Social Customer Relationship Management as a Communication Tool for Academic Communities in Higher Education Institutions through Social Media

—The interaction between academic community members in universities is fundamental in facilitating the learning management process and workflow, thereby necessitating a communication tool system that is unrestricted by time and place. Social customer relationship management as a communication tool through social media is also essential. Therefore, this research employed a mixed-method exploratory design to evaluate 2421 subjects determined based on a proportional random sampling technique from the academic community of universities in four cities in Indonesia. The data collection method used an online interview questionnaire, and the coding techniques, namely open, axial, and selective coding, as well as the value stream analysis, were used. This research found that Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) can be a communication tool between the academic communities in higher education. This tool can be exploited by utilizing effective social media platforms, namely Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube, integrated and connected as a center for information retrieval.

Social media became ubiquitous and essential [12] and eliminated the limited word-of-mouth interaction of marketers [13], thereby connecting and empowering customers alongside challenging the implementation of business on the internet. Bala et al. [14] also stated that it serves as a tool for users to interact and exchange information through online communities. Implementing CRM in a college environment includes a student-centered focus, improved customer data and process management, and increased student loyalty, retention, and satisfaction with college programs and services [15]. Social media has great potential to facilitate closeness between academic communities and customers [16] and enables interaction with many people [17]. One of which is a social media-based platform; every university has a different perception of social media-based platforms [18]. A new practice, Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM), combines the two main concepts between social media or Web 2.0 and Traditional CRM [18], [19]. Faase et al. [20] also concurred that social CRM uses Web 2.0 services to create a committed and mutually beneficial two-way relationship between customers and the academic community.
The transformation of traditional methods into social CRM can accommodate communication between academic community members to achieve common goals. It can enable an organization or community to have real-time conversations with customers, monitor their expressions, and facilitate constructive dialogues [21]. Hence, this strategy is indispensable as a new business approach that can expand the capabilities of today's traditional CRM.
Attaining exemplary university achievements depends on the communication between lecturers, students, education staff, alumni, and other employees who can develop a creative and dynamic spirit [22]. It can trigger an increase in more meaningful interactive relationships and improve aspects of the traditional and social CRM [23]. Online communication can be seen from a person's personality; for example, extroverts convey happiness, optimism, and passion, especially about those that fascinate them. This story will appeal to people with high Openness to experience because these people are curious, open to unusual ideas, and responsive to new things [24]. Social CRM is also regarded as a customer relationship management process that provides communication through social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter [25].
According to the rationale above, this research aims to create the basic concept of developing Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) as a communication tool through social media for academic communities at universities. Social media is a platform for people to discuss their issues and opinions. Therefore, the process is a breakthrough to improve business achievement through the five domains involved, namely online community building, proactive management of interactions in social communities, online community as a method of customer engagement, the utilization of social media in CRM systems, and collection, as well as the integration and utilization of customer information [26]. According to the rationale above, this research aims to create the basic concept of developing Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) as a communication tool through social media for academic communities at universities. Social media is a platform for people to discuss their issues and opinions.
Before knowing the aspects of social media, people must know what social media is? Social media are computer tools that allow people to share or exchange information, ideas, images, videos, and even more with each other through a particular network. This paper covers all aspects of social media with its positive and negative effects. Focus is on particular fields like business, education, society, and youth. This paper describes how these media will broadly affect society [27]. The growing popularity of social media compelled marketers to think about this media and traditional functional marketing areas. Social media is based primarily on the internet or cellular phone based applications and tools to share information. Many social media users are more than some countries' populations today. The impact of social media www.ijacsa.thesai.org on marketing can be judged by comparing marketing before and after the introduction of social media and the type of technologies used in social media [28]. The authors also propose a hypothesis in this study, i.e., "can the social media be used as a communication tool for the academic community in Universities."

