By Dan Slagen
You get it…
Blogging is an important part of your content strategy.
Businesses that blog get 126% more lead growth than those that don’t.
Fortunately, there has been plenty of information published about how to ‘create’ a great blog; what type of content to produce and how often. But one thing that there isn’t as much information on is how to ‘design’ a great blog.
Creating and designing are two different things and serve two different purposes. Creating a great blog is focused on your content and making sure that readers have access to relevant information. Designing your blog is centered around how your readers consume the information that you’re producing as well as generating new leads for your company.
We wanted to take this concept and run with it, by showing you how the top 50 marketing blogs (as decided by Inbound.org) design their blogs.
Each of these companies are focused on both education and growth, and clearly they’ve all found the perfect mix for their goals!
The Top 50 Marketing Blog Designs
1. Search Engine Land
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What we like about this design:
Emphasis on visuals
10 different content links (SEO, SEM, Mobile..etc) for users to select
Call-to-action (CTA) that generates interest for events, newsletters and subscribing
2. HubSpot
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What we like about this design:
Three separate blog offerings in one place (marketing, sales, agency)
Subscribe CTA offers under each of the three blogs
Scrolling list under each blog showing the last 50 posts and publish dates
3. Social Media Examiner
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What we like about this design:
Hero image offers users the latest social media marketing industry report
Scrolling feed shows introductions to blog posts for easy user browsing
Prevalent CTA offers for events, social media, newsletter and podcasts
4. Seth Godin
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What we like about this design:
Consistent blog posts, users know exactly what to expect
Easy social media button selection and sharing
Subscription CTA offer and content history displayed on left-hand side
5. Moz
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What we like about this design:
Box design for each post displays neatly for a consistent design
‘Subscribe Now’ CTA in the middle of the page, below the first few posts
Each post is shown with visuals, title, author, date, CTA and social activity
6. readwrite
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What we like about this design:
Box design theme for each post with title and publish info overlayed
Content category shown in the top left of each post title (red box)
Emphasis on visuals throughout the entire homepage
7. Search Engine Watch
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What we like about this design:
10 different content links (PPC, Social, Local. etc) for users to select
Live comments and upcoming events displayed on the right-hand side
‘Subscribe’ CTA offer for both daily and weekly newsletters
8. MarketingLand
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What we like about this design:
Emphasis on visuals
10 different content links (SEO, SEM, Mobile..etc) for users to select
CTA usage generating interest for events, newsletters and subscribing
9. VerticalResponse
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What we like about this design:
Consistent emphasis on brand colors
Blog updates, breaking news and popular posts content/CTA offers
Blog posts displayed with a combination of box design and text links
10. Content Marketing Institute
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What we like about this design:
Initial 2 posts shown visually with intro content, followed by text link posts
Emphasis on training and certification for additional visitor engagement
8 how-to guides offered for download along with a click-to-play video CTA
11. Search Engine Journal
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What we like about this design:
Instant pop-up notification offering users access to an upcoming webinar
Guides, videos, Ebooks offer users more than just blog posts
Blog posts broken out into 3 sections – featured, latest and most popular
12. ProBlogger
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What we like about this design:
Visual emphasis and placement on the feature post
9 links to various themed content throughout the blog
Multiple CTA offerings, each promoting different topical content
13 & 14. Inside Facebook and AllFacebook
(both acquired by AdWeek, currently residing under Social Times)
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What we like about this design:
Clean, consistent and visual blog feed, showing most recent 10 posts
Email subscription and learning courses CTA offers displayed on the right
Easy access to AdWeek’s entire blog network of 10 separately themed blogs
15. Brian Solis
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What we like about this design:
Not afraid to use video throughout the course of the entire blog
Live Tweets and recent comments update throughout the day
2006 – present content archive with links across 15 content categories
16. Convince and Convert
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What we like about this design:
Newsletter pop-up notification CTA for users that want email updates
Most recent 3 posts featured with large visuals and content introduction
Daily newsletter CTA offers different themed content each day of the week
17. Sprout Social
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What we like about this design:
