Trending topics in March focused on local happenings in Australia – like Cyclone Debbie and the end of Daylight Savings – and new movies and television shows.

Tropical Cyclone Debbie made landfall on 28 March near Airlie Beach, but Google searches started gaining momentum a few days prior as media outlets began reporting on what would become a devastating weather event. Predictably, people in Queensland were the most interested in learning more about the cyclone, with related terms like ‘Queensland floods’, ‘BOM QLD’ and ‘road closures Queensland’ also becoming popular. Closer to Sodafizz headquarters, Cyclone Debbie triggered a cold front, heavy rainfall and significant flooding in the Northern Rivers region, specifically Lismore. The Wilsons River in Lismore peaked at 11.6 metres – overtopping the 10.6 metre-high levee – causing significant damage to local businesses and homes.

International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March each year, was a popular topic among younger women on Facebook in March. Commemorating the movement for women’s rights, Facebook users were interested in viewing photos of the global protests that occurred around the world and sharing inspirational photos of the women in their life.

Daylight Savings ended in early April, but anticipation for the clocks winding back was popular with Googlers at various points throughout March as people in the ACT, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales turned to Google for answers on when Daylight Savings was finishing up. ‘When does Daylight Savings end 2017’ was one of the most popular related queries.

Saint Patrick’s Day was a big topic on Facebook in March, and resonated particularly well with women in an older age demographic. Held on 17 March, the event drew merry Facebook posts from people all around Australia as they celebrated the Irish holiday by wearing green and holding themed parties.

As the cold weather sets in, so too does the football season, and inevitably footy fans turn to Google for updates on their favourite sport. Spiking on weekends and dipping on weekdays, ‘footy tips’, ‘NRL scores’ and ‘NRL ladder’ were some of the top related terms popular with those in New South Wales and Queensland.

Justin Bieber was in Australia for his Purpose World Tour in March, and subsequently he was also one of the hottest topics on Facebook for the month. Young women showed the most interest in his tour.

One of Netflix’s latest Marvel offerings, Iron Fist, was released via the streaming service on 17 March, and subsequently drove Google searches for the show skywards. Binge-watchers in the cities of Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide were the biggest Googlers, seeking knowledge on the characters in the show – ‘Madame Gao Iron Fist’, ‘Bakuto Iron Fist’ and ‘The Hand Iron Fist’ were some of the top related search queries.

As the media began showing messages catered toward gift giving on Mother’s Day back in March (Mother’s Day is on 14 May this year), the topic gained traction with Facebook users and became one of March’s hot trending topics, particularly among women.

The live-action adaptation of the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast, was popular Australia-wide on both Google and Facebook in March. Google searches peaked on 25 March, the weekend after the release date, and popular related search terms varied from ‘Beauty and the Beast running time’ to ‘Beauty and the Beast meme’ to everything in between.

Want to add some fizz to your Search Marketing activity or your Social Media content strategy? Get in touch to learn how Sodafizz can help you reach your online marketing goals.