Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Design System

Social media style guide

Platform content type

Facebook

  • Versatile platform supporting text, photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and stories
  • Good for reaching a wide demographic and fostering community engagement
  • Algorithm favors content that sparks conversation and reactions

X (Twitter)

  • Ideal for real-time updates, news, and short, timely content (280-character limit)
  • Strong for event coverage, live threads, and sharing links

Instagram

  • Visual-first platform best for photos, short videos (Reels), and stories
  • Great for capturing attention with design-forward, creative content
  • Popular with younger audiences and those who follow visual storytelling

Threads

  • Meta’s alternative to X with a 500-character limit
  • Casual and conversation-driven
  • Good for timely updates

Bluesky

  • A decentralized platform gaining popularity as an alternative to X
  • Best for niche communities, early adopters, and thoughtful conversation
  • Posts support text, images, and video with a 300-character limit

LinkedIn

  • Professional platform focused on industry updates, employee spotlights, and thought leadership
  • Ideal for building organizational credibility and recruiting
  • Audiences often seek news and professional development content

YouTube

  • Best for hosting videos of all lengths; acts as both a content platform and search engine
  • Owned by Google—strong SEO potential
  • Useful for in-depth storytelling, tutorials, public service announcements, and event recordings

Style

MnDOT follows the Associated Press Style Book for all communications—more information in the Design Systems section of the website, under Writing Style Guide. Exceptions (necessary for the sake of space and social media tone) include:

  • Use first person plural pronouns when referring to the Agency—i.e., “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours” and “ourselves”—even at first mention in a post. This personalizes the brand and better connects us with our audience.
  • a.m. and p.m. can be shown as am and pm
  • Contractions (we’ve, they’ve, shouldn’t) are permitted
  • If necessary, dates can be shortened to all numbers i.e., 2/22
    • In all other cases, follow AP style rules for dates (abbreviate months when used with a date e.g., Feb. 22 instead of February 22, excluding March, April, May, June and July)
  • Abbreviate states, e.g., Minnesota to MN
    • The state does not need to be included if you are referring to a city within Minnesota
  • Figures can be used for all numbers (even one through ten) (e.g., 1, 2, 3…)
  • Temperatures do not need to be in word format even if they start the sentence
  • Em dashes do not need a space on either side of the symbol

Punctuation

  • Links
    • When at the end of a post, use a colon and a space before a link if there is no link preview
    • An exclamation point (!) or question mark (?)—followed by a single space—can also introduce a link
  • Use a single exclamation point to signal excitement
    • Do not exceed more than two per post!!!! 😉
  • Use an ellipsis (three periods, no spaces) to show where something has been omitted (as in a quote that’s been shortened) OR—in rare instances—to signal suspense
  • Em dashes (—) can be used to set off various parts of a sentence. NEVER use a hyphen (-) instead of an em dash.
    • How To: On a Mac, hold down SHIFT+OPTION+hyphen. On a PC, hold down the Alt key and type 0151 on a numeric keyboard, then release the Alt key.

General

All platforms
  • Hashtags
    • Hashtags a becoming unnecessary on social media posts
      • Algorithms are prioritizing content quality, relevance and SEO keywords over hashtags
      • Exceptions include campaign hashtags, but these aren’t necessary to the success of a post or campaign
    • If a hashtag is used and contains more than one word, be sure to use camel case (capitalize the first letter in each word) for readability, e.g., #TowardZeroDeaths (see social media accessibility guidelines for more information)
  • Shorten all links using Bitly or in-platform link shortening software
  • Include any relevant mentions as tags, as long as the account is active
  • Cite the source of an article or news item by tagging the relevant account
    • Also cite the source of photos used in posts if they are not MnDOT owned (either taken by us or purchased for our use)
  • To signify credit for photography, videography, graphics, etc., use the camera emoji (no flash) followed by a colon, then tag the appropriate account (if it is a professional account) or type in the individual’s name
    • Example – Professional account: 📷: @US National Weather Service Twin Cities Minnesota
    • Example – Non-professional account: 📷: Jane Doe
    • Note: Photo credit is required whenever MnDOT does not own the image, i.e., staff has taken the photo for the express purpose of using it for MnDOT or licensed stock photography.
  • All caps—outside of acronyms—should be used sparingly for the sake of accessibility (see social media accessibility guidelines for more information)
  • Emojis
    • Use sparingly and do not use more than two emojis side-by-side, e.g., 🚚🚗💨 (see social media accessibility guidelines for more information)
    • They can be used for light-hearted posts around specific holidays or other more “fun” postings, such as memes
      • (See Zipper Merge tweet) It’s #NationalZipperDay and we’d like to take this time to remind you: in construction zones with heavy traffic, use both lanes and take turns at the merge point—just like you would at the drive-thru 👍 Learn more: mndot.gov/zippermerge
      • (See bat tweet) Happy #InternationalBatAppreciationDay! Minnesota is home to eight bat species, and MnDOT staff inspect bridges and other structures to make sure our work doesn't disturb them or their colonies. Learn more: https://bit.ly/46K0Jw9 🦇
  • When in need of a checkmark emoji, use this one ✔️
    • This is for consistency, plus the emoji shown here is read as “Heavy check mark” which is fewer words than the other checkmark options, making it easier for screen readers
Facebook
  • Use line breaks
  • Delete the text URL from your post if displaying the link preview
Instagram
  • Use line breaks
  • Images should be artsy but not unnatural—effects/filters/edits should never compromise image quality (e.g., avoid effects that create intense sharpening, contrast, strange color casts or overexposure)
    • Images (and graphics especially) should be square (4:5 ratio), with few exceptions (get content from the Governor’s office, partners, etc.).
  • Shoot photos on a DSLR or other high-resolution producing camera whenever possible
LinkedIn
  • Use line breaks
  • Don’t use link previews—these show up poorly on the platform and reduce engagement
YouTube
  • Give videos descriptive names to support SEO
  • Include relevant hyperlinks after description

Demographics

Worldwide information via Sprout Social

Cadence

Always try maintain between four and seven posts per week on each platform. Exceptions being shortform platforms such as X, Threads, and Bluesky where a few posts per day is acceptable when done strategically (such as live event coverage).

Post length

Longform

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram

  • Keep posts at or under 360 characters (including spaces and links) when possible. Posts should always be short and concise. Longer posts get cut off in a user’s feed, forcing them to expand the text if they want to read the full story.

Short form

X, Threads, Bluesky

  • X: 280-character limit, including links
  • Threads: 500-character limit, including links
  • Bluesky: 300-character limit, including links

Visuals

Images/graphics/gifs: For detailed information on image specifications per social media channel, view Sprout Social’s guide and our Image Guidelines.

Videos: For detailed information on video specifications per social media channel, view Sprout Social’s guide.