With around 6 million Australians currently holding listed securities, the local investor market already represents a lucrative opportunity.
However, digital trading platform Sharesies has identified another opportunity – the 1 million Australians who want to start investing, but haven’t started yet.
Sharesies AU country manager Brendan Doggett told B&T the platform has identified a number of barriers to entry for would-be Australian investors, including; high minimum spend prices, complex financial jargon and the belief that they have waited too long to start investing and ‘missed out’.
“Sharesies is a completely inclusive platform that’s available to everybody,” Doggett said.
“The whole thing about it is it’s supposed to be really inclusive, which I think it is. It’s there for everyone from beginning investors to advanced investors.”
After starting out in New Zealand, Sharesies recently launched in Australia.
The digital trading platform marked its entry into the Australian market with ‘Let’s Get Growing’, a fun and feel-good campaign, which was brought to life with the help of BMF.
The ads capture what the Sharesies brand is about, “playful”, “fun”, “inclusive” and “a platform for everyone”, according to Doggett.
“The creative is very, very different than the other platforms in the market, which are not so playful and fun,” Doggett said.
And while this marketing strategy is all about bringing new customers in, Doggett – who previously worked as the chief product officer at Westpac – knows how important it is to create a platform that is easy to use for first-time investors.
“The user experience is very slick and quite beautiful in its execution,” he said.
“The language used is really easy to understand by anyone. As you join the platform, it unlocks more potential in trading as you get more comfortable with it.”
The platform also utilises easy-to-understand educational content, which Doggett said helps customers feel comfortable as they start investing.
As Sharesies grows into the Australian market, Doggett suggested the interface will also have to keep developing.
“The platform will keep evolving,” he said.
“It’s great for new investors to experience investing, but there’s lots more that we can continue to add to the platform.
“We’ll hear what Australians want and deliver it to them in a really beautiful experience.”
