Isn't it a harder goal to achieve influencing merchants to accept bitcoin if there is almost zero bitcoin users in your area? That goal can be set later when there is already a considerable users in your area. For the mean time, you can start with the people around you. If you can't even influence the people around you, no doubt you can't influence merchants to accept bitcoin.
that is a chicken and egg question.
and thats why before approaching merchants. before approaching the non involved public. you get a metup of those that do use bitcoin already and ask where they would spend btc and/or what they would like to do with their coins
EG.
if you meet at a cafe once a week. get that cafe to accept bitcoin. then as the 'meetups' grow the cafe see's more use.
then when asking all that attend what other places they spend fiat but would prefer to spend btc.. you then seek out that merchant. and use the cafe as the 'example' to explain to other merchants.
if you live in an area where the bitcoin tx fee is a few lettuces, a chicken breast amount, where. then find what would be useful services instead of merchants. EG exchanges, remittance, etc. so set up a way to face-to-face exchange btc fit fiat
like i said start small, ORGANISE, then let the ball roll.