Fixed toolbar that remains visible as users scroll down the site
Content offered in 3 categories – articles, resources and events
5 most recent articles displayed on the homepage with captivating visuals
18. Social Times
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What we like about this design:
Clean, consistent and visual blog feed, showing most recent posts
Email subscription and learning courses CTA offerings displayed on the right
Easy access to AdWeek’s entire blog network of 10 separately themed blogs
19. Unbounce
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What we like about this design:
13 content themed links on the right-hand side displayed as buttons
Subscription CTA featured in the hero image section (shows confidence)
Two column box theme design showing 10 most recent blog posts
20. GetResponse
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What we like about this design:
CTA offers include Ebooks, social media access and email newsletters
Keyword search box for easy content discovery
All authors shown with pictures and bios for users to browse
21. Social Media Explorer
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What we like about this design:
They have a blog article counter currently showing 2076 posted articles
Box design showing most recent blog posts, videos and CTA offerings
Blog posts displayed with introductory paragraph and a read more option
22. ClickZ
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What we like about this design:
11 content topic categories for users to select from on the blog
20+ most recent articles displayed featuring title, intro, author, social
Subscription CTA, upcoming events and white paper offers
23. ReelSEO
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What we like about this design:
Focus on visual design both in the header box design and proceeding posts
Email subscription pop-up CTA offers users daily or weekly emails
Video everywhere! Yes, they’re a video blog but we still love to see it!
24. John Chow
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What we like about this design:
Noticeably sized title font for all blog posts that commands attention
CTA offers for eBooks, whitepapers and training placed all over the site
Social media tracker displaying 300,000+ people reading the blog daily
25. Bigcommerce
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What we like about this design:
Clean design, combining consistently displayed content and whitespace
Pop-up subscription promotion appears when users first exit the site
Links to popular posts, news, resources, social media, content categories
26. NRF
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What we like about this design:
Focus on visuals throughout the entire blog with content overlays
Scrolling box design featuring intros and a theme for each blog post
Live Twitter feed showing user activity and tweets related to NRF
27. Creative Market
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What we like about this design:
Free “goods of the week” offers users free designs/graphics for download
10 most recent articles displayed with intros and visuals
Subscription signup and popular posts featured on the right-hand side
28. Kim Garst
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What we like about this design:
A members only section offering users “full” access to all things Boom
Each individual CTA offer is focused on learning and education
10 most recent articles displayed with large intros and visuals
29. Contently
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What we like about this design:
Heavy emphasis on white space, giving the blog a simple navigation path
Pop-up email subscribe offer appears after spending a few minutes on site
Visually captivating Ebook offer that focuses on education and learning
30. Unmarketing
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What we like about this design:
Focus on brand colors throughout the blog
Access to podcasts, speaking engagements, creative teams and email subscribe
Each blog post features an intro paragraph and a subscribe on iTunes link
31. Jeff Bullas
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What we like about this design:
Full blog posts featured on the homepage for users to scroll and click
Links to popular and recent articles, as well as content by category
Pop-up promotion offering ebooks focused on education and learning
32. SEO Roundtable
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What we like about this design:
6 different content categories for users to access
Inclusion of a permanent video content placement, updated weekly
All blog titles feature an introductory paragraph and a “read more” link
33. CMO.com
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What we like about this design:
Geo-focused content sections including Europe and Asia Pacific
Posts tagged with content themes from online media to strategic planning
8 different content themes for readers to access across the site
34. Mari Smith
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What we like about this design:
CTA offers listed throughout the site, ranging from training to reports
Social media buttons and sharing data listed on the left-hand side
Blog title content displayed in red with large font to capture the eye
35. Marketing Profs
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What we like about this design:
11 most recent blog posts aligned on the left with imagery and the intro
50+ direct links to resources, community and marketing topics
Site takeover promotion (it’s aggressive, but perhaps it works well?)
