In case you missed it, you can make your entire posts searchable without using hashtags if you opt into the new full text search system. Here's how to do that:

➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-opt-into-or-out-of-full-text-search-on-mastodon/

However, it's still worth using hashtags because:

-Many people follow hashtags, using relevant tags in a post reaches them

-Many people aren't opting into full text search, so you can still find their posts with hashtag searches

-Hashtags are useful for indicating the topics you actively want to discuss