I am currently migrating to ExactTarget and wondering how to best use Lists and Data extensions.
I have a large volume of Subscribers and according to the docs: http://help.exacttarget.com/en/documentation/exacttarget/solution_guides/using_a_list_versus_a_data_extension/ it seems I should be using Data Extensions to store them. This is fine, as DE's Import job runs relatively fast.
However, from what I've experimented with, it seems like I can only create an Email Send job if I link this data extension to the Subscriber list or create a Publication list to work off of and run and Import job on the List. This is extremely slow, as I end up having to import millions of rows into the list. This especially becomes a problem if I'm trying to update data on an hourly cadence.
Is there a way to directly send off of a Data Extension? If not, what is the best way to deal with Email Sends on a large volume of Subscribers? Please let me know if I'm going about this completely off the mark.
Thanks in advance!
Best Answer
Yes, you can send directly to the DE. Upon creation, you need to make the DE a SENDABLE DE. Otherwise, you cannot. For a more thorough explanation of everything ET Data Extension, have a look here