Skip to main content
An Official Vermont Government Website

Social Media

Many State entities utilize social media to communicate with their audience. If you manage your entity's social media accounts, review the guidelines, recommendations, and resources outlined below.

Channel Branding / Profile Picture 

The Moon Over Mountains logo is the primary graphic element that identifies the State of Vermont. To reinforce that individual State entity social media channels are part of the overarching Enterprise, it is recommended that they be branded with the vertical arrangement of the Moon Over Mountains logo. Alternatively, a few legacy department brand marks are part of the SOV Brand (i.e., Forests, Parks, and Recreation and Vermont State Police). A department with an established legacy mark can use that mark as its profile image.

Option A of the vertical arrangement does not include an identifier, and Option B features an entity identifier. Guidelines and restrictions for the identifiers include:

  • Only one identifier can be used.
  • A State entity is defined as an agency, department, division, program, or other entity established by legislation.
  • Email addresses are not considered an identifier.
  • URLs can not be used as an identifier.
  • Vertical arrangement of the State of Vermont Moon Over Mountains Logo.

    Option A

    Vertical arrangement of the Moon Over Mountains logo without an identifier.

  • Vertical arrangement of the State of Vermont Moon Over Mountains logo with the Agency of Human Services identifier.

    Option B

    Vertical arrangement of the Moon Over Mountains logo with an identifier.

Obtaining Logo Files

The Chief Marketing Office is the sole authority for maintaining and creating the Official Vermont logo files. It is against guidelines to modify, create, or recreate the Coat of Arms or Moon Over Mountains logo files. This includes color, sizing, arrangement, and alterations to reflect events, holidays or allyship. Individual posts are the preferred method for communicating events, holidays, or allyship.

For questions concerning use or to obtain the Moon Over Mountains logo with or without an identifier for a social media profile picture, please contact us at marketing@vermont.gov. We can provide high-resolution image files in multiple file formats to State entities upon request.

Cover Photo 

Facebook and X cover photos should be images only and should not contain overlayed graphics or text, as they will be cropped based on screen size. To avoid unfavorable cropping, images should include a fair amount of background. Here are links to the cover photo specifications for Facebook and X.

Accessibility is another reason why graphics or text should not be overlayed on a cover photo. A limitation of most social platforms is that alt text cannot be added to a cover photo. If you are not able to add alt text, you will not have an opportunity to describe the photo and overlayed graphic or text. This makes the cover photo inaccessible for screen reader users who rely on the alt text to understand images. 

If you are looking for cover photo options, the Chief Marketing Office maintains a collection of State-owned photography for State employees to use on official SOV communications. Visit the Photography page to learn more.

Accessible Social Media Content 

Employees who manage State of Vermont social channels should aim for content to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements under Title II: Digital Accessibility to meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Often, there are limitations of the social media platforms, so the goal is to comply with the ADA to the fullest extent possible. To learn more about making social media content more inclusive and accessible, visit the Social Media Content page.

Social Media Comment Policy 

If you manage a State of Vermont social media account, our office developed the State of Vermont Social Media Comment Policy Template to help you set clear guidelines for engagement. The template offers language for best practices for fostering respectful and productive discussions while ensuring transparency, free speech protections, and compliance with public record regulations. By using this template, you can establish clear expectations for commenters, define how inappropriate content is handled, and maintain a positive online environment that aligns with your agency’s communication goals.

Note: The Social Media Comment Policy Template is located on the Chief Marketing Office SharePoint site and is only available to State of Vermont employees.

Additional Social Media Resources