Utilizing a forum is an amazing way to get people to create free original content. You can create your own forum by using the free forum software at: Phpbb.com ( the best free scripts available.)

After choosing a forum platform, finding a web host for this forum is the next step.
There are free forum hosts such as Myfreebulletinboard, Forumforfree, Forumsplace. Use them only if you do not have the ability to pay for your own web hosting. Fortunately, you can find web hosting for less than 10 dollars a month.

By having your own hosted forum, you avoid all the advertising that the free forums use. These advertisements are distracting and sometime annoying to your visitors.
Besides by paying for hosting, you will be able to insert your own affiliate links to the products that are interesting to your visitors. This will cover the costs of your hosting expenses with affiliate commissions.

Having your own forum could be a great source of a never ending fresh content for your blog. As the owner of the forum, you can use any part of a popular discussion and place it as a separate post on your blog with a link back to where the discussion takes place.

By doing so, you will be killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. You will get free content for your blog generated by the forum and , at the same time, will not lose any traffic.