II. BACKGROUND
The Theme of social customer relationship management has been widely studied. From the results of the author's search through the connected paper"s platform related to articles on social customer relationship management, the graphic results are obtained as follows in Fig. 1. Source : https://bit.ly/3lwcRtR From the search results, the theme of social customer relationship (SCRM) has become a research theme that is quite interested in the modern era. Before the SCRM theme emerged, the theme related to Customer Relationship Management had been studied by several previous researchers starting around the years 2010-2014, until entering 2015 the new SCRM theme emerged. However, research related to SCRM only emerged around 2015 when research conducted by Marolt [29] titled "Social CRM Adoption and its Impact on Performance Outcomes:a Literature Review" was published journal Organizacija Vol 48 No 4 2015.
Entering 2015 to 2021, the theme of SCRM is increasingly emerging, which can be used as a basis for related research. The author highlights the development of SCRM research themes related to communication in an organization. Research conducted by Dewanarain [30] highlights that using SCRM as a communication tool in hotels can use social media tools for customer relationship management to increase business profitability. In addition, research conducted by Al-Azzam [31] reviews the context of SCRM aimed at improving customer relationships and making customers more engaged.
Research conducted by Arora concludes that a properly implemented SCRM will result in Customer Loyalty, Customer Retention, and Customer Satisfaction [32]. Dewanarain et al. revealed that social customer relationship management activities could trigger service process innovation in their research, leading to customer engagement with hotel brands [33].
From several previous studies related to the SCRM theme, researchers have tried to link SCRM with customer communication. However, there has been no research that tries to link SCRM as a communication tool for the academic community in higher education through social media. So that the novelty in this research is the development of previous research with the theme of SCRM as a communication tool using social media, so this research is worth doing.

III. LITERATURE REVIEW
Customer relationship management is a strategic business approach underpinned by relationship marketing theory. It is defined as a "process of acquiring, retaining, and partnering with selective customers to create superior value for the company and the customer" [34]. In 2008, CRM underwent a significant shift from a strategy that focused solely on customer transactions to one that integrates customer interactions [35]. Marketers can extract first-hand information about customers, which companies then use to achieve greater effectiveness in delivering customer value [15], [17]. Consequently, CRM was renamed social customer relationship management or CRM 2.0 [35].
Paul Greenberg defined social customer relationship management (SCRM) as a "business strategy of engaging customers through social media with the goal of building trust and brand loyalty" [36]. The introduction of social media has been very disruptive to the customer-marketer relationship; this has raised some speculations about applying traditional CRM models and theoretical concepts [37]. As pointed out by Vivek et al. (2012) and Berthon, Pitt, Plangger, and Shapiro (2012), the traditional approach entailed the firm producing value for customers. However, one of the significant effects garnered by social media is the involvement of customers in the process of value co-creation, either through reviews or in the form of user-generated content [38], [39].
Potential CRM must be applied in the e-learning domain. In this regard, the use of CRM systems is to maximize the value offered by e-learning institutions to students, thereby focusing on managing the institution-student relationship and supporting collaborative relationships with and between scholars and student workgroups [21]. CRM is a business strategy that involves customers and builds trust and brand loyalty [22]. It is defined as a philosophy and strategy where technology platforms, social media, and business rules create an open, transparent, and collaborative environment with customers to satisfy one's needs, thereby achieving mutual benefits [17]. According to Deepa & Deshmukh [23] and Greenberg [17], social CRM is an amalgamation of social media technologies, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and other well-known applications, connecting marketers and customers using two-way interaction.
Clear business goals are inseparable from challenges that can undermine the main objective. Any technology operated on (IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 13, No. 5, 2022 404 | P a g e www.ijacsa.thesai.org the internet will have significant vulnerabilities regarding data security, legal risks, privacy, and even reputation. Therefore, convincing customers to engage and convert them into business promoters will be more beneficial. It allows the business world to interact effectively with customers, reducing risks and improving all aspects of customer relationships [24].
The growth of social media has significant consequences for the business. Social media have brought in a value-creation environment and information-rich and empowered customers [40]. User-generated content can influence other customers' decisions considerably [41]. Put, social networking sites (SNSs) are changing business activities. They change and reverse how consumers gather information in the decision-making process [42]. Social networking tools give firms a way to track customer feedback but also to proactively respond to customer satisfaction [43], [44].
An example of SCRM in action is seen when airlines provide customers with flight information updates using Twitter or answer customer questions via a Facebook page or when large computer manufacturers like Dell leverage SCRM to drive sales promotions. Thus, social CRM can help companies create a positive customer experience that will help develop customer loyalty and advocacy. Customers will see themselves as partners and feel that they share in the company"s success. In the world of higher education, SCRM can give universities the chance to better connect with students who are accustomed to using social platforms since they are primarily from the millennial generation and grew up in the era of web 2.0 [45].
As higher education flocks to marketing, SCRM becomes an acronym rolling to the tongues of these marketing staffers. The lifetime of a university constituent is just as important and essential as that of a product consumer. At its simplest, the high-level goals of SCRM in corporations are to find new customers and maintain existing ones so they can repeat their purchases. Similar goals can be drawn in higher education: to find new students, research funders, faculty, etc., along with retaining them for an extended period of time. Retention in a higher education institution is more of being entrenched in a constituent"s life and, hopefully, their legacy [9].
The use of SCRM allows the university to conduct frequent surveys to measure the students" satisfaction, allowing the university to react immediately to student demandsincreasing student retention, which is of significant financial value to HEI management [46]. Thus, effective adoption and use of SCRM are of increasing importance to the running of the university [47].

