Short Answer 
To share stories with close friends on social media, they must follow you, as without this mutual connection, they won’t see your stories. This rule applies regardless of whether you mark them as close friends, and understanding your privacy settings is crucial for managing visibility.
Step 1: Understand Close Friends Feature
Adding someone as a close friend on social media allows them to see specific stories meant for that group. However, this is only effective if they are also following you. Without this mutual connection, they won’t have access to your stories, no matter how close you categorize them.
Step 2: Importance of Following
For anyone to view your stories, they must be part of your follower list. Whether you mention them or they are added as a close friend, the following conditions apply:
- The user must follow you for private accounts.
- Only public accounts allow non-followers to see shared stories.
- Close friend status does not override these following rules.
Step 3: Notifications and Privacy Settings
Mentioning someone in your story will send them a notification, prompting them to view it. However, if they don’t follow you, they won’t be able to access the content. Therefore, understanding your account’s privacy settings is essential for managing who sees your shared material effectively.