Differences between Data Extensions and Subscriber Lists
You’ve probably learned by now that all users at IU should use data extensions to bring constituent data into Marketing Cloud for email sends. Some users may be more familiar with subscriber lists though, which is a legacy way of bringing in and using constituent data. This guide will help you understand the differences and why we now only support the use of data extensions.
Both data extensions and subscriber lists contain the constituents who will receive your email. Similar to spreadsheets, they include columns for information about your constituents. Data extensions, though, allow for much more personalization and advanced usage of Marketing Cloud, which can result in better constituent experiences.
Below is a list of similarities and differences between data extensions and subscriber lists to help you understand both and the value of data extensions.
Comparison | Subscriber List | Data Extension |
Stores constituent data for use in Marketing Cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
Used to send emails | ✓ | ✓ |
Can be used for basic personalization (first name, last name, email) | ✓ | ✓ |
Can be used for valuable personalization (campus, vaccine status, etc.) | ✓ | |
Allows for audience segmentation by filtering field values (employees vs. students, etc.) | ✓ | |
Can be used to more effectively manage subscribers | ✓ | |
Can be used to bring reports directly from Service Cloud into Marketing Cloud | ✓ | |
Uses Convergence Cloud for upload | ✓ | |
Minimizes duplicate records through Convergence Cloud** | ✓ | |
Needs publication list for managing email subscribers for each send | ✓ | |
Works best with automations and Journey Builder | ✓ |
**Indiana University pays for every contact in Marketing Cloud. Subscriber lists create duplicate records. Data extensions used in tandem with Convergence Cloud prevent duplicate records in Marketing Cloud and are used to import constituents based on Salesforce ID, which maps to the constituent’s record in Service Cloud. The Salesforce ID is then used as the subscriber’s Subscriber Key, allowing you to import a single contact from Service Cloud into your data extension in Marketing Cloud.