IV. MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study employed a mixed-method exploratory design of qualitative research in the first stage and continued quantitative research, which develops qualitative data. Qualitative research, namely the method, can be understood as a research procedure, and qualitative research, namely the method, can be understood as a research procedure that utilizes descriptive data in the form of written or spoken words from people and actors who can be observed. Qualitative research is conducted to explain and analyze phenomena, events, social dynamics, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of a person or group towards something.
Thus, qualitative research begins by developing basic assumptions and rules of thought that will be used in the research. Qualitative data, including audio recordings and transcripts of in-depth or semi-structured interviews and structured interview questionnaires, contained substantial open-ended comments, including a large number of responses to open-ended comment items [28]. This study employed a mixed-method exploratory design of qualitative research in the first stage and continued quantitative research, which develops qualitative data. The exploratory method is a research method that tends to be carried out to study a problem that has not been clearly defined and provides a good understanding of the research problem. This research method generates ideas or hypotheses for further quantitative research [48].
Qualitative research is a type of research that explores and understands the meaning of several individuals or groups of people originating from social problems. Quantitative research is a type of research that connects variables by requiring researchers to explain how variables affect other variables [49] and the respondents were members of university academic communities, particularly students, lecturers, education staff, and alumni, spread across four provinces in Indonesia, namely South Sumatra, Lampung, Bengkulu, Bangka Belitung. The problem in this research is how to promote higher education to the point where it reaches the intended target, namely students who will enter college through social media. In this study, it can be concluded that this research uses qualitative research methods and then continues with quantitative research, aiming that SCRM in universities can be used as a communication tool for the academic community. The following is a description of the flow in this research in Fig. 2. The respondents were determined through John Creswell's technique [50], which suggested 350 subjects for survey research using a proportional random sampling method. Then, the data were collected through an online interview questionnaire on the Google Form platform. It was arranged based on open and closed interview techniques, which respectively allowed the expression of respondents through individual response sentences and provided answers to be chosen [50]. A structured interview guide was used separately from the research questions in this study because this study used two methods at once. Thus, structured interview guides were used in a qualitative setting, while mixed questions were used in a quantitative setting.
This research also employed a coding technique consisting of open, axial, and selective coding stages. Open coding is a process of breaking down data, studying it one by one, comparing, and conceptualizing data. So the goal at this stage is to name and categorize phenomena through data scrutiny. Axial coding is a procedure where data is put back in a new way after open coding by making connections between categories. Selective coding is selecting core categories,

Quantiative
Research Approach

Conclusion
(IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 13, No. 5, 2022 405 | P a g e www.ijacsa.thesai.org connecting them with other categories systematically, validating these relationships, and filling in categories that require refinement and development [49]. Also, the descriptive data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed in indepth analysis to determine the main themes of the problem, using the ATLAS program: The Qualitative Data Analysis & Research Software and the Microsoft Excel program for classifying [51]. In addition, the value stream analysis was employed to determine the effectiveness of SCRM modeling as a tool for interaction in the academic community through social media. The sampling was done through qualitative and quantitative methods. The method used for qualitative was using the exploratory method, then quantitatively using the method used was proportional random sampling from John Creswell. Data collection was also through a Google form interview questionnaire, and the technique of the questionnaire was carried out openly and closed. Data processing using ATLAS program assistance: analysis and research software then also using Microsoft office excel applications and value stream analysis [51].

D. Social Media Utilization as a Tool for Interaction of the Academic Community
According to the analysis results of the social media utilization as a means of interaction for the academic community in universities, the total number of subjects was 2421. From this number, 1367 answered that they actively interacted on social media, 744 responded that it was somewhat ineffective, 200 were inactive, and 110 stated they had not implemented social media in interactions. A graphic representation of the data distribution of the interaction of university communities is presented in Fig. 3.

