Most of us have a few “favorite things” about fall time… the changing colors of leaves, the slight chill in the air, cozy sweaters, UGGs, spicy chili, and the hype of pumpkin lattes.  There’s just something fantastically enchanting about this season of the year, especially in these Tennessee mountains.

Whether you take a leisurely drive or go for a hike, this area has gorgeous sites to see.  During the first week of autumn, a friend and I ventured up to Roan Mountain to welcome it.  The trees hadn’t really started changing yet, but the hint of crispness in the air was enough to spark awe at this lovely earth we call home.

The day completely absorbed us.  We geared up with hoodies in anticipation of autumn on the mountain top.  Even though we were surrounded by green grass and green foliage during our three hour hike, we were still excited about venturing out into nature to experience fall time.  Breathing in the fresh air and staring out at the glorious mountains around us put into perspective the gift of having strong human bodies in which to experience such wondrous things.  Our drive up the mountain and again down on the other side invoked a sense of contentment and joy of being alive.

Note to those running social media pages for business:  Don’t tarnish the glimpses that some of us may be able to catch into the gratitude of being within the present moment by posting content that isn’t reflective of the place and season in which we are.  When you’re delighting in the fall breeze that releases you from the overwhelming sense of mundane requirement, you want to smell cinnamon and wear big, fuzzy socks.  But when you see a picture of a summer garden or gray winter streets it takes you out of your divine moment of presence and incites a feeling of disappointment or irritation.  We want to see pumpkins and scarves and golden leaves instead of bikinis and Christmas trees.

Your content should be relevant and encourage people to engage.  Nobody wants to think of Pina Coladas when they’d rather be having an Old Fashioned or Oktoberfest beer.  Nor do we want to see daffodils when sunflowers are in bloom or ice cream when we’d rather be eating pumpkin pie.  Trees in your images should be orange and red instead of bright green; and, you should use pictures that have oak or maple trees rather than palm trees if you’re creating content for this region.  The ground should be covered in leaves instead of snow.  Depict mountains in Appalachia rather than the Rockies.  Consider whether people should be wearing short sleeves or long sleeves, flip flops or boots.

It seems like a pretty simple concept, right?  But, you’d be surprised at how many social media managers overlook seasonal details.  Just pay attention.  Seriously.  Seeing promotional posts pop up in your feed that don’t feel like they’re in “real-time” can be ridiculously annoying.  Don’t let your followers get disenchanted with your brand because you don’t take enough time to think about what you’re trying to portray and communicate.  Of course, if you’d rather not have to think through such hugely tiny details, The High Road Agency will be happy to do it for you!