How to Make a Separate Story on Instagram

Want to share an Instagram Story that isn’t for an audience of everyone? You're in the right place. Creating a separate Story is a powerful way to tailor your content, build a stronger community, and keep your profile looking clean and organized. This guide will show you exactly how to create separate stories for specific audiences using the Close Friends list, how to visually break up your content into different themes, and how to save your best content forever with Story Highlights.

What Does "Separate Story" on Instagram Really Mean?

Unlike a feed post that lives permanently on your grid, Instagram Stories are designed to be temporary, disappearing after 24 hours. But "separate" can mean a few different things depending on your goal. You might want to:

• Share with a select group: Post a story that only a hand-picked list of followers can see. This is perfect for personal updates, exclusive content, or behind-the-scenes moments intended for your most engaged fans.
• Organize your best content: Group past stories into permanent, topical collections on your profile so new followers can see them anytime.
• Create a distinct narrative: Break up your daily story posts into different topics or "chapters" so your content feels structured and intentional, rather than like one long, rambling update.

The good news is that Instagram has built-in features to help you do all of these things. Let’s break down the methods you can start using today.

Method 1: The "Close Friends" Feature for a Private Audience

The most straightforward way to create a separate story for a specific audience is with Instagram’s “Close Friends” feature. It’s an incredibly simple but effective tool for building a deeper connection with a smaller segment of your audience.

What is the Close Friends List?

The Close Friends list is a private, curated list of followers that you choose. When you share a Story with this list, only the people on it will be able to see it. They’ll know it’s a Close Friends story because a green circle will appear around your profile picture in their Story tray instead of the usual pink and orange gradient.

Best of all, your list is completely private. No one can request to be added, no one is notified when you add or remove them, and no one can see who else is on your list. It gives you full control over who sees your more personal or exclusive content.

How to Set Up Your Close Friends List

Setting up your list only takes a minute. Once it’s done, you can post to it anytime without having to re-select your audience.

1. Navigate to your Instagram profile.
2. Tap the menu icon (the three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
3. Select "Close Friends" from the menu.
4. You'll see a list of your followers. Simply tap "Add" next to the names of the people you want on your list. You can use the search bar to find people quickly.
5. Once you're finished, just tap "Done." You can come back and edit this list at any time.

How to Post a Story to Your Close Friends

Sharing your first private Story is just as easy as sharing a regular one.

1. Create your Instagram Story like you normally would. Add your photo or video, text, stickers, music, or filters.
2. When you're ready to share, look at the bottom of the screen. Instead of tapping "Your Story," tap the "Close Friends" button (the green circle with a white star).

That's it! Your Story is now live, visible only to the people you chose.

Strategic Ways for Brands and Creators to Use Close Friends

The Close Friends feature isn't just for personal updates. It's a fantastic marketing tool.

• Behind-the-Scenes Access: Show your most loyal followers the unpolished, human side of your brand. Share brainstorming sessions, office tours, or goofy team moments.
• Exclusive Offers & Sneak Peeks: Build hype by giving your "inner circle" early access to a new product, a launch date, or an exclusive discount code. This makes them feel like valued insiders.
• Polls & Feedback: Get opinions on a new logo, product idea, or content strategy from a trusted group before you announce it to the world.
• Personalized Q&A Sessions: Host an "Ask Me Anything" specifically for your Close Friends to answer their questions in a more intimate setting.

Method 2: Using Highlights to Create Permanent Separate Stories

While Close Friends is for controlling who sees your story, Story Highlights are for controlling how long your stories are seen and how they're organized. They let you take your best temporary stories and group them into permanent, categorized collections right on your profile.

What are Story Highlights?

Story Highlights appear as small circles right below your bio and above your main photo grid. Think of them as curated albums or folders for your greatest hits. When someone visits your profile, they can tap on a Highlight to watch a collection of past stories you’ve saved there. This is a great way to showcase important information that would otherwise get lost after 24 hours.