E. Information Sought by the Academic Community through Social Media
According to the survey results, the most searched information on social media is lecture information (N = 1368). This is followed by information on requirements to be-come a student (

F. University Marketing through Social Media
The survey regarding the assessment of university marketing by the academic community (N = 2421) discovered: 1) active implementation (N = 1817), 2) less active (N = 522), 3) inactive (N = 53), and 4) respondents who have not implemented social media (N = 29). A graphic illustration of the assessment of the university marketing strategy is presented in Fig. 4.

G. Social Media as a Communication Tool in Universities
To find out whether the hypothesis proposed in this study is proven. The author conducts an analysis using the Value Stream Analysis technique to see how the relationship between social media as a communication tool in universities is. From the results of a survey conducted by four types of respondents in universities, namely students, lecturers, education staff, and alumni, stated that the interaction between the academic community in universities in terms of using social media, the results are as follows, in Fig. 5.  Fig. 6 shows an infographic representation of social media recommended by the academic community in higher education.
An analysis to determine the modeling of Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) as a communication tool in universities through social media was conducted based on the research findings and prepared via the value stream analysis technique. The results of this study are Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) as a communication tool for the academic community, and targeted promotions for universities. It can be seen that social media is often encountered to become a communication tool used by the academic community. One of them is that each university has a different perception of social media-based platforms.
That facilitates communication between academic community members through social media platforms that aim to enable information provision and acquisition. Based on research findings, social media platforms that allow the development of SCRM as a communication tool between members of the academic community are Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube. These four platforms can enable connections and relationships alongside providing and conveying information, leading to their recommendation by academic communities as university communication tools. An overview of the connectedness of SCRM as a communication tool through social media in the value stream analysis is presented in Fig. 7.

