While creating a new listing on Facebook or updating the old one, have you ever wondered what is SKU on the Facebook marketplace? What are you supposed to write here?
Or perhaps you have heard about it, but you are unsure whether it is for you since you are an independent seller.
Here is a complete guide on SKU codes and how to use them for better inventory management and smoother customer service.
What does SKU mean?
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SKU is the short form of stock keeping unit. It is a unique code that you (the seller) can assign to every item you have put up for selling. They are a critical part of the merchandising structure. They help you arrange all your products or list them according to categories. It helps in better management of the inventory you have. Plus, you can fulfill orders quickly and manage inventory efficiently.
Using an alpha-numeric code, you can categorize your products. This alpha-numeric code is your SKU for every item. If you have a wide range of products, knowing what is SKU on Facebook marketplace and how to use these codes can prove to be a blessing.
Who Decides SKU Codes on Facebook Marketplace?
The SKU codes can be totally decided by the seller. You are selling the products through your Facebook account or your brand’s Facebook account. You can keep the SKU code according to your preference. So, what is SKU on Facebook marketplace, and how long should it be? Typically, an SKU code is eight characters long. But you can keep them as long or as short as you want. This totally depends on what you are comfortable with. Since it is alpha-numeric, you can use digits, letters, and special characters to form them.
These letters and digits refer to various characteristics of the items that you have in your inventory. For example, you can keep the SKU according to the following details:
- Manufacturer
- Type
- Style
- Size
- Color
- Price
- Year of adding to the inventory
- Or anything else that helps you in easier identification
What is an example of an SKU?
Let’s say you are selling sports shoes of different brands in your Facebook marketplace. Some of them are Under Armour, Puma, Converse, and Reebok. So, the starting of your SKU codes could be a short form of the name of the brand like this:
Now, let’s say you want to give an SKU code to black color Puma shoes of size 10. So, the code could be PMA-BLK-10 where PMA stands for Puma, BLK stands for black, and 10 is the size.
You could add more details to your SKU code based on type, price, etc. That is totally your preference. So, this shows us that you have a lot of flexibility to keep your own SKU codes for your products. When you wonder about SKU on Facebook marketplace, you should really think about what is comfortable for you to manage your inventory.
Is SKU the Same as UPC?
Sellers who have heard or seen SKU codes but are not sure what is SKU on Facebook marketplace, often confuse them with UPC codes. But there is a big difference between UPC codes and SKU codes. UPC codes are basically barcodes – the thick and thin lines on the labels of apparel and accessories. Mostly these UPC codes are found on a paper label, near the label of the products and the security tags. Sometimes, the SKU codes look similar to the UPC, but they are used for different purposes.
UPC codes are universal and are shared across businesses. This means that the UPC codes will remain the same for a product, whether it is sold in one store or the other, whether in an offline store or an online one. So, let’s say a MAC lipstick will have the same UPC, whether it is sold at a local beauty products store, in an apparel store in a shopping mall, on a Facebook marketplace, or at a Shopify store. The UPC codes remain the same to track the same product across various platforms.
Is it Mandatory to have SKU Codes in Facebook Marketplace?
Before we know what is SKU on Facebook marketplace and how to get it, you need to know that it is not mandatory to have SKU codes. It is best to have them when you have a large inventory to manage. So, to sell things on Facebook, you don’t need an SKU code for your products.
Let’s say you don’t have many items to sell right now. But you plan to build a large inventory sometime sooner. So, you can start working on the SKU codes for your products from now itself. You can add SKU codes to your existing inventory at any time, even while creating new listings. Let us see how to get SKU codes for your items in the Facebook marketplace.
How do I get SKU on Facebook marketplace?
To get the SKU codes for your inventory in the Facebook marketplace, you need to consider these points:
- It is better to keep the SKU codes as long as 8 to 12 characters. It could be longer if that is what works for you. But shorter SKU codes make things more manageable and easier.
- Keep the codes easy to remember. Better have it written somewhere for reference, especially when you create them for the first time. You could use an Excel sheet to write down what each short form or code stands for.
- Let the brand names, types of items, colors, or materials have alphabetical short forms.
- Let the sizes, year of adding to the inventory, and price be in numbers.
- Avoid using too many other characters and symbols like @, #, $, etc. This might lead to confusion in the future.
- Try not to use visually similar characters, like 0 and o
- Try to not complicate things. Work on how you want to categorize your inventory.
- Keep an Excel sheet on all the SKU codes you write. Try explaining it a bit next to the SKU code for easy identification.
Why Do You Need an SKU to Sell on Facebook Marketplace?
As discussed earlier, you need not have SKU codes for selling on Facebook Marketplace. However, those who use SKU codes online or offline will tell you how useful they are. Here are some of the benefits:
- Inventory management and tracking – once you know what is SKU on Facebook marketplace and start using them, you will see how easy it is to track your inventory, know which item is out of stock, how many were sold, and how many got damaged.
- Collect and analyze sales data – SKU codes can provide a better sales analysis. It gives an insight into what product got sold in which season, which products were hit with consumers, other consumer behavior insights, and so much more.
- Customer service and satisfaction – you can give more satisfactory service to your customers if you know what is SKU on Facebook marketplace and use it for your products both online and in a real store. Let’s say you sell outfits for ladies. Having the same SKU for a particular dress will help you locate it faster and more efficiently when the customer comes to your shop to check if it fits her.
Conclusive Insight
To sum it up, SKU stands for stock-keeping unit. These are mainly codes that sellers assign to their products. These are made up by the sellers to manage their inventory better. One does not need SKU codes to sell a few products in Facebook Marketplace. But if you have large listings, or planning to have one, SKU codes can make it convenient to maintain inventory effectively, collect and analyze sales data, and understand consumer behavior. If that is what you have in mind exactly, then you should know what is SKU on Facebook marketplace and how to have your own SKU codes for your listings.
