Your Close Friends List is the Hidden Gem of Instagram Features for Business...Here's Why.

If you're a small business owner, you likely aren't new to Instagram. You've updated your bio, talked on stories, and shared posts consistently in your feed. Would you believe me if I said there's one feature of Instagram you likely aren't using—that you should?

The close friends list is a severely underutilized feature on Instagram that's a powerful way to connect with your audience and even drive more sales. In this post, we'll chat about what the close friends list is, how to add close friends on Instagram, and what to post on close friends to make the most of this important feature. Also, if you’d like to see how I personally use close friends, follow me on Instagram @budtobloommarketing and DM me to be added. I’d love to have you join my community—it’s a party over there!

What is the close friends list?

Essentially, your close friends list is a segmented group of followers on Instagram. These are people you've handpicked to share your close friends stories with. When you share a story and select close friends as the audience, only the people curated on that list will be able to view it. This means that you can have close friend content that's extra special and will make your close friends feel like they're a part of an exclusive community because let's face it, they are!

How to Add Close Friends on Instagram

Now that you know what the close friends list is, how do you add people? This is a manual strategy that could take some time if you have a large audience, but the benefits will outweigh the time you spend here.

Step 1: Ask permission to be added to your close friends list.

Before you add someone to your close friends list, make sure they want to be added! My favorite way to do this is by adding a tap-react emoji sticker on stories. I'll share briefly about my close friends list, saying I share additional educational content, first dibs on new products and services, etc, and include a CTA to tap the button if you'd like to be added.

You can also do this via polls. For example, ask if someone wants to be added to your close friends with answer choices yes/no.

Step 2: Navigate to your settings to add people to your close friends list.

Once you know who wants to be added to your close friends list, Navigate to Settings and privacy > Close Friends. Search for each person one-by-one and add them!

Step 3: Repeat consistently every month.

Make sure you consistently repeat this process to add new followers to your close friends list. I recommend doing this at least once per month, but you can do it more or less frequently depending on how often you utilize close friends.

What to Post on Close Friends

Now that you've built a close friends list on your Instagram account, it's time to post strategic content! Here are some ideas for what to post on close friends to keep followers engaged and excited to see your content.

Exclusive Flash Sales and Offers

Consider rewarding your close friends with exclusive access to flash sales and first dibs on new offers. You can either tell your close friends about sales and new products and services before they launch, or periodically run flash sales for close friends only. This makes them feel valued and gives them VIP access to working with you.

Behind-the-scenes Content

Give your close friends a behind-the-scenes look at running your business. You can share more detailed content than you typically do on stories, give glimpses into products or services you have in the works, or simply share day-in-the-life content so they get to know you more. The key here is making your close friends list content different than regular story content in some way.

Special Q+As

Host special Q+A sessions for close friends. Encourage them to ask questions about your personal life, business, or anything else they'd like to know. If you usually do Q+As on stories, you can center the close friend Q+As around a specific topic, like your marathon training or home renovations. This is a fun and interactive way to build more trust with your followers and get them involved.

Additional Trainings and Tutorials

You likely already share valuable educational content on your feed and in stories, but your close friends list allows you to go deeper. Think about some niche topics you could teach on and provide in-depth trainings. Encourage close friends to screenshot the information so they can reference it later. Remember to include information they can't find anywhere else on your account, so it rewards followers for being on your close friends.

Want more help with your business's Instagram strategy?

Did this post get you excited about utilizing close friends? I hope so! At Bud to Bloom Marketing, I empower small business owners through tailor-made marketing strategies that treat people like people. That's why building community is a massive priority for me, as I hope you've noticed throughout this post.

If you'd like to brainstorm unique ways to use the close friends list in your business or dive deeper into your Instagram strategy as a whole, a 60-minute strategy session is for you! We'll focus on a marketing topic of your choosing, and you'll leave our call with a boatload of notes and action items so you can implement immediately. Click here to book your call!