How can CSS classes be effectively used to style PHP output in a forum thread?

To style PHP output in a forum thread, CSS classes can be effectively used by adding them to the HTML elements that display the PHP output. By defining specific styles for these classes in a CSS file, you can easily customize the appearance of the forum thread without having to modify the PHP code.

<?php
echo '<div class="forum-post">';
echo '<p class="post-content">' . $post_content . '</p>';
echo '</div>';
?>