3 Unique Ways Laufey is Engaging the Community!

One post, one like, and boom, a viral moment can be born. Like many indie artists, finding a platform to share their music is vital to success. Out of hundreds, thousands, and even millions of videos uploaded on social media, being seen and heard can be difficult if you’re not constant. 

Of course, that being said, social media is as unpredictable as Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty, IYKYK…

Yet it was just a matter of time before Gen Z found themselves another music obsession on the internet. It’s not news that everyone can be a sucker for good music that makes you feel like walking through a bookstore waiting for a meet cue or falling hopelessly in love.

That is exactly what Laufey achieves with not only her lyrics and aesthetic, but also her social media presence. 

Like her fellow indie artists who have also found a home on TikTok to share their voices and have a chance to grow a fan base. Laufey’s viral moment in 2020/21 with “Valentine” on TikTok, drew Gen-Z into her world. Obsessed with her direct communication with her audience.

Building an online presence and engaging the community became just as crucial as making great music! 

The power of Social Media and why it’s vital to Fan Engagement? 

Before we jump into the 3 ways Laufey is engaging the community through her platforms, we must first understand how important social media is for the music industry. In the last two decades, as the world turned digital, having a social media presence came hand-in-hand with fame.

Before it was MTV music vids and MySpace pages, and now the Tiktok fyps and Instagram posts. 

Bet if you asked your bestie, co-worker, or even a stranger about where they find new artists and music, half of the time they would probably say social media, such as tiktok. A throwback edit of a classic rock song or even a trend with a new song can boost an artist’s awareness to the younger generation.

It’s not something you would notice, but the power of social media has proven to elevate the growth of artists like Laufey. 

Beyond trends and dances being made for songs done by artists, it is important that they use that spark to continue to connect with the audience.

Such as creating unique experiences through social media like behind-the-scenes of music videos, silly memes, and Q&As, Laufey shows insight into fan loyalty and community through her multiple streams of communication with fans. 

Social media has changed the landscape of music marketing, making it more personal and curated to the unique fanbases. Showcasing your own skills, sharing your opinions, and even promoting creative content have become easier!

However, with so much freedom to post, there is the issue of an oversaturated and competitive environment.

Finding your niche to make a fan base can go a long way. In the following sections, we will highlight three major ways Laufey uses her voice, hobbies, and passions to pave a fun, interactive community with her Gen-Z listeners. 

Welcome to Laufeyland!

More than your typical fan base, it’s a whole world of its own. Created out of a romantic, almost fantasy yet familiar atmosphere, Laufey’s world showcases her musical approach of blending modern songwriting with jazz and classical influences.

Bringing jazz back to mainstream listeners by giving us a fresh experience in a music industry that has been filled with rap, pop, and country for the last few decades. 

The methods she uses to keep engaging the community are consistent and a perfect example of bringing human connection back to our digital world. Entering #Laufeyland is like going down the rabbit hole, just follow the white rabbit (in this case, MeiMei) and you’ll find yourself in a whimsical fanbase. 

If you're new to the whole fanbase/fandom world, it's just a fun term meant to describe a group or community who shares a love for an artist, celebrity, or idol.

As for Laufey's, it's a place to gather to express their admiration of her music and hobbies that reflect that idea of romanticizing your life. The power of a strong media presence and a lively fan base can create unique experiences like the establishment of “A Very Laufey Day”! 

#AVERYLAUFEYDAY, aka August 24th, is a social media worldwide fan activation which has occurred for three years so far. It's a day curated for fans to live out a “Laufey” inspired day that allows you to connect with your community.

Shared on her social channels and personalized website with an itinerary curated by none other than Laufey herself, taking fan engagement to a whole new level. 

The beauty of a self established “international holiday” makes all her fans feel so much closer and gives them a chance to creatively romanticize their own lives by engaging the community.

Taking a look at her version of a perfect day, she hopes her fans hit local spots from coffee shops to thrift stores and libraries to record stores to find her new album “Matter of Time”. It’s a clever way to forge a loyal and trusting community of fans with her social media platforms!

Down the Rabbit Hole of Community Engagement

From her own personalized fan day, Laufey’s passion to foster IRL activities are shown with our second point of interest: her love for books. 

Her passion for reading gives an insight into her creative inspiration for her albums and lyrics. Looking at fantasy novels and sharing thoughts through deep discussions gives a space to collaborate and form relationships with others.

With that in mind, she created a Book Club in 2022, a place to deepen her connections with her fans, discuss ideas, and share her hobby. Today, the bookclub has over 350+ thousand subscribers, and acts as a secondary outlet for Laufey to communicate directly with her fanbase. 

Having a separate media platform away from her music is a very interesting approach for an indie artist. It gives a chance for fans to relate to her on a more personal level, which, in all honestly 100% strengthens her fan loyalty. 

Laufey seems to adore giving people around her an environment to express their passions and hobbies like music and books. By using her social media platforms like insta and tiktok she is able to elevate her voice by engaging the community to reach out to local public spaces like libraries. 

This past summer, she did exactly that by partnering with 5 public libraries in different locations, such as Fulton County (GA), LA County, Phoenix, Boston, and Borgarbókasafn (Iceland). As a collaborative effort, these public libraries and Laufey Book Club created special, limited-edition library cards as a part of her A Very Laufey Day.

The aim of her book club and collaboration with these library cards was to encourage more people to visit local libraries, discover new books, and ultimately connect with others in the community. 

The Laufey Foundation for Musical Youth

The last but very not least way Laufey is engaging the community is through her self established foundation for musical youth education.

After achieving a high level of success with a Grammy award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Bewitched (2024), two awards at the 2024 Icelandic Music Awards, and an MTV Video Music Award for Push Performance of the Year, she launched her foundation. 

 The Laufey Foundation was founded this past spring with the goal to help young musicians get the same chances she had. She was inspired by her own experience in her music career with great mentors, education, and resources.

The foundation for her is a chance to bring jazz and classical to her generation through a more accessible route. Laufey’s foundation provides grants and top-quality gear to youth music programs like orchestras where aspiring musicians can get the opportunities to reach their full potential. 

It is incredible and very unique to see an Indie artist, especially one like Laufey, whose popularity has grown progressively these past few years, establish a foundation to give back to her community. The use and curation of her social media platforms and marketing websites allow Laufey to have creative freedom with her approach to her audience.

By having a foundation of her own, she is able to have more control of how her team’s resources are used and the image she wants to reflect back on her brand. 

Thinking beyond the FYP

Curiouser and curiouser… like Alice from Wonderland, Laufey’s aesthetic has the magical ability to transport her fan base into a world of fantasy with her music, social media presence and personality.

For her social media, it is a limitless space built to foster community engagement beyond just a musical transaction. Since the beginning of her career, she has used her platform to promote her unique voice and contribute to her fans. 

Laufey, through her passions and commitment to connecting with her fanbase, is a prime example of bringing social back to social media.

From reminding her fans to shop local and romanticize their lives, no matter how small, like checking out a new coffee spot or even a bookstore. She wants others to go beyond the screen and find IRL communities, like being part of a book club or getting a library card!

Her constant call to action on her platforms humanizes her relationship with listeners. It’s all about being authentic to others and being hopeful to leave a positive impact. 

So go out this autumn and check out a book at your local library. Get that matcha at the new spot. Look for a killer fall fit at that little hole-in-the-wall thrift, and while you're at it, listen to Laufey on your stroll.

Romanticizing your life is just being authentic to yourself and having that reflected on every platform online or IRL!

✍️ Written by Morgan Jolley