It’s no longer a secret: Pinterest adds Secret Boards

Have you ever wanted to create a board on Pinterest, but not share it with the world? For example, you want to surprise a friend with a party and you want to plan it on Pinterest with select friends?

Well now you can through the newly launched and much-requested secret boards on Pinterest. And it’s just in time for holiday shopping lists

The secret boards are limited to three per person, and you can invite others to collaborate on your boards. Private pins won’t even be searchable, so there’s no need to worry about anyone stumbling across them.

Below are a round up of great suggestions for start ups to use Pinterest secret boards.

Logo options. If you’re choosing between a few different logo designs, upload them to Pinterest and share the board with your team. It’s much easier than sending the files around by email, uploading them to Basecamp, or passing them around the office.

Design. In the same vein, you could use Pinterest to collect a bunch of website redesign options that you’re considering. Or, pin different websites with designs that inspire you. (For that, you’ll need Snapito, which helps you pin an entire webpage rather than just an image.)

Networking. It’s beyond embarrassing to ask someone at a conference what they do, only to realize they’re a minor celebrity. Pin photos of people you expect to meet so you can match faces with names. This also works with potential investors, where the stakes are even higher.

Competitors. Keep track of your competitors by pinning their logos or websites. Since Pinterest includes links to the original material, you can easily pop over and see what they’re up to.

Pinterest’s secret boards are currently in testing mode. As marketing community specialist Annie Katrina Lee explains, “Our plan is to have secret boards available through the holidays. … Your boards will not be deleted after the holidays or changed to public. We will let you know before making any significant changes.”

Be sure to stay tuned as we keep you abreast of any further changes.