When things become really complicated now, simplify them

Being a bit older than a lot of the people I know these days, I have a perspective they don't.
I remember things that they only read about. That doesn't make me smarter than them, or better able to accomplish my goals than them.  What it does mean is I have perspective on how to do things when you had to do things without the technological advantages you have today.
Case in point. Many writers today try to use internet tricks to promote their work. And there is nothing wrong with that. In any sphere you should use whatever tool you can to get the most out of whatever you do. That is what they are there for. But what most forget, or in their case don't really understand, is that they are just tools and those of us who used to get along without them before they came along understand there are other much more simple ways to accomplish the same thing. It basically boils down to being crafty and resourceful.
I have a friend who writes well enough to deserve to be read. But he is not being read, in spite of the significant effort he puts out each day to produce content on a consistent basis. Basically, that is happening because of his presentation and how he sells the concept. People don't look because he doesn't put the marketing carrot in front of them.
He is under the impression that he is not using the modern tools that are out there and that is why. He is just plain wrong about that. In some small way that is part of it, but not the majority. Simply, he is not being read because he doesn't understand the basics of successful promotion. And those have nothing to do with modern technology.
People have a very short attention span, and they also have limited time to do anything. That being the case, you have about 5 seconds from the point at which they start to look at your work until they decide whether they will look further. Newspapers have understood this for ages. So did the television and radio industries. Headlines sell newspapers. Headlines get you to start reading the article. That is fact.

Putting a sexy, scantily clad man or woman at the start of your TV show will at least for a few seconds make the viewer stop flipping channels and take notice of what you are presenting. It is at that point that the substance will either keep them or not. But even if you have great substantial content, if you don't get and keep their attention right off the top, you are just going to get lost in the sea of content that is out there.
Whether you use modern tools and tricks or not, that is still the basics that you fail or succeed on. When things become really complicated these days, just simply them. 
Why should I read your work?
How are you going to get me to look?
Where do you go so I can find you and get your attention?
How am I going to get your attention?
How am I going to keep your attention?
That has nothing to do with modern tools. Those are universal, simple concepts.   
You can use all the hashwords and tags and links that you want, but a simple, great title and a nice, enticing blurb will still get them every time.