36. Econsultancy
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What we like about this design:
Left aligned box design theme, displaying visual blog article titles
Trending posts section, right aligned, offers the latest and greatest
Popular tag links offers readers themed content such as email or Twitter
37. Inbound.org
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What we like about this design:
Number of collective community votes decide the article rank
Additional sections include trending, top and latest articles posted
30+ articles fit on the homepage by only displaying title/author per post
38. BufferApp
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What we like about this design:
Center aligned content with zero distractions on either side
Unintrusive pop-up CTA encouraging users to try Buffer
Social media login buttons instantly displayed upon arriving on site
39. Cision
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What we like about this design:
Strong focus on visuals and clean design throughout the entire blog
Links to featured, best practices, media updates, top, influencers, trends
Article offers include title, author, visual, intro and a “read more” link
40. Amy Porterfield
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What we like about this design:
Access to 4 different types of content including podcasts and webinars
Visual link to Amy’s Facebook page showing 150,000+ likes
Left aligned posts that include social, visuals, author and intro paragraph
41. Shoe Money
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What we like about this design:
Article offers include image, title, author, intro and a read more link
Right aligned links include access to FB, most viewed photos and archive
Personalized skin, featuring Jeremy solidifies the tone of the blog
42. Heidi Cohen
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What we like about this design:
Content themes separated and distinguished by bold red font
Links to the top 8 most popular blog posts on Heidi’s blog
Pop-up offer visitors free actionable marketing tips with an email signup
43. Digital Marketer
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What we like about this design:
Each post offers features title, visual, social, intro, and a read more link
Strong focus and consistency across graphics used for blog imagery
Right aligned links to podcasts, ebooks, training, and most popular posts
44. Jon Loomer
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What we like about this design:
Left aligned articles and right aligned visual CTA offers
Everything featured on the site is laser focused on Facebook marketing
Heavy emphasis on brand recognition (images of Jon)
45. Oracle
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What we like about this design:
Box design, showing the most recent 10 blog articles
All article offers include a visual, title, read more and share option
8 different content themes for readers to select from specific to marketing
46. TopRank
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What we like about this design:
Left aligned posts feature large visuals to capture the reader’s attention
Blog intros offer substantial content before needing to click “read more”
8 links to different content themes and right aligned CTA offers
47. InstantShift
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What we like about this design:
Blog articles feature red and bolded titles and large images
10 content theme links available including “freebies”
Right aligned links to “our friends” and “useful links”
48. KissMetrics
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What we like about this design:
9 most recent articles include brief intros and a read more CTA button
Subscribe CTA and pop-ups are featured on both sides of the page
Product offer featured at the top of the page by entering website URL
49. Ducttape Marketing
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What we like about this design:
First two posts featured in full, followed by links to the next six most recent
Left aligned blog posts and right aligned education based CTA offers
Fixed social media button placement regardless of where user scrolls
50. MailChimp
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What we like about this design:
Center aligned content with zero distractions on either side
Strong focus on large and noticeable imagery throughout the blog
Homepage doesn’t overwhelm, only showing the five most recent posts
That’s it!
What’s refreshing to see about these top 50 marketing blogs is that even though they are in the same industry writing about similar topics, there isn’t one design style or template that fits all. Some blogs have decided to go with a conservative design style with others being a bit more creative, but all of the designs perfectly match the audience they’re meant to serve (while meeting company lead gen needs).
Even if you’re not in a position to redesign your blog, there are a bunch of little changes you can make (as seen in this list!) that may improve performance.
Examples of design elements you can try testing include:
Publish date
Link to author
Social media buttons
Newsletter sign-up overlay
Alignment
Additional content download links
Contact us link
Additional links to your content broke out by theme like “SEO” or “PPC”
Imagery
Videos
Font type and font size
Popular articles section
Search box
Careers page
There’s most likely one thing in each of the 50 designs that you could identify and test on your own blog!
As you think about designing your blog, redesigning your blog or just giving it a little refresh, stay true to your mission, your audience and your creative desires!
Access all 50 of the featured marketing blog designs here!
Guest Author: Dan Slagen from Crayon. Crayon is the most comprehensive marketing design search engine on the web. It’s the new way for marketers to get inspired and get great ideas about what to build.
The post How the Top 50 Marketing Blogs Rock Design appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.