In March, hot topics on Google and Facebook were varied. Easter was a major player on both Google and Facebook last month, and various other topics concerned Australians such as the tragedy in Brussels, Daylight Savings and what was on at the movies.

Facebook was in a celebratory mood last month with popular March events like Easter, Saint Patrick’s Day and the Sydney Mardi Gras getting users in the mood for a party. Easter was the highest trending topic of the month and Good Friday in particular was popular amongst women of all ages.

On 22 March, three coordinated suicide bombings occurred in Brussels, killing 32 civilians and three suicide bombers, and injuring hundreds more. There were two explosions at Brussels airport and another at Maalbeek metro station, and three days of national mourning were declared afterwards. As the news broke, searches peaked and people all over Australia wanted to learn more about what happened, resulting in breakout terms on Google like ‘bombing Brussels’, ‘Brussels attack’ and ‘Brussels news’.

Bruce Wayne meets Clark Kent in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the new superhero film based on the characters from the DC Comics. Predictably, searches on Google peaked the weekend of release, with moviegoers seeking out reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, as well as cinema times at Event Cinemas and Village Cinemas. The Northern Territory had the highest search volume, followed by the ACT and Tasmania. On Facebook, young men in particular were the most interested in the film, using the platform to discuss the battle between the two superheroes.

Similar to this time last year, the date Daylight Savings ended was of interest to participating states of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and the ACT. Even though Daylight Savings was scheduled to end on the first Sunday in April, searches peaked and dipped throughout the month of March as Australians prepared for the clocks to wind back an hour.

March was a great time for brands to connect with fans on Facebook. Seasonal topics like Easter and Saint Patrick’s Day had Australians talking about chocolate brands like Cadbury and Irish beer brand Guinness. Both brands took advantage of the respective holidays and got tongues wagging about their products with well thought-out seasonal content.

Sydney’s Royal Easter Show was popular amongst Googlers this year, with search volume in New South Wales foreseeably the highest, and the ACT trailing (very far) behind. Those in Hill Top, the Central Coast, Newcastle and Sydney wanted to know the dates for the Royal Easter Show and where they could get tickets. Other curious folks were interested in the timetable and what they could expect from the show bags this year.

Facebook is always a sure fire way for musicians and public figures to make waves on social media. Both Madonna and Kendrick Lamar got different audiences talking during their respective tours of the country. To no one’s surprise, Kim Kardashian was a hot topic throughout the month, as predominantly women were interested in the large murals inspired by Kim that popped up in Sydney and Melbourne laneways.

Footy season is back again and Aussies on Google sure know it. Kicking off on 3 March with the Eels versus the Broncos, NRL has since peaked every weekend in March and reached lows on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, picking up again on Thursdays in preparation for the games on the weekend. The most popular search terms included ‘NRL 2016 ladder’, ‘NRL scores’ and ‘NRL live’, with search volume the highest in New South Wales, the ACT and Queensland.

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