VI. DISCUSSION
The use of social media has grown and transformed into a communication tool [52], [53], including in modern times in academic communities. Based on survey data, the academic community members mostly used WhatsApp (N = 2416), Facebook (N = 1374), and Instagram (N = 765), while the rest chose other platforms. These three applications are the most used social media platforms in the world.
Meanwhile, the new form of CRM, known as SCRM [28], has become a necessity in universities as a means of communication and interaction between academic community members. Sigala [54] stated that SCRM could provide users with benefits and satisfaction [55]. Interaction between internet users is the core of the social web [56], and through social media, universities can join communities outside their official boundaries to obtain information [54]. It corresponds with Diffley and McCole [57], who stated that social CRM could represent routine activities, including in social networks, to build long-term relationships that involve customers, and create shared value in the development and empowerment [54] of university innovation.
Social media is a means of interaction and communication, as evidenced by its use in the academic community's search for university information in this research. The three most popular social media platforms used as tools to obtain information were Instagram (N = 1783), Facebook (N = 946), and YouTube (N = 869), which are also some of the most common applications [46]. According to the result presented in Section 3, this study proves the hypothesis that the social media is a potential communication media between the academic communities in higher education.
Furthermore, 1367 (56%) respondents in this research admitted that they employed social media during interactions, while 1054 (54%) gave responses of less active, inactive, and unimplemented interactions. These findings necessitate the creation of a system that regulates social CRM through social media as a means of communication and interaction between members of the academic community in universities.
Social media is defined as a technology used for interaction through the web [58], [59]. Hence, academic communities need to properly engage customers on related platforms [60], [61]. Social media is one of the most effective tools for all kinds of information and has many advantages that allow its users to connect easily over the internet. It can also help students and the academic community in teaching and learning, global collaboration, and provide relevant opportunities in one click [62]. The search and distribution of information through social media by the academic community is presented in Table I This study also proved that social media is an essential communication tool for the university academic community is very important, as evidenced by the recommendations to use related platforms, namely Instagram (N = 1929), Facebook (N = 1149), WhatsApp (N = 1127), and YouTube (N = 1040), to obtain information universities.
The current generation is probably the loneliest, and this can be tackled by image-based platforms such as Instagram [63]. This application was launched in 2010 through the App Store and reached 2 million users in precisely two months. It has also gained wide global popularity, where one of the recent trends consists of posting side-by-side photos comprising one ideal and realistic depiction [64]. It is highly remarkable compared to the development of other social media platforms, such as Twitter and Foursquare, which took one to two years to reach the same number of users [65]. In addition, Instagram has changed the scope of education because students can share experiences and exchange ideas and solutions with other students, lecturers, and individuals [66].
Meanwhile, Facebook is a platform that has rapidly developed and is the second-largest global social network and the largest in Turkey [67]. It has facilitated the most substantial impact on the intention to use social media [68], [69] and fulfills people's needs to show affection and vent feelings [70]. Facebook is used for making friends, surveillance, videos, photos, music, sharing ideas, games, organizations, politics, commerce, and communication in education [71]. The use of social applications in education helps expand the learning experience and enhance interactions inside and outside the classroom, such as WhatsApp, which fundamental functions as a tool for communication between members of the academic community [72].
WhatsApp is an application used to send messages [71] and complement face-to-face communication [73]. The WhatsApp messenger application is widely used among students and the academic community for sending messages, photos, videos, and audio [74]. According to Cheung et al. [75], WhatsApp is a mobile service that allows the academic community to interact socially, enables learning and solving difficulties, and considers an alternative platform for distributing assignments, ideas, and information. Hence, this platform has become essential to building feelings of unity with people [76].
Furthermore, as the most famous of these sites, YouTube exceeds two billion views per day, with new videos uploaded on an average every minute. Not only as a video content channel but YouTube is also a new educational tool that attracts public attention [77] and is best understood as a means of disseminating information [78]. This application offers four ways to sort search results: relevance, upload date, number of views, and ratings [79]. It also has stringent quality requirements, such as detecting the packets belonging to the application in the packet stream and determining the appropriate quality parameters [80].
In addition, the assessment of marketing at universities by the academic community in this research showed that 1817 (75%) from the total of 2421 admitted that college marketing had actively implemented social media, proving its importance as an interaction system. Advancing the mission and programs of the academic community is very important to assess the effective use of social media from a public perspective. As stated previously, the public tends to accept and use information conveyed through social media, which is believed to be more credible than other platforms [40]. The use of social media is the key to developing interactions that should involve openness, transparency, usability, and interactive features [81], [82].
Social media should become a communication interaction system in universities. Social media is also referred to as social sensing in universities' academic communities for four reasons: ease of access, updated information, complete information, and attractive appearance. Meanwhile, the benefits are information sharing, and publicity, alongside offering and receiving support and advice [83], [84]. Hence, people in universities can interact freely without fear of adequate fluency in spoken English through social media [85], [86], [87].

VII. CONCLUSION
This study concludes that Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) can be a means of communication between the academic community in higher education. This is evident from the graphics contained in this study showing that social media is used as a communication tool. SCRM modeling is a bit difficult for readers to understand and understand from research. From the results, it was found that social media is a critical communication tool for the university's academic community, which is very important, as evidenced by the recommendation to use related platforms, namely, Instagram (N = 1929), Facebook (N = 1149), WhatsApp (N = 1127), and YouTube (N = 1040), for university information. Furthermore, 1367 (56%) respondents in this study admitted to using social media when interacting, while 1054 (54%) gave responses in inactive, inactive, and not implemented interactions. These findings require creating a system that regulates social CRM through social media as a means of communication and interaction between members of the academic community in universities, as seen in Fig. 5.
This research concluded that Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) could be a communication tool between academic community members in universities. It can be conducted by utilizing effective social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube, integrated and connected as an information search center. Consequently, social media has become an SCRM tool due to: 1) ease of access, 2) complete information, 3) updated information, and www.ijacsa.thesai.org 4) attractive appearance. A structured interview guide was used separately from the research questions in this study because this study used two methods at once. Thus, structured interview guides were used in a qualitative setting, while mixed questions were used in a quantitative setting. This study proves the hypothesis that social media is a potential communication medium between academic communities in higher education.
The author also recommends further research with a purely quantitative approach, such as (experiments, correlations, and surveys) so that the relationship between Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) can be seen significantly as a communication tool in the academic community in higher education.

VIII. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendations in this study are by looking at some of the weaknesses of this study. So that it becomes suggestions and input for future research. Such as: 1) Revealing more about technical barriers in the use of social media as an academic communication tool; 2) Using more diverse research methods, such as pure quantitative and other mixed-method approaches; 3) Conducting further research with survey analysis with a quantitative approach.