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2. Microsoft Stories

Full disclosure: We've totally gushed over Microsoft's "Stories" microsite before. We can't help it -- what better way to revitalize an old-school brand than with a blog that boasts beautiful, interactive, and inspiring branded content? Plus, the square layout of these stories is reminiscent of the Microsoft logo, which achieves a valuable brand consistency.

Microsoft Stories is also a prime example of how a business blog can be a major asset for an overall rebrand. In recent years, Microsoft has worked to humanize its brand, largely in response to a rivalry with Apple. The "Stories" microsite has a simple tagline -- "Get an inside look at the people, places and ideas that move us." It's the softer side of Microsoft, so to speak. 

When you're trying to convey a certain brand message, your blog can be used to communicate it -- both aesthetically, and content-wise.

3. Pando

An important aspect of a well-designed blog is a consistent color scheme and style -- after all, 80% of consumers say that color boosts their recognition of a brand.

It's interesting to see how color consistency can unify the more diversified elements of design. Pando, a blog that explores the startup cycle, incorporates blue tones in several sections of its site -- the background, highlight bars, and certain areas of text. But it also uses several different fonts -- all of which manage to look seamless together, when tied together by a cohesive color scheme.