Unique Ways to Use Secret Boards on Pinterest

 

Pinterest Secret Boards Tips and Tricks

Have you noticed that little “Secret” toggle button on Pinterest when you’re creating a new board? Wondering why you’d want to keep a board a secret? If you’re not already using the Pinterest Secret Board feature, read on to learn 7 ways to use Secret Boards on Pinterest. Because who doesn’t love a good Pinterest Hack?

This post contains affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure here.

 

Here’s what Pinterest says about the secret board feature:
“Only you (and anyone you invite) can see your secret boards. Secret Pins and boards won’t appear in your home feed, in search, or anywhere else around Pinterest.”

 

Here are 7 Ways to Use Pinterest Secret Boards:

While this list is mostly geared towards bloggers and people using their account as a business for marketing purposes, you may get some ideas for using Secret boards as a personal account user as well.

 

Non-Niche Related Pins

Some people have what are known as Bait Boards on their profile. These are used to entice followers outside of their main niche.

But if you really want to be taken seriously in your niche, it’s best to just stick to what you know. Decide who your audience is and create and post content for them.

For example – My business is about providing people with tips to succeed with blogging, online marketing, and social media. Having a board about my favourite vegetarian Crock Pot recipes is SO far off-topic, it may make me look less professional and potential followers may take my content less seriously.

That’s the sort of board that belongs on a personal Pinterest page. But that doesn’t mean I don’t stumble upon things of personal interest while I’m on Pinterest as my business.

Enter Secret Boards.

You can now have as many secret boards as you like (within the 350 overall board limit).

So go ahead and create a board for those off-topic, personal items. Just select “Secret Board” when creating/naming it. Pin any non-niche related pins there so you can come back to them later.

So avoid bait boards. Use these methods to get new Pinterest followers instead.

 

 

Blog Post or Pin Design Inspiration

Sometimes I’ll see a really eye catching pin title and it gives me an idea for a blog post I’d never thought of before.

Or sometimes a colour or font combination on a pin design makes me stop scrolling.

I save those pins on a secret board for later. Then when I’m sitting at my computer with absolutely no idea what to write about, or no creativity for pin design, I refer back to that board for motivation.

Let me be clear… I do not steal the content those pins lead to.

However, sometimes just the title alone is enough to make me realize I have something unique to say on that same topic. I always put my own spin on things based on my own experiences and recommendations.

I also do not replicate a pin design to use it as my own. But it’s important to note what pins make US stop scrolling and understand how to apply similar methods to our own pin designs. Because stopping the scroll IS the name of this Pinterest marketing game, right?

P.S. If pin design isn’t your jam, grab yourself some FREE Pin Templates HERE.

 

 

Building a New Board Up Before Making it Public

Would you follow a board that only had 1 or 2 pins within it? Me neither.

Having a board with only a couple of pins makes you look unprofessional. No one is going to take you seriously as an expert in your field if you have so little information to share.

If you discover a new topic you’d like to cover, create the board but keep it marked as “Secret”. Continue to add pins to the board until you’ve got a good variety of pins. I tend to go with a minimum of 10.

This also gives you time to find high-quality content instead of just pinning to fill the board up.

Adding top-ranking pins to your new boards not only helps Pinterest understand what your board is about, but it also ensures you’re providing value to potential users.

You can also take the time to add a custom board cover with your branding on it and a well-keyworded board description before making it public.

Once it’s ready, toggle off the “Secret” button and your viewers will instantly have access to a new and very professional looking board full of high-quality content.

One thing to note. Once you change it from Secret to Public, ALL the pins on the board will be posted all at once.

Avoid looking spammy or annoying by inundating your followers with 50 pins all about the same topic. (I know….so many things to remember with Pinterest!)

Related Reading:
How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account (the right way!)

 

 

Storage and Organization

I like to keep a copy of all my own pins and affiliate pins on a Secret Board I have for my own pins. This way I can find my pin descriptions, titles, and URL links all in one place.

This really comes in handy when making NEW pins for older blog posts. This way you can simply copy the description and URL from your secret board and paste it into your new pin. Saving you from having to rewrite a perfectly keyworded description all over again.

I do change the description and title a little each time. Pinterest loves new and it never hurts to target different keywords. But this method at least gives me a good base to start from.

Bonus Tip: Take the organization one step further by breaking your secret board into sections. Mine has a section for my own pins and another section for affiliate pins.

 

 

Pin Now, Read Later

We have all found pins and blog posts while searching Pinterest that we are interested in but just don’t have time at the moment to REALLY read and focus on.

I have a secret board for just those pins that I want to read later and learn from but don’t necessarily want to share with my audience.

Or maybe you’d like to make sure it’s good content BEFORE sharing it with your followers. It’s always a good idea to read the post first before pinning to make sure you’re sharing relevant and helpful info.

 

 

Use Secret Boards for Collaboration Projects 

This one is more for personal use than a blogger or online marketer. But depending on your niche or project, I can see it coming in handy.

You can create a secret Pinterest board but add collaborators so you can work on a board with others. You can save pins to that secret board and only the people you’ve added as collaborators will see those pins.

This works great for things like work projects and events like surprise parties or wedding planning with your bridesmaids.

My favourite idea is sharing Christmas wish lists with family members. Anyone else’s mom asks for gift ideas every year??

 

*Post updated to include a 7th way to use Secret Boards*

 

Test a Pin’s Appearance on Mobile View

Since most readers scroll Pinterest on their cell phones, it’s so important to make sure your pin stands out in the user’s home feeds and is easy to read.

If you’re not quite sure about your pin design, save it to a secret board before making it public. Then open Pinterest up on your phone and have a look.

Are your fonts big enough now that it’s so much smaller than it was when you designed it? Does it stand out and grab attention? Adjust if needed before you publish and enjoy knowing you’ve given that pin a great chance at getting clicked.

Related reading: 7 Honest Reasons I Didn’t Click Your Pin

 

 

There you go! Now that you have some ideas, simply create a new board and toggle “Secret” when you name it. That’s it!

 

Where are my secret boards on Pinterest?

I’ve had a few people ask me this. To find your secret boards, click on your “Saved” tab on your profile. Scroll through all your personal boards and group boards. Your secret boards will have a lock icon in the top left corner.

 

They used to be all grouped at the bottom. Which was easier to find, in my opinion. But now Pinterest has them all mixed in with regular boards as well.

 

In Conclusion

I hope this list gives you some helpful ideas to utilize the Secret Board feature. It really can help you keep your Pinterest account organized and can also act as a virtual planner and To-Do List.

And if Pinterest is still a big mystery to you, I can’t say enough good things about the Pinteresting Strategies course. It’s by far the best investment I’ve made for my blog. 

Do you have any other useful ways to use Pinterest Secret Boards?

 

Related Reading:
Common Pinterest Mistakes to Avoid
How to Save Time With Pinterest Pin Templates
How to Write Better Pin Titles (that actually get clicked!)

 

 

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How to Use Secret Pinterest Boards to Your Advantage

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