Learn what Close Friends on Instagram is and how to use it in your digital marketing strategy
One of the most popular features on Instagram Close Friends allows users to share stories and feed posts only with a select list of followers that is defined by the account owner.
But besides being widely used by personal profiles, the Close Friends feature has also become important for brands that wish to strengthen relationships and even make money by offering exclusive content and rewards.
Interested? Below we explain everything about Close Friends on Instagram. Continue reading to see:
- What is Close Friends
- How Close Friends works
- How to create Close Friends on Instagram
- 5 ways to use Close Friends to your business’s advantage
- FAQ frequently asked questions about Close Friends
- Final considerations
What is Close Friends?
Close Friends, also known as Amigos Próximos, is a feature on Instagram created for users to share stories or feed posts only with a selected list of followers.
This list is fully customizable and set by the account owner, allowing only chosen people to access certain content.
In practice, it’s like having a VIP area within the profile. The account owner can continue posting stories and posts open to all followers, but also has the option to share something exclusive with those in Close Friends.
The feature, which started being used mainly by personal profiles, is also gaining traction among brands and content creators as it allows them to strengthen relationships and even create new monetization opportunities.
Also read Photo Dump on Instagram: what is it and how to adopt the trend to your business
How Close Friends works
Close Friends on Instagram works simply. Just create a list of selected followers, and when posting a story or something on the feed, choose whether it will be public or restricted to this group.
Those included will see the content marked with a green ring around the profile picture for stories or a green star for feed posts.
It is important to reinforce that:
- The list is secret only the profile owner knows who is on it. Followers do not receive notifications when they are added or removed
- It can be edited at any time adding or removing people is quick and does not generate any notifications for those involved
- It works flexibly Close Friends can be used for both more personal moments and business strategies
Also read Instagram Highlights: use this feature strategically
How to create Close Friends on Instagram
Creating your Close Friends list on Instagram is quite simple and quick. Just follow the steps below:
- Access your profile and then the menu in the top right corner
- Then click the Close Friends button
- Add the people you follow or your followers to the list using suggestions from the network based on the most engaged followers or the search bar available at the top
- Done! After adding everyone, just start posting and sending only to this group of people
5 ways to use Close Friends to your business’s advantage
As we mentioned earlier, besides being very popular among personal accounts, Close Friends is also standing out as a valuable tool for business profiles that wish to strengthen their relationship with the audience.
Many brands even use the list as a way to monetize Instagram and offer exclusive content to their followers or clients.
Below, we recommend 5 ways to leverage the feature to benefit your business whether for direct financial gains, offering exclusive content, or getting closer to the audience. Check it out!
1. Offer rewards
Many companies invest in Close Friends as a way to offer exclusive rewards to their most engaged followers, such as discount coupons, promotions, and product launches.
With this, these individuals learn everything firsthand and feel more valued by the brand. To create this close friends list, you can, for example, open a stories box or create a post for users to sign up.
Some brands perform this type of action monthly as offers can change according to each period and so do the people interested in these rewards.
2. Create a subscription list
Very similar to the proposal above, the subscription list for Close Friends also provides exclusive content but with the aim of monetizing the profile.
From a monthly subscription followers gain access to more in-depth posts on the topics you discuss, information beyond what you make available to the general audience, and relevant tutorials on a specific subject.
However, it is important to remember that when creating a subscription for Close Friends, you must genuinely deliver content that is unique and distinctive. Otherwise, your followers might feel deceived for paying to become VIPs.
3. Develop mentorships
For those working in the education field, Close Friends can be a good way to develop mentorships for students already studying with you or potential students.
In the first case, you can create a space for your clients to ask questions about certain topics through the question boxes or take tests to advance in their studies.
In the second case, you can open monthly mentorship groups on topics related to the courses or training you offer. This way, you will be able to more easily get closer to those interested in your products.
4. Showcase the behind-the-scenes of the business
With social media increasingly being a channel for bringing brands and people closer together, there’s nothing better than leveraging Close Friends to share content that doesn’t easily reach the general public.
The showcasing of the behind-the-scenes of the business whether to share news, show spoilers of launches, or generate interaction with the names behind the brand’s success, is an excellent way to develop relationships and trust.
Through this strategy, you make people want to get to know your company closely and further build your audience’s loyalty.
5. Internal communication
Now, if besides the external public, you wish to strengthen relations with the internal one, your Close Friends can be formed with all the company’s employees, becoming an interactive channel and more informal.
You can use it, for example, to give wellness or entertainment tips, send happy hour reminders, or open question boxes, polls, and tests that strengthen team engagement.
Since we’re talking about Instagram, the ideal is for this content to be less professionally focused and more spontaneous, with the aim of making daily life lighter and more fun.
Also read Engagement on Instagram: 14 tips to increase your brand’s engagement rate
FAQ frequently asked questions about Close Friends
Check out the main questions about the feature below. Some have already been answered throughout the text, but we gathered everything in this section for better reference!
Close Friends or Amigos Próximos is a feature on Instagram that allows sharing stories and feed posts only with a selected list of followers. This list is defined by the profile owner and functions as an exclusive area within the social network, whether for more personal moments or strategic actions by brands and content creators
When you create a Close Friends list, you can choose whether a story or feed post will be published for all followers or only for those included in this group. Those included will see the content identified with a green ring around the profile picture for stories or a green star for feed posts.
The feature is available in the main menu of Instagram. To access it, simply enter your profile, click the icon in the upper right corner, and select the Close Friends option. This is where you can add or remove people from your list and manage who will have access to exclusive content.
To create your Close Friends list, access your profile, click the menu in the upper right corner, and select Close Friends. Then manually add the desired followers using the search bar or Instagram’s own suggestions. Once the list is ready, you can share stories or feed posts only with this selected group of people.
If you want to add all followers at once, you need to do it manually, as Instagram does not offer an automatic inclusion option. You can use the search bar to find each profile and add one by one
You can only know if you are in someone’s Close Friends list when you see a story with a green border around the profile picture or a feed post with a green star. These are the only signs Instagram provides since the list is secret and there are no notifications about inclusion or removal
There is no way to request access to someone else’s Close Friends, as only the profile owner can decide who will be part of that list. However, many creators and brands offer the opportunity for inclusion through forms, question boxes, or even paid subscriptions, allowing interested followers to apply for access to exclusive content.
If you’ve been added to someone else’s Close Friends and do not wish to remain, there’s no way to manually leave as only the account owner can remove users from the list. In this case, the alternative is to mute or unfollow the profile if the content is not of your interest.
This expression usually appears in informal contexts, generally when someone notices that another person shares many exclusive stories. In short, it’s a way of jokingly commenting that the user apparently includes many people in their Close Friends.
Close Friends is a strategic space and can be used in various ways to share personal moments, behind-the-scenes, promotions, rewards, exclusive content, or even mentorships. Brands and creators often leverage the feature to offer benefits to engaged followers, launch products firsthand, or monetize the account. The ideal is to post something that makes sense for the selected audience and reinforces the idea of exclusivity.
Final considerations
Close Friends on Instagram goes far beyond a simple list of selected followers.
For brands and creators, it can become a powerful relationship, exclusivity, and even monetization tool.
By exploring this feature strategically, whether to offer rewards, create subscriptions, showcase behind-the-scenes, or strengthen internal communication, you enhance your digital presence and bring your audience even closer to your brand.
