Uni Year with Notion (Free Template)," you can link to their premium version. Students love free templates-and they’ll pay to upgrade.
Use Google AdSense-but don’t rely on it
AdSense is easy. Sign up, paste a code, and ads appear. But don’t expect to live off it. A student blog with 5,000 monthly visits might earn £15-£30 a month. That’s not nothing, but it won’t cover rent.
Here’s how to make AdSense work better: place ads where people read. After the first paragraph. Below your main heading. At the end of long posts. Avoid pop-ups. Don’t overload pages. Google penalises sites that annoy users.
Also, focus on high-CPC keywords. "Student loan repayment UK," "how to get a credit card as a student," or "best budgeting app for uni students" bring higher-paying ads. These topics attract financial services companies that pay more per click.
Offer freelance services through your blog
You’re a student. You’re good at writing, editing, social media, or even basic design. Turn your blog into a portfolio.
Create a "Services" page. List what you offer: "I write blog posts for small UK businesses," or "I edit student essays for clarity and grammar." Charge £15-£30 per post. You don’t need to be an expert-you just need to be better than the average student.
Use your blog to show your work. Write a case study: "How I Helped a Local Coffee Shop Increase Instagram Followers by 70% in 3 Weeks." Include before-and-after screenshots. Link to your contact form. Students and small businesses in the UK are always looking for affordable help. You’re the solution.
Write sponsored posts-without selling out
Sponsorships mean a brand pays you to write about them. It sounds sketchy, but done right, it’s ethical and profitable.
Start small. Reach out to local businesses: a vegan café near campus, a student laundry service, a book rental shop. Offer to write a honest review or a "Day in the Life" feature. Charge £50-£100 per post. That’s more than you’d earn from ads in a month.
Use a simple pitch: "Hi, I run a student blog with 3,000 monthly readers. I’d love to write a post about your [product/service] for my audience. Here’s a sample post I wrote last month. Let me know if you’re interested. No pressure."
Never promote something you wouldn’t use. Your readers trust you. Break that trust, and you lose everything.
Build an email list-you’ll thank yourself later
Google or Instagram might change their rules tomorrow. But your email list? That’s yours forever.
Use a free tool like MailerLite. Offer a lead magnet: a free PDF like "10 UK Student Discounts You Can Use Today" or "The Ultimate Budget Planner for Uni Students." In exchange, people give you their email.
Send one email a week. Share a new blog post. A quick tip. A meme about student life. No spam. No hard sells. Just value. After 3 months, you’ll have 500+ subscribers. That’s a built-in audience for your affiliate links, services, or future products.
Turn your blog into a digital product
Once you’ve written 20+ posts, you’ve got a goldmine. Bundle your best content into a digital product.
Examples:
- "The UK Student Survival Guide (PDF)"-includes discount codes, budget templates, and exam hacks. Sell for £7.
- "Notion Template for Uni Students"-organised by semester, with deadlines, reading lists, and finance tracker. Sell for £12.
- "Audio Study Playlist + Focus Tips"-curated Spotify playlist with 2 hours of lo-fi beats and a PDF guide. Sell for £5.
Use Gumroad or Ko-fi to sell them. No technical skills needed. Set it up in 15 minutes. Promote it in your emails and blog posts. One product, sold to 100 students, is £700. That’s more than most part-time jobs pay in a month.
Track what works-and drop what doesn’t
Don’t guess. Use free analytics. Google Analytics tells you which posts get the most traffic. Which links get clicked. Where your visitors come from.
After 3 months, review: Which affiliate links earned you money? Which sponsored post got the most engagement? Which digital product sold? Double down on that. Stop wasting time on tactics that don’t pay.
Student blogging isn’t about going viral. It’s about consistency. One post a week. One email a week. One small sale. Over time, it adds up.
By the end of your second year, you could be earning £200-£500 a month from your blog. Enough to pay for your textbooks, your train ticket home, or a weekend trip. No student loan needed.
Can I monetise a student blog with only 1,000 visitors a month?
Yes. With 1,000 monthly visitors, you can earn £20-£80 a month through affiliate links, sponsored posts, or digital products. Focus on high-converting offers like student discounts, budgeting tools, or free templates. Quality matters more than quantity.
Do I need to pay taxes on blog income in the UK?
If you earn under £1,000 a year from your blog, you don’t need to report it thanks to the UK’s Trading Allowance. Above that, you must register as self-employed with HMRC and file a Self Assessment tax return. Keep records of income and expenses-even small ones like domain fees or design tools.
How long does it take to start making money from a student blog?
You can earn your first £10 within 2-3 months if you focus on affiliate links and low-effort digital products. Earning £200+ a month usually takes 6-12 months of consistent posting, email building, and optimising for search. Patience beats speed.
What’s the easiest way to make money as a student blogger?
The easiest path is affiliate marketing with student-focused brands like UNiDAYS, Student Beans, or Notion. Write a simple list post: "Top 5 Student Discounts in the UK 2025." Add your affiliate links. Promote it on campus Facebook groups. It takes under 2 hours to write-and can earn £50+ per month with minimal upkeep.
Should I use free or paid hosting for my student blog?
Start with free hosting (like WordPress.com) only to test ideas. Once you’re serious, switch to paid hosting (like Hostinger or Namecheap) for £2-£4 a month. Free platforms limit your ability to install plugins, use custom domains, or monetise properly. Paid hosting gives you full control-and makes you look professional to brands and readers.
If you’re reading this, you’re already ahead of 90% of student bloggers. You’re not waiting for permission. You’re not hoping for a scholarship. You’re building something real. Keep going.