Self-proclaimed ‘micro-influencer’ with only 5k followers tries to finagle free stay at small bed and breakfast, gets a reality check by the owner: ‘Oh, that’s okay. I have 215,000 followers…'

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Apr 14, 2026 9:45 AM EDT

"It felt so good!! I've never had the desire to flex numbers before, but this was the perfect occasion for it."

Whenever someone tells me they are an "influencer," I see them as Ken in the Barbie movie when he explains his job. It's not saving lives as a lifeguard or doing necessary beach jobs, no. It's just beach… Like, what does that even mean? Your job is to what? Look cool on the beach? That sounds like what an influencer does. I'm not saying all influencers are bad. There are some influencers out there with huge followings and for a good reason, because they are helping out the community. I'm not a big influencer follower, but there is that one guy who goes around the world to small mom & pop restaurants and has a lovely meal, PAYS FOR SAID MEAL, and then posts about it, gaining the struggling shop tons of new customers. He never demands a free meal; he always pays and encourages his followers to tip well when they come. He even ends up becoming friends with many of these restaurant owners. 

However, I would say that most influencers aren't trying to help humanity. They just want free stuff… And in this economy, who can blame them? But like, come on, guys, don't be entitled and most definitely don't try to get free stuff from small businesses! 

A self-proclaimed "micro influencer" recently tried to get a free stay at a small bed and breakfast in a touristy beach town. What is a micro influencer? I have no idea, but I guess just… Someone with a normal amount of followers who is still posting like they have a huge following? I'm not 100% sure, but it sounds very cringe. 

Since this was a beach town, there were tons of places that this person could have stayed at, but she wanted this quaint bed and breakfast. It is usually totally booked out for the summer due to its limited space, so it was a miracle that it was even free for that weekend. The couple who own and run it were excited for the break. But then they got the call from the influencer…

She asked for a free night's stay in exchange for a short vlog she would do for them on her socials. Little did she know that the owners actually run a pretty successful YouTube page on the side as a fun little hobby. They don't make money off of it, they just like to have some fun. They have about 250,000 followers. This "micro influencer" only had 5k followers… 

Sufficed to say, they did not give her a free stay, but they did give her a free reality check. 

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  • Fashionable woman in a green sweater smiling while talking on the phone
    via Unsplash+ (Andrej Lišakov)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
    Fashionable woman in a green sweater smiling while talking on the phone

  • "Influencer reality check"

    Influencers tend to have a reputation for being entitled, don't they? Wanting freebies for nothing, unless you count eXPoSuRrrrre as something of value.
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • Before I continue, and this isn't a brag but important to the story - I have a YouTube channel with a decent number of subscribers. It's a
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • hobby and not my identity. I don't go on about it in my daily life and I like to think it's not changed me from being a very normal person. (Many
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • people don't even know about it.) My husband and I also run a one-room bed and breakfast from our home. We
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • live along a tourist trail, overlooking a beautiful beach. It's a nice place and often booked a year in advance in the high season. We
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • charge high rates but work hard to give guests an amazing experience. Saturday was our first unbooked day this year so far, and we were looking
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • forward to a small break. Saturday morning, I get a phone call. A lady introduced herself as an influencer and told
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • me that she and her partner were travelling through our area that day. They would be very happy to photograph our accommodation and
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • make a video for their social media about it in return for a free night's stay. I was friendly on the phone to her and asked how many followed her social
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • media. She excitedly said 5,000 combined on TikTok and Insta. I said, 'Oh, that's okay. I have about 215,000 followers on social media. I think we're
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • good.' De d silence. Then a weak, 'oh, okay' and hang up.
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • It felt so good!! I've never had the desire to flex numbers before but this was the perfect occasion for it.
    via Pieaiaiaiai
  • Cozy bed and breakfast, breakfast in bed, bright sunny day, vacation home
    via Unsplash+ (Cihat Hıdır)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
    Cozy bed and breakfast, breakfast in bed, bright sunny day, vacation home

  • Muted Piccolo278 Hahaha, that's the best response you could have given. Question; could you actually hear her deflate on the phone? Pieaiaiaiai OP Like a sad little balloon.
    via Muted_Piccolo278 & Pieaiaiaiai
  • Express Vacation_305 Definitely thought she was gonna pull a fast one on you for some clout but ended up giving you the most wholesome deflation instead
    via Express_Vacation_305
  • ThimOran Wait.... people with <5000 followers already can have the disillusion that they can barter their exposure for free stuff? that's beyond entitled, that's disconnected from reality.
    via Thim0ran
  • BayAreaPupMom Probably not many vendors are as savvy as OP and think to ask about how many followers their accounts actually have. Silver_Adagio138 "Micro influencer"?
    via BayAreaPupMom & Silver_Adagio138
  • AcmcShepherd This is honestly comedy gold. Majestic_7178 Influencer math got humbled instantly
    via AcmcShepherd. & Majestic_7178
  • Head_Razzmatazz7174 It's so much fun when something you don't even. think of a flex comes in handy.
    via Head_Razzmatazz7174
  • TheGirlwThePinkHair "Micro influencers" remind me of toddlers pretending to have jobs, but not cute.
    via TheGirlwThePinkHair

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