I have fallen in love with Instagram. It’s just the coolest little photo-sharing app — so easy, so much fun.

Now research shows from The Social Habit seems to confirm that Instagram is poised for a breakout. Could this be the next big thing?

Of the Americans surveyed who currently use a social media platform, only 18 percent currently have a profile on Instagram. That’s paltry compared to Facebook (94%) or Twitter (47%). But here are five reasons why Instagram could explode in 2013.

1. Of those who have a profile, 61% have used it in the past 24 hours, an adoption level only surpassed by Facebook (at 84%). By comparison, Twitter stands at 55%, Google Plus 44% and Pinterest 52%. So those currently using Instagram are pretty voracious users by comparison.
2. Of ALL those social media users surveyed, 48% declared they are using Instagram more often. This blows the other major platforms out of the water. Facebook was the next-closest platform in terms of expressed growth.
3. Of those who have an Instagram profile, 83% use it at work, again surpassing even Facebook and YouTube by a long shot. One reason could be that sharing on Instagram requires no typing. You just snap a photo and post in seconds. One of my friends ran a series on Instagram where he snapped pictures – and rated – the crazy coffee cups in his office kitchen. Hilarious! Inspiration is everywhere, including work.
4. Today, 67% of Instagram’s users are under the age of 34. I project that there could be a huge upside across demographics because everybody loves sharing photos and it’s so easy to use even the non-tech savvy can master it in minutes. In fact, Instagram is the most user-friendly of all platforms.
5. Since Instagram is a mobile-only application, its adoption will increase as the trend toward smartphones continues in 2013.

Most people scoffed when Facebook acquired the 11-employee, non-revenue-producing Instagram earlier this year for $1 billion. But maybe they were on to something. The platform certainly seems to be poised to take a leap forward, according to this latest data.

Have you tried Instagram yet?

With thanks to @markwschaefer