How do I promote a board game to the masses?
Promoting a board game (design, prototype, print&amp;play or kickstarter) should definitely involve BoardGameGeek, and similar communities.

I could expand, but everything's covered in this article: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/322382/game-design-self-publishing-resource-game-designer

You should provide print&amp;play materials for playtesting groups, to see if most people actually agree on your game's quality. And the feedback can lead to an improved game.
If your game is better than good, the word will spread (forum threads growing longer, enthusiastic playtesters recommending it to their neighbours' moms, etc.)

And: the "masses" (as in: everybody not actively following the boardgaming industry) will only encounter a game once it's physically for sale in shops. That's why every family with two kids has a copy of Monopoly but not Agricola, Diplomacy or Twilight Struggle.