Let's clear something up: hashtags aren't dead, but the way most small businesses use them might as well be. Copying a giant block of trending hashtags and pasting them on every post? That's a fast track to looking spammy and getting ignored by the algorithm.
The goal of hashtags is discoverability—helping new people find your content when they're searching for or following topics related to your business. To do that well, you need to think of hashtags like keywords. Each one should connect your post to a specific audience or topic.
Here's a practical framework: for each post, aim for 5–15 hashtags that fall into three buckets. First, niche hashtags that describe your specific business or service (think "#weddingfloristaustin" not just "#flowers"). Second, audience hashtags that describe who you serve or what they care about (like "#smallbizowner" or "#busymomlife"). Third, one or two broader tags for discovery (like "#marketingtips" or "#shopsmall").
Avoid using the same hashtag set on every single post. Platforms like Instagram have been known to reduce reach when they detect repetitive patterns—it looks like bot behavior. Instead, keep a running list of hashtags organized by topic or content pillar, and pull from different groups based on what each post is about.
Also, pay attention to hashtag size. Tags with millions of posts (like #love or #inspo) mean your content gets buried in seconds. Mid-range hashtags—those with roughly 10K to 500K posts—give you a much better chance of being seen by people actually browsing that topic.
Enji's AI Copywriter can generate relevant hashtags tailored to your brand and post topic, so you're not spending time researching tags manually every time you sit down to create content. Enji's hash tag groups allow you to define hashtag groups you use across different content. It takes the guesswork out of discovery and keeps your posts looking intentional—not desperate.