How to Create a New Highlight from Your Story Archive

If you've posted stories in the past, they're saved in your private archive and ready to be turned into a Highlight.

1. Go to your profile page and tap the "+" New circle under your bio.
2. Your Story Archive will open, showing you all your past stories. Select the ones you want to include in this new Highlight by tapping on them. A blue checkmark will appear.
3. Once you've selected your clips, tap "Next."
4. Now you can edit your Highlight. Tap "Edit Cover" to choose a frame from one of the stories or upload a custom image from your camera roll.
5. Give your Highlight a clear and concise name (e.g., "FAQs," "About Us," "Reviews"). You have up to 15 characters.
6. Tap "Add" (on iPhone) or "Done" (on Android), and your new Highlight will appear on your profile.

How to Add a Current Story to a Highlight

You can also add a story to a Highlight while it's still active, ensuring you capture important content before it disappears.

1. Go to your currently active Story by tapping your profile picture.
2. While viewing the story you want to save, tap the "Highlight" icon (a heart inside a circle) at the bottom of the screen.
3. A menu will pop up allowing you to either add the story to an existing Highlight or create a new one by tapping the "+" button.

Best Practices for Effective Story Highlights

• Think in Categories: Structure your Highlights around the key information your audience needs. Common categories for businesses include: "Get Started," "Services," "Testimonials," "Q&A," and "Shop Now."
• Design Branded Covers: Create simple, consistent cover images to give your profile a professional, polished look. You can easily make them in an app like Canva. Use your brand colors and icons that represent the category.
• Organize Strategically: Your most recently updated Highlight appears first (on the far left). If you have an important Announcement or "Start Here" Highlight, occasionally add and then immediately delete a minor story to it in order to bump it to the front of the line.
• Introduce Your Brand: Create an "About Me" or "Our Story" Highlight to give new visitors a quick introduction to who you are and what you do.

Method 3: Creating Visually Distinct Narrative Segments

Sometimes you just want to create separate "chapters" or topics within your daily stories without creating a Highlight or limiting your audience. The key here is using visual cues to signal to your viewers that you're switching gears.

How to Visually Separate Your Story Segments

Breaking a series of 15 stories into smaller, themed blocks makes your content more digestible and professional. Here are a few simple ways to achieve this:

• Use a "Title Slide": Create a simple text-based story to act as a divider. For example, if you're answering questions from a Q&A box, your first story could just be a slide with the text: "Q&A Time!" This tells your audience what to expect for the next few slides.
• Change the Background: One of the easiest cues is to change your background color or image. If your first segment uses a soft pastel background, switch to a darker or patterned one to signal a topic change.
• Switch Up Your Fonts and Stickers: Create consistency within a segment by using the same font style and sticker set. When a new segment begins, switch to a different font and a new set of GIFs or stickers to create a distinct visual feel.

For example, a fitness coach could create three visually separate segments in one day:

1. "Workout of the Day": A high-energy segment with a loud font, upbeat music, and motivating stickers.
2. "Recipe Tutorial": A calmer segment with a clean font, a pastel background, and instructional "Ingredients" stickers.
3. "Tips for Beginners": An educational segment using a classic serif font and the Q&A sticker to collect questions.

Final Thoughts

Creating separate Instagram Stories allows you to connect more deeply with your audience, deliver valuable information effectively, and keep your brand's profile well-organized. By mastering the Close Friends list for exclusive content, using Highlights to build a library of resources, and applying simple visual tricks to break up narratives, you can turn your Stories from random updates into a powerful communication tool.

Planning this mix of content day-to-day can quickly feel chaotic. Knowing when to post a behind-the-scenes look for Close Friends versus a tutorial for a Highlight takes strategy. That's why we designed our visual calendar in Postbase. It allows you to drag-and-drop your content ideas, plan themed series, and see at-a-glance where everything fits into your broader strategy. This way you can focus on creating great content without the stress of managing the schedule in your head.