At VEED we are trying to help our user grow their audiences on social media and build brands on social media. To do this we are trying out a new format where we interview popular social media influencers to learn the tips and tricks into how they have grown their audience. We are doing this so you can learn to do the same. Our first interview is with Roberto Matteazzi - @rob_matteazzi. Roberto is an Italian artist who has gained over 100,000 followers on Instagram over the last 5 years.

First off, can you tell us about your background and the content you make?

I was born in Vicenza (Italy) in 1992 and from a young age, I discovered that I deeply love art and drawing. I studied at Liceo Artistico and once graduated, I followed a long-standing family tradition and became a blacksmith. I loved how I could transform a simple piece of paper into something that had more meaning, something that could excite anyone who looks at it.

After working as a blacksmith I found a deep love for pencil and charcoal. Black and white are the only elements you need to create intense work. After experimenting and practising drawing, I started to publish my work on Facebook and then later on Instagram. On Instagram I managed to find a community of people who liked my work from all over the world and found it the best place to share my drawings.

What apps do you use to create your content?

I never used apps to create my posts. All the posts on my page come from simple photographs I took.

How has your content changes over time?

There have not been many changes in my Instagram page over the years. Right from the start, I decided to follow a monochromatic look to my page, letting black and white prevail over all other colours and my drawings dominate over personal photos. The most important change to my page was in the quality of the photos. I changed the way I photographed my drawings that improved the quality of my page.

How did you find what content works for your audience and how often do you post?

I created my page in 2015 and in 4 years, I have learnt many things about how social media works. Instagram is a large virtual world where many artists can get their work noticed. I have always tried to observe other popular pages and try to understand the elements that led their content to become popular and viral.

First of all, you have to create a link with you and your followers. I like to answer all my follower's questions. I normally publish once a week, almost always on the weekend because it is the time where I have more time to answer any questions that are asked to me.

When a person puts likes on an Instagram post,  it is because they see quality content. Therefore the subject is fundamentally more important than how the artwork is made.

What tips do you have for others wanting to grow their Instagram followers?

Like all things, you can't get a large number of followers in a short time. Little by little you have to make yourself known and social networks are a great tool to help you do this.

There are in fact many pages that share and support artists like me, this has helped me get more visibility from bigger pages. You should try and use all 30 hashtags that are most suited to your content to help get visibility to your work. Making friends with other artists also helps increase the number of followers you have. It is also mutually great publicity for both of you. In addition, I also do contest and giveaway to help me engage with my audience.

Thank you Roberto, where can people find out more about you?

People can find me on Instagram @rob_matteazzi, Facebook "Roberto Matteazzi - Art" and on my website.