One of the most positive benefits of the internet is the scope it offers to communicate at no cost with anyone who shares your interests and views, wherever they live in the world. Online forum sites provide a channel for this interchange, and there are many thousands of sites, most of which are free to join. They cater for myriad niche interest groups, allowing the enthusiast to find answers to questions or exchange ideas. This offers a good opportunity for webmasters to promote their website as a spinoff to their participation in the forum, and as a result Forums can generate significant quality traffic to the website.

There are six elements to successful Forum use for webmasters:

1. Be helpful and informative in the forum, even if you disagree with the someones point of view. Always preview your contribution before posting it, and delete anything that could remotely cause offence. Remember also that others may not share your sense of humour so save the witty remarks for your family. If you are seen to be patient and constructive, other contributors will take more notice of your posts.

2. You need to be available if you are serious about being a presence in a forum, aim to visit regularly. Be sure to subscribe to the threads you are involved in, to save you time when you return.

3. Give a considered, helpful response: others will answer the same question, but a well-written and supportive contribution marks you out as a trusted authority. The questioner is more likely to praise you and pass on your links as a result.

4. Active contributors get noticed. By being available and giving helpful answers you show you are reliable and well informed. Make your answers as brief as possible and they are more likely to be quoted.

5. Use your Signature Box to good effect, to show your status on the web and direct visitors to your targeted web pages. Your email address and website link will drive interested visitors to your sites. And check it regularly to make sure your links are up to date.

6. Whenever you post useful information, try to incorporate a natural reason for the reader to visit your website. If you are giving information on picking the right dog or puppy, give a brief answer and point to your site for more detail. This is known as in-context linking, which can help improve your forum and website rankings in comparison with others.

Start work now on your forum posts, make them informed, relevant and fairly businesslike. Forums are not matrimonial agencies: your new online friend may not be displaying a recent likeness. Be particularly cautious if it is a wedding photograph!